BG 3.4
न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते ।
न च सन्न्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ॥
न च सन्न्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ॥
na karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣkarmyaṁ puruṣo ’śnute
na ca sannyasanād eva siddhiṁ samadhigacchati
na ca sannyasanād eva siddhiṁ samadhigacchati
Word-for-word meanings
anārambhāt — by the non-performance; karmaṇām — of prescribed duties; puruṣaḥ — a person; na aśnute — cannot gain; naiṣkarmyam — freedom from the bondage of karma; ca — and; na samadhigacchati — [a person of impure heart] cannot attain; siddhim — perfection; sannyasanāt eva — merely by giving up [prescribed action].
Translation
Without performing prescribed duties, one cannot gain freedom from the bondage of karma (naiṣkarmya), and a person of impure heart cannot attain perfection merely by giving up prescribed action.