Action done by one who craves its fruit is by far, by a great distance, utterly lower and baser than action done with the understanding of evenness, since it is a cause of birth, death and the rest. Therefore, O Dhanañjaya, seek refuge, a shelter, a cause of reaching fearlessness, in the understanding that bears on yoga, or in the Sāṅkhya understanding ripened from it; become one whose refuge is the knowledge of the supreme reality. For those who, doing the lower action, are wretched, pitiable, impelled by craving for the fruit, are as the scripture says: 'he who departs from this world without having known that Imperishable, O Gārgī, is wretched'. Hear what fruit one gains who, joined with the understanding of evenness, follows his own duty.

Far inferior to action joined with this discipline of understanding, which consists in the giving up of the principal fruit and in equanimity toward the success and failure of the secondary fruit, is other action. Great is this disparity between the two, the superiority of the one and the inferiority of the other: action joined with the said discipline of understanding turns away the whole of transmigratory pain and brings one to liberation, the highest human goal, while the other brings transmigration, which is boundless pain. Therefore, while action is being done, seek refuge in the said understanding; 'refuge' is a dwelling place, that is, abide in that very understanding. Wretched are those whose motive is the fruit: those who act through attachment to the fruit and the like become wretched, bound to transmigration.

And for this further reason, gird yourself for yoga, Krishna says with 'by far'. Mere action stands far below the buddhi-yoga, the means whose mark is knowledge; 'by far' means utterly. Therefore take refuge in the buddhi, take your stand in knowledge. 'Those who have fruit for their motive' are those whose motive in the deed is the fruit.