Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa now gives an important exception. Up to the previous verse, he strongly taught that human beings must participate in the yajña-cycle through karma-yoga. A person who only takes, enjoys, hoards, and refuses to contribute lives in vain. That teaching applies to those who are still seeking fulfillment through the world.

But now Bhagavān speaks of a rare person: the jñānī, the one who has discovered fullness in the Self. Such a person is ātma-ratiḥ — one whose delight is in the Self. He is ātma-tṛptaḥ — one who is satisfied by the Self. He is ātmani eva santuṣṭaḥ — one who is content in the Self alone.

This does not mean he hates the world or refuses all activity. It means he no longer depends on the world for inner fullness. Before knowledge, a person often acts for fulfillment: “If I get this, I will be complete; if people love me, I will be secure; if I succeed, I will be happy.” Such action has pressure, anxiety, and dependence.

The jñānī has discovered that fullness is not produced by external acquisition. Fullness is his own nature. Therefore, he does not approach the world with a begging bowl, emotionally asking, “Will this complete me? Will this make me secure?” He is already inwardly full.

So Bhagavān says: tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate — for such a person, there is no duty to be done. This does not mean he becomes lazy or useless. It means there is no obligatory action required for his personal completion. If he acts, he acts out of fullness, not for fullness. Such action is like līlā — free, unpressured, and whole.

This verse must not be misused by ordinary seekers. Until self-knowledge is firm, karma-yoga remains necessary for purification. Only the one who is truly ātma-ratiḥ, ātma-tṛptaḥ, and ātmani eva santuṣṭaḥ is free from the sense of compulsory action for self-fulfillment.