यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः | आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते || १७ ||
yas tv ātma-ratir eva syād ātma-tṛptaś ca mānavaḥ ātmany eva ca santuṣṭas tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate
yaḥ—who; tu—but; ātma-ratiḥ—takes pleasure in the Self; eva—certainly; syāt—remains; ātma-tṛptaḥ—self-illuminated; ca—and; mānavaḥ—a man; ātmani—in himself; eva—only; ca—and; santuṣṭaḥ—perfectly satiated; tasya—his; kāryam—duty; na—does not; vidyate—exist.
“But for one who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied with the Self, and who is content in the Self alone — for such a person there is no obligatory duty.”
This verse describes the jivan-mukta — the liberated one who has realised the Self as Brahman. Such a person has no karmic obligations because all action is already dissolved in the ocean of Self-knowledge. But this is a description of a fully realised state, not a license for the ordinary seeker to claim exemption from duty. Only genuine Self-realisation — not a claim of it — brings freedom from karma.
This verse describes the goal, not the starting point. Rather than prematurely declaring yourself free from duty, use it as an inspiration to deepen self-inquiry. Ask: 'Is my contentment based on external circumstances or on something stable within?' The movement toward genuine inner contentment is itself the practice of Karma Yoga.