Chapter-18, Verse 61

Ashtavakra Gita Verse 18.61

निवृत्तेरपि मूढस्य प्रवृत्तिरुपजायते ।

प्रवृत्तिरपि धीरस्य निवृत्तिफलदायिनी ॥ ६१ ॥

Even abstention from action leads to action in a fool, while even the action of the wise man brings the fruits of inaction. 

The meaning of this verse is that a fool, who is ignorant of the True Nature of the Self, cannot attain Realization by merely renouncing the world and its activities. He will still be bound by his desires, attachments, and ego, and will be subject to the cycle of birth and death. 

On the other hand, a wise man, who has Realized the Self as the Supreme Reality, can perform actions in the world without being attached to their results. He will be free from the bondage of karma, and will enjoy the Bliss of the Self.

The verse implies that the key to Realization is not the external renunciation of action, but the internal renunciation of the sense of doership and enjoyership. A fool thinks that he is the doer and the enjoyer of his actions, and thus suffers from the dualities of pleasure and pain, success and failure, honor and dishonor, etc. A wise man knows that he is not the doer or the enjoyer, but the witness of his actions, and thus remains unaffected by their outcomes. He acts in accordance with his nature and duty, without any expectation or attachment.

The verse also suggests that the difference between a fool and a wise man is not in their actions, but in their attitude and awareness. A fool acts out of ignorance, delusion, and egoism, while a wise man acts out of knowledge, clarity, and selflessness. A fool is bound by his actions, while a wise man is liberated by his actions. A fool is driven by his mind and senses, while a wise man is guided by his intellect and intuition. A fool is restless and unhappy, while a wise man is calm and content.

Some similar verses from other Vedic texts are:

 - Bhagavad Gita 18.61

ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति ।

भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया ॥ ६१ ॥

The Supreme Lord dwells in the hearts of all living beings, O Arjun. According to their karmas, He directs the wanderings of the souls, who are seated on a machine made of the material energy. 

This verse explains that the Lord stays in the Heart and is the Supreme Controller and Witness of all the living entities, who are under the influence of His illusory energy, Maya. He awards them the results of their actions, and makes them wander in different bodies and worlds, according to their desires and destinies. He is also the source of their knowledge, forgetfulness, and liberation.

 - Shvetashvatara Upanishad 4.13

यथा सर्वाणि भूतानि भावन्त्यादियौगिकाः ।

स्वरूपेणाव्यया तथा तेषां निर्वाणमुच्यते ॥ १३ ॥

As all living beings are created by the union of the material nature and the Spirit, so by the same nature they are merged again in their original form. This is called liberation. 

This verse describes the process of creation and dissolution of the living beings, who are a combination of matter and Spirit. The material nature, or Prakriti, is the cause of the diversity and multiplicity of the living beings, who are endowed with different bodies, senses, minds, and intelligence. The Spirit, or Purusha, is the cause of the Consciousness and life of the living beings, who are essentially one and the same. When the living beings realize their true identity as the spirit, they become free from the bondage of the material nature, and attain their original form, which is eternal, blissful, and Pure.

 - Katha Upanishad 2.14

यदा सर्वे प्रमुच्यन्ते कामा येऽस्य हृदि श्रिताः ।

अथ मर्त्योऽमृतो भवत्यत्र ब्रह्म समश्नुते ॥ १४ ॥

When all the desires that dwell in the heart are cast away, then the mortal becomes immortal, and attains Brahman in this very body. 

This verse teaches that the cause of bondage and death is the attachment to the desires that arise in the mind and heart. These desires are based on the false identification with the body and the world, and lead to the cycle of birth and death. When one renounces these desires, and Realizes the Self as the immortal and blissful Brahman, then one becomes free from the fear of death, and attains the Supreme State of Realization.