The works of Ramaṇa Maharṣi

Upadeśa Sāram

Verse 1

कर्तुराज्ञया प्राप्यते फलम् ।कर्म किं परं कर्म तज्जडम् ॥

कर्तुः आज्ञया प्राप्यते फलम् कर्म किं परं कर्म तत्जडम्

In plain words

What comes of what you do comes because the Lord ordains it. The deed does not hand out its own results — it never did. So how could action be the last word? It cannot even know that it is acting.

Word for word

By the ordainer's command the fruit is obtained. Is action the supreme? That action is insentient.