Actions cannot be classified by external appearances. It is the state of the mind that determines what is inaction and action. The minds of enlightened persons are absorbed in God. Being fully satisfied in devotional union with him, they look upon God as their only refuge and do not depend upon external supports. In this state of mind, all their actions are termed as
akarm
, or inactions.
There is a beautiful story in the Puranas to illustrate this point. The
gopīs
(cowherd women) of Vrindavan once kept a fast. The ceremony of breaking the fast required them to feed a sage. Shree Krishna advised them to feed Sage Durvasa, the elevated ascetic, who lived on the other side of River Yamuna. The
gopīs
prepared a delicious feast and started off, but found the river was very turbulent that day, and no boatman was willing to ferry them across.
The
gopīs
asked Shree Krishna for a solution. He said, “Tell River Yamuna that if Shree Krishna is an
akhaṇḍ brahmacharī
(perfectly celibate since birth), it should give them way.” The
gopīs
started laughing, because they felt that Shree Krishna used to dote upon them, and so there was no question of his being an
akhaṇḍ brahmacharī.
Nevertheless, when they requested River Yamuna in that manner, the river gave them way and a bridge of flowers manifested for their passage across.
The
gopīs
were astonished. They went across to the
āśhram
of Sage Durvasa. They requested him to accept the delicious meal they had brought for him. Being an ascetic, he ate only a small portion, which disappointed the
gopīs
. So, Durvasa decided to fulfill their expectations, and using his mystic powers, he ate everything they had brought. The
gopīs
were amazed to see him eat so much, but were very pleased that he had done justice to their cooking.
The
gopīs
now asked Durvasa for help to cross the Yamuna and return to the other side. He replied, “Tell River Yamuna that if Durvasa has not eaten anything today except
doob
(a kind of grass which was the only thing Durvasa used to eat), the river should give way.” The
gopīs
again started laughing, for they had seen him eat such an extravagant meal. Yet to their utmost surprise, when they beseeched River Yamuna in that manner, the river again gave them way.
The
gopīs
asked Shree Krishna the secret behind what had happened. He explained that while God and the Saints appear to engage in material activities externally, internally they are always transcendentally situated. Thus, even while doing all kinds of actions, they are still considered to be non-doers. Although interacting with the
gopīs
externally, Shree Krishna was an
akhaṇḍ brahmacharī
internally. And though Durvasa ate the delectable meal offered by the
gopīs
, internally his mind only tasted the
doob
grass. Both these were illustrations of inaction in action.