Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 17

यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः | आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ||

yas tv ātma-ratir eva syād ātma-tṛptaś ca mānavaḥ ātmany eva ca santuṣṭas tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate

But for one who delights in the Self, who is satisfied in the Self, and is content in the Self alone—for such a person, there is no duty.

Krishna introduces a profound exception: the self-realized (ātma-rati, ātma-tṛpta, santuṣṭa) have no binding duty because they've transcended reciprocity—they see no separation between self and others. They ARE the cycle, not separate from it. This isn't laziness; it describes beings who serve naturally without needing rules. Here's the twist: even they continue acting for welfare of all (lok-sangraha), not from duty but because their actions guide others. Inner freedom enables purer service, not withdrawal.