In a Zoom meeting with Ramana Kendra, Delhi, on 9th January 2022 Michael James discusses the meaning and implications of verses 1, 2 and 3 of Upadēśa Sāraḥ:

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कर्तु राज्ञया प्राप्य तेफलम् ।

kartu rājñayā prāpya tēphalam

पदच्छेद: कर्तुः आज्ञया प्राप्यते फलम्. कर्म किम् परम्? कर्म तत् जडम्.

Padacchēda: kartuḥ ājñayā prāpyatē phalam. karma kim param? karma tat jaḍam.

English translation: Fruit is obtained by the order of God. Is karma God? Karma is insentient.

Explanatory paraphrase: Fruit [of action] is obtained by the order of God. Is karma God? Karma is jaḍa [non-aware or insentient].

कृतिम होदधौ पतन कारणम् ।

kṛtima hōdadhau patana kāraṇam

पदच्छेद: कृति महा उदधौ पतन कारणम्. फलम् अशाश्वतम्. गति निरोधकम्.

Padacchēda: kṛti mahā udadhau patana kāraṇam. phalam aśāśvatam. gati nirōdhakam.

English translation: The cause of falling in the great ocean of action. Fruit is impermanent. Liberation-obstructing.

Explanatory paraphrase: The cause of falling in the great ocean of action [is seeds, namely viṣaya-vāsanās, which are inclinations to do actions in order to experience viṣayas, objects or phenomena]. The fruit [of any action] is impermanent. [Action is] liberation-obstructing.

ईश्व रार्पितं नेच्छ याकृतम् ।

īśva rārpitaṁ nēccha yākṛtam

पदच्छेद: ईश्वर अर्पितम् न इच्छया कृतम् चित्त शोधकम् मुक्ति साधकम्.

Padacchēda: īśvara arpitam na icchayā kṛtam citta śōdhakam mukti sādhakam.

English translation: Offered to God, not done with desire, mind-purifier, liberation-accomplishing.

Explanatory paraphrase: [Action that is] not done with desire [but] offered [entrusted or transferred] to God [is] mind-purifier [and thereby indirectly] liberation-accomplishing.

While discussing these verses, Michael also discusses the meaning and implications of various other passages from Bhagavan’s writings, including Upadēśa Undiyār, Nāṉ Ār?, Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu and Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam.

This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-01-09 Ramana Kendra, Delhi: Michael James discusses Upadēśa Sāraḥ verses 1 to 3, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.