Path of Renunciation
Verse 5.14
न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः। न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते।।5.14।।
na kartṛitvaṁ na karmāṇi lokasya sṛijati prabhuḥ na karma-phala-saṅyogaṁ svabhāvas tu pravartate
Word Meanings
na—neither; kartṛitvam—sense of doership; na—nor; karmāṇi—actions; lokasya—of the people; sṛijati—creates; prabhuḥ—God; na—nor; karma-phala—fruits of actions; sanyogam—connection; svabhāvaḥ—one’s nature; tu—but; pravartate—is enacted
Translation · English
Neither does the Lord create agency nor actions for the world, nor union with the fruits of actions; rather, it is Nature that acts.
Deep Meaning · English
In this profound verse, Lord Krishna addresses the fundamental misunderstanding regarding the origin of human suffering and action. He clarifies that the Divine, acting as the Witness (Sakshi) and the substratum of existence, does not impose a sense of agency, nor does It dictate specific actions or bind the individual to their fruits. The 'Lord' here is not a tyrant manipulating puppets, but the silent consciousness that allows the drama of life to unfold. The true engine of activity is 'Svabhava,' the sum total of our past impressions (samskaras) and ingrained tendencies that dictate our perceptions and reactions.
The Divine remains the detached observer of our existence, while our own conditioned nature drives the cycle of action and attachment.
Connected Verses
Reinforces that those who see themselves as the sole doer are of perverted intelligence, ignoring the roles of the body, senses, and divine will.
Confirms that the one who perceives that all actions are performed by nature alone truly sees the reality of the Self.
States that the Lord remains neutral and unattached, like one seated in indifference, despite being the substratum of all creation.
Explains how the deluded ego believes it is the doer, while all actions are actually performed by the modes of nature.
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