Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 5 Karma Sannyasa Yogah

Karma Sannyasa Yogah - Renouncing all actions mentally, the self-controlled one dwells peacefully in the city of nine gates, neither acting nor causing to act.

सर्वकर्माणि मनसा संन्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी |
नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन् ||13||

Renouncing all actions mentally, the self-controlled one dwells peacefully in the city of nine gates, neither acting nor causing to act.

Nava-Dvare: The city of nine gates, referring to the human body.
Dehi: The embodied soul.

The "city of nine gates" metaphor represents the body, with the detached self residing within as an observer. This analogy encourages Arjuna to view himself as distinct from his physical actions, laying groundwork for liberation through detachment.

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न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभु: |
न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते ||14||

The Lord does not create agency or actions for people, nor does He unite actions with results; all this is enacted by nature.

Prabhu: The Supreme Lord or God.
Svabhava: One’s own inherent nature.

Krishna describes how the Supreme does not create individual agency or karma but simply facilitates existence. This redefines the concept of free will, framing actions as products of one’s nature rather than divine imposition.

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Karma Sannyasa Yogah - The omnipresent Lord takes neither anyone’s sins nor virtues upon Himself. Knowledge is veiled by ignorance; hence, people are deluded.

नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभु: |
अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तव: ||15||

The omnipresent Lord takes neither anyone’s sins nor virtues upon Himself. Knowledge is veiled by ignorance; hence, people are deluded.

Vibhu: The all-pervading divine presence.
Jantavah: Living beings or creatures.

Ignorance obscures self-knowledge, Krishna notes, causing people to act with attachment. He hints at the dualistic perception that binds souls, pointing Arjuna toward realizing his own eternal, detached self behind these veils.

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Karma Sannyasa Yogah - But for those whose ignorance is destroyed by self-knowledge, that knowledge reveals the Supreme, as the sun illumines everything.

ज्ञानेन तु तदज्ञानं येषां नाशितमात्मन: |
तेषामादित्यवज्ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति तत्परम् ||16||

But for those whose ignorance is destroyed by self-knowledge, that knowledge reveals the Supreme, as the sun illumines everything.

Aditya-Vat: Like the sun, illuminating truth.
Jnanam: Knowledge or wisdom.

Krishna contrasts the sunlight of knowledge with the shadow of ignorance, which veils the true self. This allegory emphasizes the transformative power of wisdom, showing Arjuna that true knowledge dispels all confusion about self and duty.

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तद्बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणा: |
गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिं ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषा: ||17||

Those with minds absorbed in Brahman, steadfast in realization, purified by knowledge, attain the state beyond rebirth.

Nirdhuta-Kalmasah: One whose impurities are washed away.
Tat-Parayanah: One devoted to that Supreme.

Those aligned with the Supreme gain immunity from rebirth. Krishna presents the purity achieved through steady spiritual focus, guiding Arjuna toward understanding the fruits of undivided loyalty to the path of knowledge.

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विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि |
शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिता: समदर्शिन: ||18||

The wise see with equal vision a learned and humble Brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and an outcaste.

Shuni: Dog, symbolizing humility and equality.
Shvapake: Outcaste or one of low status.

Krishna advocates for equanimity, encouraging Arjuna to view all beings equally. This worldview, valuing all life, reveals the interconnectedness underpinning the universe and echoes the Gita’s call for humility and compassion.

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इहैव तैर्जित: सर्गो येषां साम्ये स्थितं मन: |
निर्दोषं हि समं ब्रह्म तस्माद् ब्रह्मणि ते स्थिता: ||19||

Those who conquer the cycle of rebirth here, whose minds are poised in equanimity, rest in Brahman, free from all blemishes.

Nirdosham: Free from faults or sin.
Sama: Equanimous, balanced or equal.

By describing those free from rebirth as “fixed in Brahman,” Krishna reveals how equanimity leads to liberation. This insight furthers Arjuna’s understanding that unwavering balance can dissolve karmic bonds.

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