Chapter 5 · Verse 14

Path of Renunciation

न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः। न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते

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

Language:

Translation

The Lord creates neither the sense of doership, nor the actions of people, nor the connection between actions and their fruits; it is Nature alone that acts.

Commentary

न not? कर्तृत्वम् agency? न not? कर्माणि actions? लोकस्य for this world? सृजति creates? प्रभुः the Lord? न not? कर्मफलसंयोगम् union with the fruits of actions? स्वभावः nature? तु but? प्रवर्तते leads to action.Commentary The Lord does not create agency or doership. He does not press anyone to do actions. He never tells anyone? Do this or do that. He does not bring about the union with the fruit of actions. It is Prakritit or Nature that does everything. (Cf.III.33)