Bhagavat Gita a detailed study-chapter4The truth about action

[Guest guest]

14. na maam karmaNi limpanthi na me karmaphale sprhaa

ithi maam yo abhijaanaathikarmabhiH na saH baDhyathe

 

Actions do not affect Me nor do I have desire for the fruit of action. The one who knows Me as such is also not bound by actions.

If the Lord is the creator, will the fruit of His action accrue to Him? No, says Krishna.

Na maam karmaani limpanthi na me karmaphale sprha. Neither the action nor the fruit adhere to Him. This can be explained as follows: The expression `I' actually means the Self only and taken in that sense, the agent of action is the Self because without the self the action can never take place, but the Self is only saakshi bootha, a witness-self. And therefore the self is neither the doer nor the enjoyer. Similarly the Lord who is the inner self of all is not affected by the actions of the individual beings. The ancient seers knew this and identifying themselves with the Lord their real Self they discharged their duties with detachment and with the welfare of the world at heart.

15.evam jnaathvaa krtham karma poorvaiH api mumukshubhiH

kuru karma eva thasmaath thvam poorvaiH poorvatharam

krtham

Knowing this, the aspirants for mukthi in the past, performed their actions. Hence you also act as the ancients did previously.

This sloka is a sort of summary to the previous slokas in the chapter. Krishna cited the example of the rajarshis like Janaka who were doing nishkama karma and also showed that He Himself does karma for the sake of protection and sustenance of the world. Those who knew that the Lord has no agency and is not affected by the action or its result will also be freed from karma , says Krishna. Hence he advises Arjuna to do karmayoga as those before him did.

In order to follow the path of Karmayoga the seeker must be very clear as to which actions will lead him to bondage and which will secure release from bondage. Krishna has been insisting on the importance of doing one's duty and cited the example of the ancients in by-gone days. The reason for doing so is due to the fact that it is difficult to decide which actions are to be done and which are to be given up. This is elaborated in the next few slokas.