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Bhagavad Gita · 5.8 · Path of Renunciation·8 of 29

नैव किंचित्करोमीति युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित्पश्यन् श्रृणवन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपन् श्वसन्

naiva kiñchit karomīti yukto manyeta tattva-vit paśhyañ śhṛiṇvan spṛiśhañjighrann aśhnangachchhan

svapañśhvasan pralapan visṛijan gṛihṇann unmiṣhan nimiṣhann api indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣhu vartanta iti dhārayan

Sanskrit recitation

Renounce the clinging, not the work · 5.1–5.12 · Teaching

Translation

I do nothing at all," thus would the harmonized knower of Truth think, seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going, sleeping, and breathing.

Meaning

A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is pure in his existence, and consequently he has nothing to do with any work which depends upon five immediate and remote causes: the doer, the work, the situation, the endeavor and fortune. This is because he is engaged in the loving transcendental service of Kṛṣṇa. Although he appears to be acting with his body and senses, he is always conscious of his actual position, which is spiritual engagement. In material consciousness, the senses are engaged in sense gratification, but in Kṛṣṇa consciousness the senses are engaged in the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa’s senses. Therefore, the Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always free, even though he appears to be engaged in affairs of the senses. Activities such as seeing and hearing are actions of the senses meant for receiving knowledge, whereas moving, speaking, evacuating, etc., are actions of the senses meant for work. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is never affected by the actions of the senses. He cannot perform any act except in the service of the Lord because he knows that he is the eternal servitor of the Lord.

After Swami Sivananda

Renounce the clinging, not the work· 5.1–5.12

Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.

Word-by-word
na
not
api
although
eva
certainly
iti
thus
karomi
I do
svapan
sleeping
aśhnan
eating
jighran
smelling
manyeta
thinks
kiñchit
anything
paśhyan
seeing
pralapan
talking
vartante
moving
yuktaḥ
steadfast in karm yog
śhvasan
breathing
dhārayan
convinced
gachchhan
moving
nimiṣhan
closing (the eyes)
tattva-vit
one who knows the truth
unmiṣhan
opening (the eyes)
visṛijan
giving up
gṛihṇan
accepting
spṛiśhan
touching
indriyāṇi
the senses
śhṛiṇvan
hearing
indriya-artheṣhu
in sense-objects

Related verses

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