Bhagavad Gita · 9.9 · Yoga through the King of Sciences·9 of 34
न च मां तानि कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय।उदासीनवदासीनमसक्तं तेषु कर्मसु ॥
na cha māṁ tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti
dhanañjaya udāsīna-vad āsīnam asaktaṁ teṣhu karmasu
Sanskrit recitation
A royal secret, simply held · 9.1–9.10 · Teaching
Translation
These acts do not bind Me, O Arjuna, sitting as one indifferent, unattached to those acts.
Meaning
These acts Creation and dissolution of the universe. I am the only cause of dissolution of the universe. I am the only cause of Nature and its activities and yet, being indifferent to everythin, I do nothing. Nor do I cause anything to be done.I remain as one neutral or indifferent or unconcerned. I have no attachment for the fruits of those actions. Further I have not go the egoistic feeling of agency I do this. I know that the Self is actionless. Therefore the actions involved in creation and dissolution do not bind Me.As in the case of Isvara so in the case of others also the absence of the egoistic feeling of agency and the absense of attachment to the fruits of action is the cause of freedom (from Dharma and Adharma, virtue and evil) The ignorant man who works with egoism and who expects rewards for his action is bound by his own actions like the silkworm in the cocoon.Just as the neutral referee or umpire in a cricket or football match is not affected by the victory or defeat of the parties, so also the Lord is not affected by the creation and destruction of this world as He remains unconcerned or indifferent and as He is a silent and changeless witness. (Cf.IV.14)
After Swami Sivananda
A royal secret, simply held· 9.1–9.10→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 9.1The Blessed Lord said, "I shall now declare to thee, who does not cavil, the greatest secret—the knowledge combined with experience (Self-realisation). Having known this, thou shalt be free from evil."
- 9.2This is the royal science, the royal secret, the supreme purifier, realizable by direct intuitive knowledge, according to righteousness, very easy to perform and imperishable.
- 9.3Those who have no faith in this Dharma, O Parantapa, return to the path of this world without attaining Me.
- 9.4All of this world is pervaded by Me in My unmanifest aspect; all beings exist within Me, but I do not dwell within them.
- 9.5Nor do beings exist in Me (in reality); behold, My divine Yoga, which supports all beings, but does not dwell in them, is My Self, the efficient cause of beings.
- 9.6As the mighty wind, moving everywhere, always rests in the ether, so too, know that all beings rest in Me.
- 9.7All beings, O Arjuna, go into My Nature at the end of a Kalpa; I send them forth again at the beginning of the next Kalpa.
- 9.8Animating My Nature, I again and again send forth all this multitude of beings, helpless under the force of Nature.
9.9These acts do not bind Me, O Arjuna, sitting as one indifferent, unattached to those acts.
- 9.10Under Me, as supervisor, Nature produces the moving and the unmoving; therefore, O Arjuna, the world revolves.
Word-by-word→
- na
- none
- cha
- as
- mām
- me
- tāni
- those
- asaktam
- detached
- karmasu
- actions
- teṣhu
- those
- āsīnam
- situated
- karmāṇi
- actions
- dhanañjaya
- Arjun, conqueror of wealth
- nibadhnanti
- bind
- udāsīna-vat
- as neutral
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