Bhagavad Gita 4.14न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा।इति मां योऽभिजानाति कर्मभिर्न स बध्यते ॥
na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale
spṛihā iti māṁ yo ’bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate
Sanskrit recitation
Wisdom that returns in every age · 4.1–4.15 · Teaching
Translation
Actions do not taint Me, nor do I have a desire for the fruit of actions. He who knows Me thus is not bound by actions.
Hindi translation
।।4.13 -- 4.14।। मेरे द्वारा गुणों और कर्मोंके विभागपूर्वक चारों वर्णोंकी रचना की गयी है। उस-(सृष्टि-रचना आदि-) का कर्ता होनेपर भी मुझ अव्यय परमेश्वरको तू अकर्ता जान। कारण कि कर्मोंके फलमें मेरी स्पृहा नहीं है, इसलिये मुझे कर्म लिप्त नहीं करते। इस प्रकार जो मुझे तत्त्वसे जान लेता है, वह भी कर्मोंसे नहीं बँधता।
Meaning
As I have neither egoism nor desire for fruits, I am not bound by actions. Wordly people think they are the agents and they perfrom actions. They also expect fruits for their actions. So they take birth again and again. If one works without attachment, without egoism, without expectation of fruits, he too will not be bound by actions. He will be freed from birth and death. (Cf.IX.9).
After Swami Sivananda
Wisdom that returns in every age· 4.1–4.15→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 4.1The Blessed Lord said, "I taught this imperishable Yoga to Vivasvan; he then told it to…
- 4.2This, handed down in regular succession by the royal sages, was known. This Yoga, however,…
- 4.3That same ancient yoga has been today taught to you by me, for you are my devotee and my…
- 4.4Arjuna said, "Later was Thy birth, and prior to it was the birth of Vivasvan (the Sun);…
- 4.5The Blessed Lord said, "Many births of Mine have passed, as well as of thine, O Arjuna; I…
- 4.6Though I am unborn and of imperishable nature, and though I am the Lord of all beings,…
- 4.7Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and an increase of unrighteousness, O Arjuna,…
- 4.8For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the…
- 4.9He who thus knows, in their true light, My divine birth and actions, having abandoned the…
- 4.10Freed from attachment, fear, and anger, absorbed in Me, taking refuge in Me, purified by…
- 4.11In whatever way men approach Me, even so do I reward them; My path do men tread in all…
- 4.12Those who long for success in action in this world sacrifice to the gods; for success is…
- 4.13The fourfold caste has been created by Me according to the differentiation of Guna and…
4.14Actions do not taint Me, nor do I have a desire for the fruit of actions. He who knows Me…
- 4.15Having known this, the ancient seekers of freedom also performed action; therefore, do…
Word-by-word→
- me
- my
- na
- never
- iti
- thus
- mām
- me
- saḥ
- that person
- yaḥ
- who
- badhyate
- is bound
- limpanti
- taint
- spṛihā
- desire
- karmāṇi
- activities
- karma-phale
- the fruits of action
- karmabhiḥ
- result of action
- abhijānāti
- knows
Read this when you feel
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- 3.10The Creator, having in the beginning created mankind together with sacrifice, said, "By…
- 17.11That sacrifice which is offered by men without desire for reward, as enjoined by the…
- 2.43Full of desires, with heaven as their goal, (they speak words that are directed to ends)…