Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4, Verse 13

Chapter 4 – Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः ।
तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ॥

Transliteration

cāturvarṇyaṃ mayā sṛṣṭaṃ guṇakarmavibhāgaśaḥ .
tasya kartāramapi māṃ viddhyakartāramavyayam ॥

Meaning

The fourfold order of society was created by Me according to the division of qualities (gunas) and actions. Though I am its author, know Me to be the non-doer, the immutable.

Word meanings

चातुर्वर्ण्यम् – the fourfold social order (Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra)
मया – by Me
सृष्टम् – created
गुणकर्मविभागशः – according to the division of qualities and actions
तस्य – of that
कर्तारम् – the author, the maker
अपि – though
माम् – Me
विद्धि – know
अकर्तारम् – the non-doer
अव्ययम् – immutable, imperishable

Anvaya (word order)

गुणकर्मविभागशः चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टम् । तस्य कर्तारम् अपि मां अकर्तारम् अव्ययं विद्धि ।

Explanation

In the previous verse Krishna said that people worship different gods according to their desires. One may ask why human beings differ so. The answer lies in this verse: people differ in temperament, in qualities and in actions, and on this basis the fourfold order of society was formed.

‘Guna-karma-vibhagashah’ — according to the division of qualities and actions — is the key to the verse. The basis of varna is guna and karma. The three qualities of nature — sattva, rajas and tamas — are present in every person in differing proportions. Following Shankara: one in whom sattva predominates has calm, self-control and austerity as natural duties — the Brahmana; one in whom rajas mixed with sattva predominates has valour, vigour and protection — the Kshatriya; one in whom rajas mixed with tamas predominates has agriculture, cattle-keeping and trade — the Vaishya; and one in whom tamas mixed with rajas predominates has service — the Shudra. Chapter 18 (18.41–18.44) treats this in detail.

It is important to understand that this teaching of the Gita aims not at ranking people as high or low but at the balanced functioning of society, as the limbs of a body perform different tasks yet complete one another. The Gita repeatedly says that doing the work suited to one's nature and offering it to God is itself the path to perfection (18.46), and that the Lord sees all beings equally (5.18, 9.29). In later history this order hardened into rigid birth-based caste distinctions, but in this verse the stated basis is clearly ‘guna’ and ‘karma’.

The second half of the verse reveals a deep philosophical truth: ‘Though I am its author, know Me as the non-doer, the immutable.’ How can this be? Shankara explains that from the standpoint of maya, in the empirical order, the Lord is the creator; yet in the highest truth He is utterly free from any sense of doership and remains changeless. Ramanuja says the Lord does create, but the inequalities among beings arise from their own past actions, for which the Lord is not responsible; and He remains untouched by the bondage of action.

This idea is the foundation for the teaching on action and inaction that follows in this chapter. Just as all work goes on in the light of the sun, yet the sun does not become the doer of any of it, so the Lord, while doing everything, remains a non-doer. In the coming verses Krishna will show that a human being too can act and yet be free of doership.

Context

In 4.12 Krishna said that people worship different deities according to their desires. Here He explains that such differences arise from qualities and actions, which also form the basis of the social order; and that though its author, He is a non-doer. In the next verse (4.14) He explains why actions do not taint Him.

Life lesson

Every person has a different nature and capacity, and society needs everyone's contribution — no honest work is small. Choose your duty according to your natural gifts and do it without ego; then work becomes not bondage but spiritual practice.

Key terms

Chaturvarnya: the fourfold order of society based on qualities and actions
Guna: the three qualities of nature — sattva, rajas, tamas
Akarta: non-doer; one who acts without the ego-sense of doership
Avyaya: immutable, imperishable