Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 13

Chapter 5 – Karma Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

सर्वकर्माणि मनसा संन्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी ।
नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन् ॥

Transliteration

sarvakarmāṇi manasā saṃnyasyāste sukhaṃ vaśī .
navadvāre pure dehī naiva kurvanna kārayan ॥

Meaning

The self-controlled embodied one, mentally renouncing all actions, abides happily in the city of nine gates, neither acting nor causing to act.

Word meanings

सर्वकर्माणि – all actions
मनसा – mentally, with discrimination
संन्यस्य – renouncing
आस्ते – abides
सुखम् – happily
वशी – the self-controlled
देही – the embodied one
नवद्वारे – with nine gates
पुरे – in the city (body)
न एव – neither
कुर्वन् – acting
न कारयन् – nor causing to act

Anvaya (word order)

वशी देही नवद्वारे पुरे सर्वकर्माणि मनसा संन्यस्य, न एव कुर्वन् न कारयन् सुखम् आस्ते ।

Explanation

The Lord calls the body ‘nava-dvare pure’ — a city of nine gates: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, the mouth, and two organs of excretion. In this city the Self dwells as the embodied one, like a king in his city. In the city all dealings go on — movement, transactions; the king is witness to them but does not do everything himself.

‘Sarva-karmani manasa sannyasya’ — renouncing all actions mentally. This renunciation is not of hands and feet but of attitude. It is the discernment that ‘I am not the doer; the senses and gunas are working’. When the notion of doership falls away, ‘naiva kurvan na karayan’ — he neither does nor causes to be done, with that pride.

Shankara explains that the discerning person, knowing the Self as distinct from actions, abides happily in his own nature without strain. ‘Sukham aste’ — he remains in happiness. Ramanuja takes it as awareness of the Self's non-doing nature.

The message is that the calm witness within can remain unshaken amid outer activity. That is supreme rest.

Context

Verse 5.12 spoke of peace through renouncing the fruit. Verse 5.13 deepens it: mental renunciation of actions and the Self as witness. The next verse, 5.14, says doership is not the Self's nature.

Life lesson

When the rush of work increases, return to the witness within. Even amid outer activity there is a calm place inside from which you can watch everything without panic.

Key terms

Nava-dvara pura: city of nine gates — the human body
Dehi: the Self dwelling in the body
Mental sannyasa: renouncing doership through inner discrimination