Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 14

Chapter 5 – Karma Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः ।
न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते ॥

Transliteration

na kartṛtvaṃ na karmāṇi lokasya sṛjati prabhuḥ .
na karmaphalasaṃyogaṃ svabhāvastu pravartate ॥

Meaning

The Lord does not create for the world either doership, or actions, or the union with the fruit of action; it is nature that operates.

Word meanings

न कर्तृत्वम् – not doership
न कर्माणि – nor actions
लोकस्य – of the world, of beings
प्रभुः – the Lord, the Self
न सृजति – does not create
न कर्मफलसंयोगम् – nor union with the fruit of action
स्वभावः – nature, one's inherent nature
तु – but
प्रवर्तते – operates

Anvaya (word order)

प्रभुः लोकस्य कर्तृत्वं न, कर्माणि न, कर्मफलसंयोगं न सृजति; स्वभावः तु प्रवर्तते ।

Explanation

This verse clarifies a subtle and often confusing matter: what is God's role behind actions and their fruits? The Lord says that the Prabhu does not create for beings the sense of doership, nor impose particular actions, nor join action and fruit. All this runs by ‘svabhava’ — Nature's own laws and the beings' own impressions.

According to Shankara, ‘Prabhu’ here is the Self, which is by nature a non-doer. Doership, action and the connection with fruit appear not because of the Self but due to the nature born of ignorance. Hence there is no bondage for the Self. In their own ways, Ramanuja and Madhva stress in this verse the individual's own tendency to act, the impressions of past action, and the Lord's role as witness.

The main teaching is that the doership we feel and the attachment to results arise from the process of Nature, not from our real self. Before blaming God, we must look at our own nature and impressions.

This vision, on one side, ties us to responsibility, and on the other loosens the grip of ego: we can observe our nature and practise changing it.

Context

Verse 5.13 described the Self as witness in the city of the body. Verse 5.14 clarifies the role of the Self or God in doership, and 5.15 will speak of God's impartiality.

Life lesson

Do not place the entire responsibility for your doership and results either on God or on your ego alone. Recognise your nature and impressions and practise refining them gradually.

Key terms

Prabhu: the master — the Self or God
Svabhava: natural behaviour formed by Nature and impressions
Karma-phala-samyoga: the linking of action with its fruit