Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 8

Chapter 5 – Karma Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

नैव किञ्चित्करोमीति युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित् ।
पश्यञ्शृण्वन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपञ्श्वसन् ॥

Transliteration

naiva kiñcitkaromīti yukto manyeta tattvavit .
paśyañśruṇvanspṛśañjighrannaśnangacchansvapañśvasan ॥

Meaning

The steadfast knower of truth would think, ‘I do nothing at all,’ even while seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping and breathing.

Word meanings

न एव – not at all
किञ्चित् – anything
करोमि – I do
इति – thus
मन्येत – would think
युक्तः – the steadfast one
तत्त्ववित् – the knower of truth
पश्यन् – seeing
शृण्वन् – hearing
स्पृशन् – touching
जिघ्रन् – smelling
अश्नन् – eating
गच्छन् – walking
स्वपन् – sleeping
श्वसन् – breathing

Anvaya (word order)

युक्तः तत्त्ववित् पश्यन् शृण्वन् स्पृशन् जिघ्रन् अश्नन् गच्छन् स्वपन् श्वसन् 'न एव किञ्चित् करोमि' इति मन्येत ।

Explanation

The previous verse said the yogi, though acting, is not tainted. Now the Lord describes his inner view. He knows ‘naiva kinchit karomi’ — I do nothing. This statement is not an excuse for idleness or fleeing duty, but a deep insight. One who knows the Self as witness sees that seeing, hearing, eating, walking and breathing belong to the senses and vital breath, not to the Self.

The verse gives a list of daily functions: seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping, breathing. These are all natural, almost involuntary activities of life, and through them the Lord shows that the whole movement of body and mind is Nature's play. According to Shankara it is the vision of the knower of truth that the Self is a non-doer and all actions belong to the senses. For Ramanuja the Karma Yogi knows that these actions go on by the Lord's power and for His worship.

This does not mean that he becomes inactive. He acts wholeheartedly but without the ego of ‘I am the doer’. Hence actions do not bind him.

This vision brings a wonderful lightness to life: the work is done, but its weight is not carried.

Context

Verse 5.7 spoke of the yogi staying untainted in action. Verses 5.8–5.9 give the reason: he does not regard himself as the doer. In 5.10 the same point will be made clearer by the lotus-leaf simile.

Life lesson

Practise being a witness even as you do your daily tasks. When the ego steps aside, work is natural and the mind carries no burden.

Key terms

Tattvavit: knower of the real nature
Sakshi-bhava: witnessing actions without attachment
Akartritva: the awareness of being a non-doer