Chapter 13, Verse 30 (Bhagavad Gita 13.30)
Sanskrit Shloka
प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः।यः पश्यति तथाऽऽत्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति
Transliteration
prakṛityaiva cha karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśhaḥ yaḥ paśhyati tathātmānam akartāraṁ sa paśhyati
Word Meanings
prakṛityā—by material nature; eva—truly; cha—also; karmāṇi—actions; kriyamāṇāni—are performed; sarvaśhaḥ—all; yaḥ—who; paśhyati—see; tathā—also; ātmānam—(embodied) soul; akartāram—actionless; saḥ—they; paśhyati—see
Translation
He truly sees, who perceives that all actions are performed by material Nature (Prakriti) alone and that the eternal Self (Atman) is the non-doer.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound revelation, Bhagwan Shri Krishna instructs Arjuna that the soul is essentially pure, eternal, and distinct from the transient modifications of the material world. By acknowledging that all karmic activities—physical, mental, and emotional—are merely the movements of the three modes of Prakriti, the seeker is liberated from the false ego of doership. Shri Krishna invites the soul to rest in its natural state of inaction, witnessing the play of Nature without becoming entangled in it. Through this realization, the seeker transcends the bondage of cause and effect, attaining the state of jnana that leads to eternal liberation in the presence of the Supreme Lord.