Chapter 18, Verse 16 (Bhagavad Gita 18.16)
Chapter 18: Mokṣha Sanyās Yog – Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender
Sanskrit Shloka
तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु यः।पश्यत्यकृतबुद्धित्वान्न स पश्यति दुर्मतिः
Transliteration
tatraivaṁ sati kartāram ātmānaṁ kevalaṁ tu yaḥ paśhyaty akṛita-buddhitvān na sa paśhyati durmatiḥ
Word Meanings
tatra—there; evam sati—in spite of this; kartāram—the doer; ātmānam—the soul; kevalam—only; tu—but; yaḥ—who; paśhyati—see; akṛita-buddhitvāt—with impure intellect; na—not; saḥ—they; paśhyati—see; durmatiḥ—foolish
Translation
Therefore, he who, due to an untrained understanding, perceives his self—which is pure and isolated—as the sole agent of action, such a person of perverted intelligence does not perceive the truth.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound verse, Bhagwan Shri Krishna reveals the root cause of human bondage: the misidentification of the eternal soul with the limited ego. Shri Krishna explains that while the body and senses act under the influence of the three gunas, the soul itself remains eternally detached and immutable. A seeker who fails to realize this distinction remains trapped in the cycle of karma, burdened by the false pride of doership. By clarifying this, Lord Krishna invites the sincere devotee to rise above the egoic sense of 'I am the doer' and surrender to the divine will. True liberation, as taught by Yogeshwar Krishna, begins when one realizes that the self is an eternal observer, distinct from the fleeting actions of the material world.