Chapter 5, Verse 13 (Bhagavad Gita 5.13)
Chapter 5: Karm Sanyās Yog – Path of Renunciation
Sanskrit Shloka
सर्वकर्माणि मनसा संन्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी। नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन्
Transliteration
sarva-karmāṇi manasā sannyasyāste sukhaṁ vaśhī nava-dvāre pure dehī naiva kurvan na kārayan
Word Meanings
sarva—all; karmāṇi—activities; manasā—by the mind; sannyasya—having renounced; āste—remains; sukham—happily; vaśhī—the self-controlled; nava-dvāre—of nine gates; pure—in the city; dehī—the embodied being; na—never; eva—certainly; kurvan—doing anything; na—not; kārayan—causing to be done
Translation
Mentally renouncing all actions and self-controlled, the embodied soul dwells happily in the city of nine gates, neither acting nor causing action.
Meaning & Commentary
This verse teaches the profound state of 'Naiskarmya' or actionlessness within action. It reveals that the true Self is the silent witness, distinct from the physical body and the mechanical movements of the senses. By mentally detaching from the fruits and the doership of work, an individual transcends the anxieties of success and failure. This psychological shift allows one to dwell in the 'nine-gated city' of the body as a free spirit rather than a prisoner of impulses. Ultimately, it emphasizes that spiritual liberation is found when one realizes the soul is essentially untouched by the activities of the material world.