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Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 5, Verse 11: Krishna to Arjuna — Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 5.11Chapter 5 · Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · anuṣṭubh
कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि ।
योगिनः कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वात्मशुद्धये ॥
kāyena← kāya(5 verses)instrumental masculine singular nounbodyattested in commentariesadvaitaदेहेन मनसा बुद्ध्याbhaktiस्नानादि बुद्ध्या तत्त्वनिश्चयादि केवलैः कर्माभिनिवेशरहितैरिन्द्रियैश्च श्रवणकीर्तनादिलक्षणं कर्म फलसङ्गं त्यक्त्वा चितadvaita-bhaktiमनसा बुद्ध्येन्द्रियैरपि योगिनः कर्मिणः फलसङ्गं त्यक्त्त्वा कर्म कुर्वन्ति manasā← manas(41 verses)instrumental neuter singular nounmind (lower mind), the inner organ of perceptionattested in commentariesadvaitaबुद्ध्याśuddhādvaitaध्यानादिना बुद्ध्या तत्त्वनिश्चयादिना अभिनिवेशरहितैरिन्द्रियैः शुद्धं श्रवणदर्शनकीर्त्तनादिलक्षणं कर्म नारदादयः सङ्गं तadvaita-bhaktiबुद्ध्येन्द्रियैरपि योगिनः कर्मिणः फलसङ्गं त्यक्त्त्वा कर्म कुर्वन्ति buddhyā← buddhi(48 verses)instrumental feminine singular nounintellect, intelligence, discriminating facultyattested in commentariesadvaitaच केवलैः ममत्ववर्जितैः ईश्वरायैव कर्म करोमि न मम फलाय इति ममत्वबुद्धिशून्यैः इन्द्रियैरपि केवलशब्दः कायादिभिरपि प्रत्येśuddhādvaitaतत्त्वनिश्चयादिना अभिनिवेशरहितैरिन्द्रियैः शुद्धं श्रवणदर्शनकीर्त्तनादिलक्षणं कर्म नारदादयः सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा आत्मनः शुद्bhaktiतत्त्वनिश्चयादि केवलैः कर्माभिनिवेशरहितैरिन्द्रियैश्च श्रवणकीर्तनादिलक्षणं कर्म फलसङ्गं त्यक्त्वा चित्तशुद्धये योगिनः क kevalai← kevala(2 verses)instrumental neuter plural nounalone, only, sole, exclusiver indriyai← indriya(39 verses)instrumental neuter plural nounsense, sense-organ; the eleven indriyas (5 jñānendriyas + 5 karmendriyas + manas)r api← api(103 verses)also, even, although
yoginaḥ← yogin(28 verses)nominative masculine plural nounyogi (yoga + -in 'possessor of')attested in commentariesadvaitaकर्मिणः कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलविषयम् आत्मशुद्धये सत्त्वशुद्धये इत्यर्थःviśiṣṭādvaitaआत्मविशुद्धये कुर्वन्ति आत्मगतप्राचीनकर्मबन्धनविनाशाय कुर्वन्ति इत्यर्थःbhaktiकर्म कुर्वन्तिadvaita-bhaktiकर्मिणः फलसङ्गं त्यक्त्त्वा कर्म कुर्वन्ति karma← karman(144 verses)accusative neuter singular nounaction, deed, the law of actionattested in commentariesadvaitaकरोमि न मम फलाय इति ममत्वबुद्धिशून्यैः इन्द्रियैरपि केवलशब्दः कायादिभिरपि प्रत्येकं संबध्यते सर्वव्यापारेषु ममतावर्जनायviśiṣṭādvaitaस्वर्गादिफल सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा योगिनः आत्मविशुद्धये कुर्वन्ति आत्मगतप्राचीनकर्मबन्धनविनाशाय कुर्वन्ति इत्यर्थःśuddhādvaitaनारदादयः सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा आत्मनः शुद्धये समत्वाय कुर्वन्तिbhaktiफलसङ्गं त्यक्त्वा चित्तशुद्धये योगिनः कर्म कुर्वन्तिadvaita-bhaktiकुर्वन्ति kurvanti← √kṛ(35 verses)present indicative 3rd person plural verbto do, make (verbal root)attested in commentariesadvaitaसङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलविषयम् आत्मशुद्धये सत्त्वशुद्धये इत्यर्थःviśiṣṭādvaitaआत्मगतप्राचीनकर्मबन्धनविनाशाय कुर्वन्ति इत्यर्थःśuddhādvaita। अतो ये केवलं साङ्ख्यास्ते कर्मसन्न्यासं सिद्धान्ततयाऽभ्युपगच्छन्ति। ये च योगिनस्ते कर्मकरणमेवेति फलितम्।advaita-bhakti। कायादीनां सर्वेषां विशेषणं केवलैरिति। ईश्वरायैव करोमि न मम फलायेति ममताशून्यैरित्यर्थः। आत्मशुद्धये चित्तसत्त्वशुद्ध्य saṅgaṃ← saṅga(20 verses)accusative masculine singular nounattachment, contact (= saṅga in earlier dict — alternate spelling) tyaktvā← tyaj(17 verses)convto abandon, give up, renounce (verbal root)attested in commentariesadvaitaफलविषयम् आत्मशुद्धये सत्त्वशुद्धये इत्यर्थःviśiṣṭādvaitaयोगिनः आत्मविशुद्धये कुर्वन्ति आत्मगतप्राचीनकर्मबन्धनविनाशाय कुर्वन्ति इत्यर्थःśuddhādvaitaआत्मनः शुद्धये समत्वाय कुर्वन्तिbhaktiचित्तशुद्धये योगिनः कर्म कुर्वन्तिtma-śuddhaye← śuddhidative feminine singular nounpurity, purification (from √śudh)attested in commentariesśuddhādvaitaसमत्वाय कुर्वन्ति
spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip
meaning

Yogins act through body, mind, intellect, and senses as bare instruments, without claiming ownership of the results, and so purify themselves.

Bhāṣyakāra purports

  • Śaṅkaraadvaita

    Yogins act through body, mind, intellect, and the sense faculties — each stripped of the possessive sense (mamata, self-ownership) — as instruments for Īśvara alone, not for personal fruit. Śaṅkara's gloss insists the qualifier 'merely' (kevala) attaches to every instrument individually: every act is performed as 'I act for the Lord, not for my benefit.' This renunciation of fruit-ownership purifies the inner organ (sattva-śuddhi), clearing the way for the dawn of self-knowledge.

  • Rāmānujaviśiṣṭādvaita

    The yogin employs body, mind, intellect, and the senses together in action oriented to Bhagavān, relinquishing all attachment to results such as heavenly worlds (svarga). Rāmānuja reads 'ātma-viśuddhi' as the destruction of the accumulated bondage of prior karma (prācīna-karma-bandhana-vināśa) that encrusts the jīvātman. Karma so performed is not mere ethics but the steady removal of the veil obscuring the soul's natural luminosity as a mode of Brahman.

  • Madhvadvaita

    Madhva's bhāṣya on this verse is sparse ('kāyena iti' — thus is the conduct described), offering only a pointer to the verse rather than extended gloss. On Dvaita principles the verse establishes that the eternally dependent jīva employs its God-given instruments — body, mind, intellect, senses — as servants of Hari, surrendering all proprietary claim to fruit. Action purifies by aligning the finite will with the sovereign will of the Lord.

  • Vallabhaśuddhādvaita

    Vallabha cites this verse as scriptural warrant for the conduct of the devotionally established (sadācāra): devotees like Nārada perform through body postures (āsana, etc.), mental contemplation (dhyāna), discerning intellect, and senses free of self-investment — activities of listening (śravaṇa), seeing (darśana), and singing praise (kīrtana) — relinquishing attachment for the sake of the soul's equanimity (samatva). He draws the contrast explicitly: the Sāṅkhya school holds that action should be abandoned; the yogin school holds that action must be performed — and this verse settles the question in favor of engaged, attachment-free service.

  • Śrīdharabhakti

    Śrīdhara frames the verse as showing, through virtuous conduct (sadācāra), that karma is not merely non-binding but is itself the cause of liberation (mokṣa-hetu). The yogin's instruments — body for ablution and ritual (snānādi), intellect for resolving truth (tattva-niścaya), senses entirely free from compulsive attachment to action — are used in the works of hearing and glorifying the Lord (śravaṇa-kīrtana). The whole is aimed at purification of the mind-field (citta-śuddhi), which opens the door to final release.

  • Madhusūdanaadvaita-bhakti

    Madhusūdana unpacks the verse as an elaboration of what was just said: yogins act through body, mind, intellect, and senses — the adjective 'merely' (kevala) qualifying all of them simultaneously — having abandoned attachment to results. He aligns precisely with Śaṅkara's gloss: the instruments are 'devoid of the sense of mine' (mamata-śūnya) because the inward orientation is 'I act for the Lord alone, not for my fruit.' The purpose is purification of the mind's sattva (citta-sattva-śuddhi), from which Kṛṣṇa-bhakti flowers naturally.

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