Verse 4.14

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 4.14:

न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्म-फले स्पृहा ।
इति मां योऽभिजानाति कर्मभिर् न स बध्यते ॥ १४ ॥

na māṃ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā |
iti māṃ yo'bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate || 14 ||

na–no; mām–Me; karmāṇi–all actions; limpanti–bind; na–not; me–for Me; karma-phale–for the results of action; spṛhā–hankering; iti–in this way; mām–Me; yaḥ–who; abhijānāti–factually understands; karmabhiḥ–by actions; na–not; saḥ–he; badhyate–is bound.

Karma can never bind Me because I have no desire for the fruit of action. They who actually comprehend this truth about Me are also never bound by their activities.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Even if Arjuna accepts the arguments given in the previous verse, he still may say to Bhagavān, “But You have appeared in a dynasty of kṣatriyas, and every day You perform the activities of a kṣatriya, so how can I accept You as the non-doer (akartā)?” In answer to this, Śrī Bhagavān speaks this verse beginning with na mām. “This action does not bind Me as it does the living entities. Although the living entity desires the fruits of his prescribed duty, in the form of residence in the heavenly planets and so on, I have no such desire. As the Supreme Controller, I am complete in My own bliss. I perform work simply to set an example. Those who do not know Me as such become bound by karma.”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Śrī Bhagavān is the complete Absolute Reality, composed of eternality, cognizance and bliss. The living entity, the jīva, is an atomic, conscious reality (aṇu-cit). Bhagavān is replete with six types of opulence, but the jīva who is adverse to the service of Bhagavān is bereft of opulences. Bhagavān is the master of māyā, while the jīva is subject to māyā’s control. These are the differences between the two. The jīva can never, under any circumstance, become brahma, or Bhagavān. When the jīva performs bhagavad-bhakti, however, knowing that Śrī Bhagavān is all-powerful, independent, imperishable and free from all desire, he becomes freed from the bondage of karma and attains service to Bhagavān in his constitutional spiritual form. This is the living entity’s eternal position.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura quotes Kṛṣṇa as saying, “The path of karma, which is created due to adṛṣṭa (fate, the unseen destiny of the jīva) does not affect Me. Nor do I desire to enjoy the petty fruits of karma, because I, Bhagavān, am full in all the six opulences. Those who deliberate on the jīva’s path of karma and on My absolutely independent nature, understanding that nature to be imperishable, are never bound by karma. By performing pure devotion, or śuddha-bhakti, they attain Me.”