Verse 13.32

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 13.32:

अनादित्वान् निर्गुणत्वात् परमात्मायम् अव्ययः ।
शरीर-स्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते ॥ ३२ ॥

anāditvān nirguṇatvāt paramātmāyam avyayaḥ |
śarīra-stho'pi kaunteya na karoti na lipyate || 32 ||

anāditvāt–because He is without beginning; nirguṇatvāt–because He is free from the three binding forces of material nature; parama-ātmā–Supreme Soul; ayam–this; avyayaḥ–imperishable; śarīra-sthaḥ–situated in the body; api–although; kaunteya–O son of Kuntī; na karoti–does not perform fruitive activity; na lipyate–is unaffected by the fruits of His activities.

O son of Kuntī, because He is without beginning and free from the influence of the three modes of material nature, this imperishable Supreme Soul, though situated in the body, neither performs fruitive activity nor becomes affected by the results of His activities.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

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

Śrī Bhagavān said in Gītā 13.22, “kāraṇaṃ guṇa-saṅgo’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu–the jīvātmā and Paramātmā equally reside in the body, yet only the jīvātmā becomes materially conditioned by his implication in the material modes of nature; Paramātmā does not.” Someone may raise the question, “How is that?” For this reason, Śrī Bhagavān speaks this verse beginning with anāditvān. That which has no cause, or origin, is anādi. When a word ending in the fifth case (ablative) is used with the word anuttama, it will read paramottama (higher than all, supreme). In the same way, here the word anādi means ‘the supreme cause’. Since, in the original verse, anāditvāt is used in the fifth case, the meaning is ‘He is the Supreme Cause’. Nirguṇatvāt means ‘He who is free from the modes’ or ‘from whom all qualities such as creation emanate’. He is that Reality. Therefore, Paramātmā is distinct from the jīvātmā and is imperishable; His knowledge and bliss never diminish. Śarira-stho’pi means that although He is situated in the body, He does not accept the characteristics of the body, and na karoti means that unlike the jīva, He does not become the doer or the enjoyer, nor does He become affected by the qualities of the material body.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

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

Being avyaya (imperishable), anādi (beginningless) and nirguṇa (free from the modes), Paramātmā, unlike the jīva, does not become affected by the characteristics of the body even though He resides in the body. When the pure jīva attains the state of brahma, which is completely free from material vision (brahma-bhūta), he understands that the complete kṣetra-jña–the indwelling Parameśvara–is not at all tainted by material qualities. He, the jīva, then becomes totally aloof from the qualities of the body also, although he resides within it.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura quotes Kṛṣṇa as saying, “When the jīvas have attained brahma realization, they can see that Paramātmā is imperishable, beginningless and transcendental. Although He exists in the body along with the jīvātmā, He does not become affected by the qualities of the body like the conditioned soul does.

“The jīvas who have attained the state of brahma no longer become implicated in material affairs. They take shelter of this knowledge (of the qualities of Paramātmā) and remain untouched, unlike the conditioned souls. Hear from Me how the jīva who is not implicated in material qualities uses this body.”