SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
SlOkam – Original
anAdhithvAn nirguNathvAth paramAthmAyam avyaya: |
SarIrasthO’pi kaunthEya na karOthi na lipyathE ||
word-by-word meaning (based on puththUr krishNamAchArya swAmy’s thamizh translation)
kaunthEya – Oh son of kunthI!
ayam paramAthmA – this AthmA (which is greater than the body)
SarIrastha: – while residing in the body
anAdhithvAth – since he is beginningless and not created (at a point in time)
avyaya: – imperishable;
nirguNathvAth – since he does not have qualities such as sathvam, rajas and thamas
na karOthi – (unlike the body) he is not the abode of kriyA (actions)
na lipyathE – does not get affected by the qualities of body (and become tainted).
Simple Translation (based on puththUr krishNamAchArya swAmy’s thamizh translation)
Oh son of kunthI! While residing in the body, this AthmA (who is greater than the body) is imperishable since he is beginningless and not created (at a point in time); since he does not have qualities such as sathvam, rajas and thamas, (unlike the body) he is not the abode of kriyA (actions) and does not get affected by the qualities of body (and become tainted).
Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam
‘Beginningless and quality-less, this exhaustless exalted ātma, Kaunteya! acts not; is tainted not, though seated in the body.’
This exalted ātma (=param-ātma) has now been defined as of a nature distinct from that of the body.
Though stationed in the body, ātma is inexhaustible or devoid of exhaustion (=perishment) inasmuch as it did not begin (at any point of time). (The meaning is that infinite in time means infinite in nature).
Quality-less=Destitute of satva and other qualities.
And therefore acts not and is tainted not i.e., it is not affected by the properties of the body.
Granting that ātma, being quality-less, acts not, how it in its constant association with body, is not tainted by the bodily properties is explained:
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