9.9 na cha mAm thAni karmANi

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Chapter 9

<< Chapter 9 verse 8

SlOkam – Original

na cha mAm thAni karmANi nibadhnanthi dhananjaya |
udhAsInavadh AsInam asaktham thEshu karmasu ||

word-by-word meaning

dhananjaya – Oh arjuna!
thAni karmANi – those activities (such as creation etc)
udhAsInavath AsInam – being indifferent
thEshu karmasu asaktham – being detached from the inequality that occurs as part of such creation
mAm na cha nibadhnanthi – do not bind me (by causing defects such as vaishamya (being inequal), nairghruNya (being unkind) in me)

Simple Translation

Oh arjuna! As I am indifferent towards those activities (such as creation etc) and am detached from the inequality that occurs as part of such creation, they do not bind me (by causing defects such as vaishamya (being inequal), nairghruNya (being unkind) in me).

Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam

‘Never do those acts, Dhanañjaya! fetter Me; (for) I am, (or do sit) indifferent as one with no attachment for those acts.’

The diversities of creation etc, do not implicate Me, nor do they point to a charge of mercilessness being laid against Me; because, the reason for all differences such as devas, man etc., lies in the fact of embodied ātmas, —which are of a conscious (or intelligent) nature,— having, to their account, past deeds (which determine the varieties).

As for Myself, I am quite unconcerned as regard the differences, and I stand as a passive neutral. Says the Framer of the (Vedānta) Aphorisms (=the Sutrakāra=Vyāsa):

‘Inequality (of dispensation) and cruelty,[1. These terms mean ‘injustice and partiality in ordinary parlance’.] are not (to be ascribed to the Lord), on account of His regarding (Karma = ātmā’s merit and demerit).’[2. Bra: Su: II-1-34, (Vaishamya nairghriṇye na, sāpekshatvāt). ]

(If it be objected): ‘no Karma, because of non-distinction (between souls at time of dissolution)’; (we say) ‘no, because it (the ātmās) is beginningless; non-distinction holds also (because names and forms for ātmas were absent at time of dissolution), and it is so declared (by Śruti)’.[3. Bra: Sū: ii-1-35. (Na karmāvibhāgād-iti-chet, na, anāditvāt upapadyate-ch-āpy-upalabhyate cha).]

>> Chapter 9 verse 10

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