naiva kiñchit karomīti yukto manyeta tattva-vit
paśhyañ śhṛiṇvan spṛiśhañjighrann aśhnangachchhan svapañśhvasan
pralapan visṛijan gṛihṇann unmiṣhan nimiṣhann api
indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣhu vartanta iti dhārayan
na — not;
eva — certainly;
kiñchit — anything;
karomi — I do;
iti — thus;
yuktaḥ — steadfast in karm yog;
manyeta — thinks;
tattva-vit — one who knows the truth;
paśhyan — seeing;
śhṛiṇvan — hearing;
spṛiśhan — touching;
jighran — smelling;
aśhnan — eating;
gachchhan — moving;
svapan — sleeping;
śhvasan — breathing;
pralapan — talking;
visṛijan — giving up;
gṛihṇan — accepting;
unmiṣhan — opening (the eyes);
nimiṣhan — closing (the eyes);
api — although;
indriyāṇi — the senses;
indriya-artheṣhu — in sense-objects;
vartante — moving;
iti — thus;
dhārayan — convinced
In this verse, Krishna talks about the attitude of someone who truly understands spiritual truth. This person knows that their true self is beyond the physical actions that they do every day. You see, we often feel like we are the ones doing everything—like when we eat, speak, walk, or even sleep. But Krishna is teaching us that, at a deeper level, our real self, which is our soul, is not doing these actions.
Imagine you are at a party and you are having fun, talking to friends, dancing, and enjoying the music. Most people would say, "I am dancing," or "I am having a good time." However, the person who understands the deeper truth recognizes that those actions are happening through their body and senses. Their body is moving and interacting with the world, but the real essence of who they are, their soul, is witnessing all this without getting involved in the actions as a 'doer.'
This understanding allows a person to stay calm and centered. If something goes wrong, they might feel disappointment, but they won’t feel overly stressed or rattled because they realize that the body can face problems, but their true self, the soul, is unaffected. It's like watching a movie; no matter what happens on the screen, you're just a spectator. You enjoy the show, but you're not the one jumping into the screen and becoming part of the story.
So, the key takeaway is that an enlightened person remains detached from the results of their actions. They go about their daily lives—seeing and hearing things, touching objects, eating food, and living life—while understanding that these actions are simply the body's way of interacting with the world. They don’t get caught up with the big drama of life; instead, they maintain a sense of peace and connection with their true spiritual nature. This mindset helps them stay pure and unaffected by the ups and downs of life, which allows them to experience a deeper sense of happiness and fulfillment.
In everyday terms, this means you can live your life fully, but with the understanding that you are more than just what you do. You can be active and engaged without being overly attached to the outcome of your actions. This detachment leads to a more peaceful and happy existence, precisely because you know you are not just the actions of your body.