na cha māṁ tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañjaya
udāsīna-vad āsīnam asaktaṁ teṣhu karmasu
na — none;
cha — as;
mām — me;
tāni — those;
karmāṇi — actions;
nibadhnanti — bind;
dhanañjaya — Arjun, conqueror of wealth;
udāsīna-vat — as neutral;
āsīnam — situated;
asaktam — detached;
teṣhu — those;
karmasu — actions
In this verse, the Supreme Lord is telling Arjuna, who is also called Dhananjaya, that all the actions and work happening in the world do not affect Him. He remains detached from these activities, almost like a spectator who does not get pulled into the ups and downs of life.
To understand this more clearly, think of a judge sitting in a courtroom. A judge makes decisions that can lead to someone going to jail, another person getting a fine, or someone being released. However, no matter what the outcome is for these individuals, the judge does not feel happy or sad about specific cases because his job is to ensure justice fairly. The judge does not have personal feelings tied to the cases he decides. He is just doing his duty. Similarly, the Supreme Lord oversees the universe and all its happenings but does not get attached to the outcomes or results.
While everything in the world happens, and people may be affected—some may be happy, and others might be sad—the Supreme Lord stays neutral. He is involved in running the world, maintaining everything in it, but He does not get influenced by the good or bad that occurs. He sees everything as part of the grand design.
This neutrality does not mean that He is inactive or indifferent. Instead, it shows how He is fully aware and in control of everything, yet He chooses to remain unconcerned about the emotions and personal outcomes tied to these actions. The Lord has the power to create, maintain, or destroy, but He does so from a place of calmness and detachment.
So, when people go through struggles or successes in life, it’s important to recognize that the Supreme Lord understands their situation but remains above the material conditions. He allows individuals to experience life and its various challenges, knowing that they are not bound by His decisions, but rather by their own past actions or deeds. This is why He remains the same, not swayed by personal joys or troubles, and teaches us that we too can strive for a similar kind of detachment in our lives. By doing so, we can navigate through life’s challenges without getting overwhelmed by them.