Bhagavad Gita 5.11 कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि

Bhagavad Gita 5.11 — word by word

Explanation

Yogis perform action with the body, the mind, the intellect, and even with the senses alone, giving up attachment, for the purification of the self. Their work is not for personal gain but to cleanse the heart and mind. Action itself becomes a spiritual practice.

After the lotus image of 5.10, Krishna states the purpose of karma yoga: purification. Shankara reads kevalaiḥ as qualifying all the instruments, meaning they act free of any sense of ownership, and takes purity of mind as the preparation for knowledge. Ramanuja sees the purification as removing the residue of past karma that obscures the self. Gandhi's ideal of bread labour and service as spiritual discipline draws on this kind of reading, where ordinary work becomes a means of inner cleansing.

भावार्थ

कर्मयोगी आसक्ति को त्यागकर केवल शरीर, मन, बुद्धि और इन्द्रियों द्वारा भी अन्तःकरण की शुद्धि के लिए कर्म करते हैं। उनके कर्म का उद्देश्य कोई निजी लाभ नहीं, बल्कि मन को निर्मल बनाना होता है।

Frequently asked questions