Topic

Non-doership

2 verses from the Bhagavad Gita on non-doership. Explore teachings across 1 chapter.

All Verses

Chapter 5 • Verse 8 →The Yoga of Renunciation
Naiva kinchit karomiti yukto manyeta tattva-vit, pashyan shrinvan sprishan jighran ashnan gacchan svapan shvasan

The knower of truth who is united in yoga thinks 'I do nothing at all' — even while seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving, sleeping, and breathing. All activities are seen as happening through the senses in their natural field, not through the true Self.

  • •The realized person sees the ego as non-doer
  • •All activities belong to the instruments, not the Self
  • •True knowledge dissolves the sense of personal authorship
tattva-jnanaego dissolutionSelf-knowledgewitness consciousness
Chapter 5 • Verse 9 →The Yoga of Renunciation
Pralapan visrijan grihnan unmishan nimishann api, indriyanindriyartheshu vartanta iti dharayan

Speaking, releasing, grasping, opening and closing the eyes — the yogi understands that it is only the senses moving among their objects. The Self remains untouched, like a witness behind all bodily and sensory activity.

  • •Sensory activity is the domain of the instruments, not the Self
  • •The yogi maintains clear discrimination between Self and body
  • •Constant awareness of non-doership liberates the practitioner
sensesdiscriminationwitnessbodily activity