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Bhagavad-gītā 13.32

अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्यय: । शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते ॥ ३२ ॥
anāditvān nirguṇatvāt
[anaaditvaan nirgunatvaat]
paramātmāyam avyayaḥ
[paramaatmaayam avyayah]
śarīra-stho ’pi kaunteya
[shareera-stho ’pi kaunteya]
na karoti na lipyate
[na karoti na lipyate]
Word-for-word
anāditvāt — due to eternity nirguṇatvāt — due to being transcendental parama — beyond material nature ātmā — spirit ayam — this avyayaḥ — inexhaustible śarīra - sthaḥ — dwelling in the body api — though kaunteya — O son of Kuntī na karoti — never does anything na lipyate — nor is he entangled .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
anāditvān nirguṇatvāt
anāditvāt
due to eternity
nirguṇatvāt
due to being transcendental
paramātmāyam avyayaḥ
parama
beyond material nature
ātmā
spirit
ayam
this
avyayaḥ
inexhaustible
śarīra-stho ’pi kaunteya
śarīra - sthaḥ
dwelling in the body
api
though
kaunteya
O son of Kuntī
na karoti na lipyate
na karoti
never does anything
na lipyate
nor is he entangled .
Important Words
  • anāditvāt — due to eternity
    Ablative — *because* the soul is beginningless. Eternity is the *reason* for non-entanglement, not just a separate fact. A thing that has no beginning cannot be the kind of thing that gets stuck.
  • nirguṇatvāt — due to being transcendental
    Ablative — *because* the soul is beyond the modes. Two ablatives in a row stack the reasoning: anāditvāt + nirguṇatvāt = no entanglement is even possible.
  • ātmā — spirit
    Qualified by *parama* — beyond material nature. The Gauḍīya reading distinguishes: in 23 paramātmā named the Lord Himself; here, in context with anāditvāt/nirguṇatvāt, it names the eternal-by-nature soul-principle, which shares the Supersoul's transcendental quality without identity.
  • avyayaḥ — inexhaustible
    A- + √vī (to wear out) — "not subject to decay." The soul's energy does not deplete with use. This word reassures the soul that spiritual effort costs it nothing of itself.
  • na karoti — never does anything
    Reaffirming verse 30's akartāram. The soul does not act. Even in the body.
  • na lipyate — nor is he entangled
    From √lip — "to smear, to stain." The soul is not *stained* by anything the body does. This is the verse's strongest assurance: there is a way out of the residue of every action.
Those with the vision of eternity can see that the imperishable soul is transcendental, eternal, and beyond the modes of nature. Despite contact with the material body, O Arjuna, the soul neither does anything nor is entangled.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Two reasons protect the Supreme Self from karmic involvement: beginninglessness and freedom from the guṇas. Therefore even when residing in the body, it neither acts nor is stained by what the body does.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The verse gives the metaphysical ground for v. 30's experiential akartṛtva. Two abl. nouns ('because of...') supply causation: temporally and qualitatively, the paramātmā is not within prakṛti's reach, and therefore śarīra-stho 'pi (even though embodied) it does not enter the karmic transaction. Following verse will give the image — sky-and-body — that makes this concrete.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे कौन्तेय! अयम् अव्ययः परम-आत्मा अनादित्वात् निर्गुणत्वात् च शरीर-स्थः अपि न करोति न (च) लिप्यते ॥
he kaunteya! ayam avyayaḥ parama-ātmā anāditvāt nirguṇatvāt ca śarīra-sthaḥ api na karoti na (ca) lipyate ||
O son of Kuntī, this imperishable Supreme Self, because of being beginningless and because of being free from the modes, neither acts nor is tainted, even though seated in the body.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
अनादित्वात् निर्गुणत्वात् परम-आत्मा अयम् अव्ययः । शरीर-स्थः अपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते ॥
anāditvāt nirguṇatvāt parama-ātmā ayam avyayaḥ | śarīra-sthaḥ api kaunteya na karoti na lipyate ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
अनादित्वात् anāditvāt अनादि + त्व (n.) abl.sg. (ablative singular) because of beginninglessness
निर्गुणत्वात् nirguṇatvāt निर्गुण + त्व (n.) abl.sg. (ablative singular) because of being free from the modes
परम-आत्मा parama-ātmā परम (adj.) + आत्मन् (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), karmadhāraya cpd. (compound) the Supreme Self
अयम् ayam इदम् pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. this
अव्ययः avyayaḥ अ + वि+√इ p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. imperishable / unchanging
शरीर-स्थः śarīra-sthaḥ शरीर (n.) + स्थ (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) seated in the body
अपि api ind. (indeclinable), concessive even
कौन्तेय kaunteya कौन्तेय (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular) O son of Kuntī
न na ind. (indeclinable), negation not
करोति karoti √कृ pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) does
लिप्यते lipyate √लिप् pass. (passive) pres. (present) 3sg. is smeared / tainted
Purport

A living entity appears to be born because of the birth of the material body, but actually the living entity is eternal; he is not born, and in spite of his being situated in a material body, he is transcendental and eternal. Thus he cannot be destroyed. By nature he is full of bliss. He does not engage himself in any material activities; therefore the activities performed due to his contact with material bodies do not entangle him.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
32. Because He is the supreme cause and everything arises from Him, this indestructible Paramātmā, though situated in the body, does not think Himself the doer and is not contaminated.
Commentary

“You have said that the jīva in contact with his body takes repeated birth (verse 22). The jīva, by thinking himself the body by being in the body, becomes contaminated by the guṇas and takes repeated birth. But the Paramātmā does not become contaminated. Why?” He is called anādi because He has no original cause. But just as anuttama can mean parama uttama taking the ablative sense of the word (no one higher than Him), so anādi, “having no cause”, can mean the supreme cause (no other cause than Him). Therefore because He is the final cause (anāditvāt), and because the guṇas such as creation and destruction arise out of Him (nirgataḥ + guṇa = nirguṇatvāt), this Paramātmā is distinguished from the jīva. At all times, in all circumstances, He is without decrease in His own knowledge, bliss and other qualities. Though situated in the body, because He does not take up the qualities of the body, He does not think He is a doer like the jīva (na karoti)— He does not become an enjoyer—nor does He get contaminated by the guṇas of the material body (na lipyate).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
32. Though situated in the body, as well as being without beginning, the ātmā is without destruction. Because the ātmā is beyond the guṇas, he is not the agent of action nor is he contaminated.
Commentary

“It is not correct to say that one reaches perfection by seeing the distinction of the Lord and ātmā from prakṛti. The śruti says: etebhya eva bhūtebhyaḥ samutthāya tāny evānu vinaśyati na pretya saṁjñāsti Rising out of the elements, this ātmā vanishes in them. After destruction, there is no definition. Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 2.4.12 From this śruti statement it is understood that the jīva is created and destroyed along with his body.” No, this jīva (ayam ātmā), even though situated in a body, as well as being without beginning (anāditvāt param), is avyaya. Having this prominent quality of being without change (avyaya), he is thus without destruction. He does not perform actions such as fighting or sacrifice, because he is without material guṇas, being pure knowledge and bliss (nirguṇatvāt). He is not touched by the qualities of destruction arising from the nature of the senses and body. The meaning of the śruti statement quoted should not be taken literally.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Vision of eternity is further explained – One can see that the soul never mixes with the body

Imperishable soul is transcendental, eternal and beyond the modes
Despite contact with material body, the soul neither does anything nor is entangled
This fact is explained by two analogies in Texts 13.33 – 13.34 LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 13.32 & 13.33: QUESTION: Krishna states clearly in Text 13.32 that only the body changes. The soul is eternal and changeless. As the soul is nevertheless within the body, does he combine with it? ANSWER: Krishna answers in Text 13.33 by saying that matter and spirit do not mix. He

explains this with two analogies in Text 13.33 and 13.34 respectively

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
13.32 Anadivat, being without beginning: Adih means cause; that which has no cause is anadih. That which has a cause undergoes loss of its own characteristics. But this One, being causeless, has no parts. This being so, It does not suffer loss. So also, nirgunatvat, being without alities: indeed, It si only something possessing alities that perishes owing to the losss of its alities. But this One, being without alities, does not perish. Hence, ayam, this; paramatma, supreme Self; is avyayah, immutable. It suffers no depletion. Therefore It is immutable. Since this is so, therefore, api, although; sarira-sthah, existing in the body-since the perception of the Self occurs in the bodies, It is said to be 'existing in the body'; even then, It na, does not; karoti, act. From the very fact that It does not act, It na, is not; lipyate, affected by the result of any action. For, one who is an agent of action becomes affected by its result. But this One is not an agent. Hence It is not affected by any result. This is the meaning. Objection: Who is it, again, that acts in the body and becomes affected? On the one hand, if there be some embodied being other than the supreme Self who acts and becomes affected, then it has been improper to say in, 'And also understand Me to be the Knower of the field,' etc., that the Knower of the field and God are one. Again, if there be no embodied being who is different from God, then it has to be stated who is it that acts and gets affected. Or it has to be asserted that the supreme One does not exist. [If the supreme One also acts like us, then He is no God.] Thus, since the Upanisadic philosophy as stated by the Lord is in every way difficult to understand and difficult to explain, it has therefore been abandoned by the Vaisesikas, the Sankhyas, the Jainas and the Buddhists. Reply: As to that, the following refutation has been stated by the Lord Himself in, 'But it is Nature that acts' (5.14). Indeed, Nature, which is nothing but ignorance, acts and becomes affected. In this way empirical dealing becomes possible; but in reality it does not occur in the one supreme Self. It has been accordingly shown by the Lord in various places that there is no duty to be performed by those who adhere to this philosophy of discriminating knowledge of the supreme Reality, who are steadfast in Knowledge, who have spurned actions arising out of ignorance, and who are mendicants belonging to the highest Order of monks. The Lord cites an illustration to show like what It does not act and is not affected:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
13.32 This 'supreme self' (Atman) has been defined as having a nature different from that of the body. While existing in the body, It is 'immutable', i.e., It is not liable to decay as It is 'without a beginning,' i.e., never created at any point of time. Because It is 'free from Gunas,' being devoid of Sattva and other Gunas of Prakrti, It neither acts nor gets tainted; It is not tainted by the alities of the body. Granted that the self being without Gunas, does not act; but how is it possible that the Atman is not tainted by Its constant association with the alities of the body? To this, Sri Krsna replies:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
13.32 See Comment under 13.34
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
13.32 Being without beginning and being devoid of (any) alities, the Supreme Self, imperishable, though dwelling in the body, O Arjuna, neither acts nor is tainted.
Commentary

13.32 अनादित्वात् being without beginning? निर्गुणत्वात् being devoid of alities? परमात्मा the Supreme Self? अयम् this? अव्ययः imperishable? शरीरस्थः dwelling in this body? अपि though? कौन्तेय O son of Kunti (Arjuna)? न not करोति acts? न not? लिप्यते is tainted.Commentary The Supreme Self is beyond Nature. Therefore It is without alities. It is Nirguna. The activity in Nature is really due to its own alities which inhere in it. The Supreme Self existed before the body came into being and will continue to be after its dissolution. It is eternally the same and imperishable.Avyaya That which is free from the changes of birth and death or appearance and destruction. That which has a beginning has birth. After the object is born it is subject to the changes of being (growth? decay? etc.). As the Self is birthless? It is free from the changes of state (existence? birth? growth? change? decay and death). As the Self is free from all sorts of functions? It is Avyaya. Even if the reflection of the sun in the water moves? the sun does not move a bit. Even so the Supreme Self is not touched by the fruits of action as It is not the doer? as It is without the alities of Nature? or limbs? indivisible? devoid of parts? without action? beginningless and unattached and causeless.This Supreme Self is free from the three kinds of differences? viz.? Sajatiyabheda? Vijatiyabheda and Svagatabheda. A mango tree is different from a fig tree. This is Sajatiyabheda. A mango tree is different from a stone. This is Vijatiyabheda. In the same mango tree there is difference between leaves? flowers and fruits. This is Svagatabheda. But the Supreme Self is one without a second. There is no other Brahman Which is eal to It. Therefore? there cannot be Sajatiyabheda in Brahman. This world is a mere appearance. It is a mere figment of our imagination. It is superimposed on the Absolute on account of ignorance. An imaginary object has no independent existence apart from its substratum? just as the snake in the rope has no independent existence apart from its substratum? the rope. Therefore? there cannot be Vijatiyabheda in Brahman. Brahman is indivisible? partless? without alities? without form and without any limbs. Therefore there cannot be Svagatabheda in Brahman.Brahman or the Supreme Self is beginningless. It is without a cause. It is selfexistent. It is without parts. It is without alities. Therefore Brahman is imperishable. As It is unattached? It is neither the doer nor the enjoyer. If Brahman also is the doer and enjoyer. It is no longer Brahman. It is in no way better than ourselves. This cannot be. Agency and enjoyment are attributed to the ego on account of ignorance. It is Nature that acts. (Cf.V.14XV.9)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
13.32 Being without beginning and without alities, O son of Kunti, this immutable, supreme Self does not act. nor is It affected [Also translated as tainted.-Tr.], although existing in the body.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
13.32 The Supreme Spirit, O Prince, is without beginning, without Qualities and Imperishable, and though it be within the body, yet It does not act, nor is It affected by action.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 2.23 BG 9.9 BG 4.14 SB 10.84.24 SB 11.13.27 SB 11.7.7 CC Madhya 20.108 CC Madhya 24.74 CC Antya 4.180 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.18Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.11
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Because of his eternal nature and beyond the modes, the Supersoul, although in the body, neither acts nor is entangled.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize the Supersoul's untouched quality even in your own body.
  • Use this as solace when you feel entangled.
  • Trust the eternal-nature-in-body realization.
Reflection Questions
  • When have I felt the untouched quality?
  • What practice keeps it accessible?
Analogy

Sunlight passes through a stained glass window and falls onto a stone floor. The light takes on the window's colors briefly, yet the sun itself is untouched, undyed, blazing white above. The soul, eternal and beyond the guṇas, is so untouched by the body it appears within. Color shows on the floor; the sun keeps its purity.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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