FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 5.7

योगयुक्तो विश‍ुद्धात्मा विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रिय: । सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते ॥ ७ ॥
yoga-yukto viśuddhātmā
[yoga-yukto vishuddhaatmaa]
vijitātmā jitendriyaḥ
[vijitaatmaa jitendriyah]
sarva-bhūtātma-bhūtātmā
[sarva-bhootaatma-bhootaatmaa]
kurvann api na lipyate
[kurvann api na lipyate]
Word-for-word
yoga - yuktaḥ — engaged in devotional service viśuddha - ātmā — a purified soul vijita - ātmā — self-controlled jita - indriyaḥ — having conquered the senses sarva - bhūta — to all living entities ātma - bhūta - ātmā — compassionate kurvan api — although engaged in work na — never lipyate — is entangled .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yoga-yukto viśuddhātmā
yoga - yuktaḥ
engaged in devotional service
viśuddha - ātmā
a purified soul
vijitātmā jitendriyaḥ
vijita - ātmā
self-controlled
jita - indriyaḥ
having conquered the senses
sarva-bhūtātma-bhūtātmā
sarva - bhūta
to all living entities
ātma - bhūta - ātmā
compassionate
kurvann api na lipyate
kurvan api
although engaged in work
na
never
lipyate
is entangled .
Important Words
  • viśuddha-ātmā — a purified soul
    Vi + śuddha — 'thoroughly purified.' The prefix vi here intensifies. This is not the soul that occasionally cleans up; this is the soul whose pollution has been comprehensively burned off through sustained yoga-practice.
  • vijita-ātmā — self-controlled
    Vi + jita-ātmā — the mind (here ātmā in its lower sense) has been thoroughly conquered. The same word ātmā denotes both the lower mind that must be conquered and the higher self that conquers; control of one by the other is the entire battlefield.
  • jita-indriyaḥ — having conquered the senses
    Jita-indriya — a tatpuruṣa compound. The three Vs in a row (viśuddha, vijita, jita) build a triple wall: purified inwardly, controlled mentally, mastered at the gates of the senses. The Gītā piles its qualifications when the stake is high.
  • sarva-bhūta-ātma-bhūta-ātmā — compassionate, the self of all beings made his own self
    A staggering compound. Literally 'one whose self has become the self of all beings.' This is not mere kindness; it is the structural recognition that the same ātmā animates every living entity. Compassion follows automatically from seeing.
  • lipyate — is entangled
    From √lip — 'to smear, to stick.' Negated here: na lipyate. The yogī passes through work without anything sticking to him. The metaphor of stickiness will recur in the lotus leaf of verse 10.
One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and senses is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him. Though always working, such a man is never 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)
The karma-yogin's inner state is fivefold: yoked in yoga, purified, self-mastered, sense-mastered, identified with the self of all beings. Such a one acts but is untouched — action no longer adheres to him.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The verse stacks five qualifying phrases to build the picture of the perfected agent. Sarva-bhūta-ātma-bhūta-ātmā is the climactic compound: the boundary between 'my self' and 'others' has dissolved. Na lipyate — 'is not smeared' — uses the lotus-leaf image that 5.10 will make explicit. Acting and bondage become decoupled.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
योग-युक्तः विशुद्ध-आत्मा विजित-आत्मा जित-इन्द्रियः सर्व-भूत-आत्म-भूत-आत्मा कुर्वन् अपि न लिप्यते ।
yoga-yuktaḥ viśuddha-ātmā vijita-ātmā jita-indriyaḥ sarva-bhūta-ātma-bhūta-ātmā kurvan api na lipyate |
He who is united in yoga, of pure self, of conquered self, of subdued senses, whose self has become the self of all beings — even while acting, he is not bound.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
योग-युक्तः विशुद्ध-आत्मा विजित-आत्मा जित-इन्द्रियः । सर्व-भूत-आत्म-भूत-आत्मा कुर्वन् अपि न लिप्यते ॥
yoga-yuktaḥ viśuddha-ātmā vijita-ātmā jita-indriyaḥ | sarva-bhūta-ātma-bhūta-ātmā kurvan api na lipyate ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
योग-युक्तः yoga-yuktaḥ योग (m.) + युक्त p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) joined in yoga
विशुद्ध-आत्मा viśuddha-ātmā विशुद्ध p.p.p. (past passive participle) + आत्मन् (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) whose self is purified
विजित-आत्मा vijita-ātmā विजित p.p.p. (past passive participle) + आत्मन् (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) whose mind is conquered
जित-इन्द्रियः jita-indriyaḥ जित p.p.p. (past passive participle) + इन्द्रिय (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) whose senses are subdued
सर्व-भूत-आत्म-भूत-आत्मा sarva-bhūta-ātma-bhūta-ātmā सर्व + भूत + आत्मन् + भूत + आत्मन् nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., complex bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) whose self has become the self of all beings
कुर्वन् kurvan √कृ pres. (present) act. part. nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. acting
अपि api ind. (indeclinable) even
न na ind. (indeclinable) not
लिप्यते lipyate √लिप् pres. (present) pass. (passive) 3sg. is smeared, tainted, bound
Purport

One who is on the path of liberation by Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very dear to every living being, and every living being is dear to him. This is due to his Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Such a person cannot think of any living being as separate from Kṛṣṇa, just as the leaves and branches of a tree are not separate from the tree. He knows very well that by pouring water on the root of the tree, the water will be distributed to all the leaves and branches, or by supplying food to the stomach, the energy is automatically distributed throughout the body. Because one who works in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is servant to all, he is very dear to everyone. And because everyone is satisfied by his work, he is pure in consciousness. Because he is pure in consciousness, his mind is completely controlled. And because his mind is controlled, his senses are also controlled. Because his mind is always fixed on Kṛṣṇa, there is no chance of his being deviated from Kṛṣṇa. Nor is there a chance that he will engage his senses in matters other than the service of the Lord. He does not like to hear anything except topics relating to Kṛṣṇa; he does not like to eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa; and he does not wish to go anywhere if Kṛṣṇa is not involved. Therefore, his senses are controlled. A man of controlled senses cannot be offensive to anyone. One may ask, “Why then was Arjuna offensive (in battle) to others? Wasn’t he in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?” Arjuna was only superficially offensive because (as has already been explained in the Second Chapter) all the assembled persons on the battlefield would continue to live individually, as the soul cannot be slain. So, spiritually, no one was killed on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Only their dresses were changed by the order of Kṛṣṇa, who was personally present. Therefore Arjuna, while fighting on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, was not really fighting at all; he was simply carrying out the orders of Kṛṣṇa in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Such a person is never entangled in the reactions of work.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
7. One engaged in karma-yoga, having controlled his intelligence, mind and senses, though he is engaged in work, is not contaminated, and is the object of love for all living entities. 8-9. The person engaged in karma-yoga, having knowledge, understanding that the senses alone are interacting with the sense objects while he is seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating [Note: These are the actions of the jñāna indriya.], going, sleeping, breathing, speaking, excreting (through genital or anus), receiving [Note: These are the actions of the karma indriya, except for sleep and breathing, which are activities governed by the prāṇas. Opening and closing eyes are representative of the five secondary prāṇas. This is Rāmānuja’s opinion. Madhusūdana Sarasvatī says sleeping is the function of the mind.], opening and closing the eyes, thinks, “I am doing nothing at all.”
Commentary

The jñānī by performing karma is not contaminated. That is stated in this verse. The jñānīs engaged in karma-yoga are of three types: those who have controlled their intelligence (viśuddhātmā), those who have controlled their minds (vijitātmā), and those who have controlled their senses (jitendriyaḥ). The order of superiority is from last to first: having controlled intelligence is the best. All jīvas are attracted to such a gṛhastha. His body (ātmā) becomes the object of love (ātma-bhūta) for all living entities (sarva-bhūta).

The Lord teaches the method by which one is not contaminated by actions. Although the karma-yogī (yukta) is engaged in seeing and other actions, by verifying with his intelligence that the senses alone are engaged in the sense objects, he thinks, “I am doing nothing at all.”

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
7. One engaged in karma yoga, gaining controlled intelligence, mind and senses, the object of love for all living entities, though working, is not contaminated. 8-9. The niṣkāma karma yogī, having knowledge of ātmā, understanding that the senses alone are interacting with the sense objects while he is seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going, sleeping, breathing, speaking, excreting (through genital or anus), receiving [Note: These are the actions of the karma indriya, except for sleep and breathing. Opening and closing eyes are representative of the five secondary prāṇas. This is Rāmānuja’s opinion as well. Madhusūdana Sarasvatī says sleeping is the function of the mind.], opening and closing the eyes, thinks, “I am doing nothing at all.”
Commentary

Such a person aspiring for liberation is the best among all people. The person engaged in niṣkāma karma yoga (yoga yuktaḥ) consequently having uncontaminated intelligence (viśuddhātmā), controlled mind (vijitātmā), and controlled senses – senses devoid of attraction to sense objects such as sound, and consequently whose body (ātmā) becomes the object of love (ātmā bhūta) for all jīvas (sarva bhūta), is not contaminated by work. Here, the meaning intended by the Lord, driver of Arjuna, cannot be “a person who has become one with all ātmās” because His previous statements indicated differences between all ātmās, with such verses as na tv evāham: not you, nor I, nor any of these kings have never not existed, nor in the future shall we never not exist. As well, it is not possible for the speaker, giving instruction to others, to talk if there is non-difference in the two persons’ knoweldge. Even performing actions, in this manner, he is not contaminated by thinking of the self as a material thing, because of his quest for the individual ātmā. Quickly he will attain the ātmā. Therefore karma yoga is better. Bg 5.8, Bg 5.9, Bg 5.8-9 NaEv ik-iĀTk-raeMaqiTa Yau¢-ae MaNYaeTa TatvivTa( ) PaXYaHXa*<vNSPa*XaiṚga]ṁīnNGaC^NSvPaNṅSaNa( )) 8 )) Pa[l/PaiNvSa*JaNGa*õṁuiNMaziṁiMazṁiPa ) wiNd]Yaa<aqiNd]YaaQaeRzu vTaRNTa wiTa DaarYaNa( )) 9 )) naiva kiñcit karomīti yukto manyeta tattva-vit paśyaṣ śṛṇvan spṛśaṣ jighrann aśnan gacchan svapan śvasan pralapan visṛjan gṛhṇann unmiṣan nimiṣann api indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣu vartanta iti dhārayan na—never; eva—certainly; kiñcit—anything; karomi—I do; iti—thus; yuktaḥ—engaged in the divine consciousness; manyeta—thinks; tattva-vit—one who knows the truth; paśyan—seeing; śṛṇvan—hearing; spṛśan—touching; jighran—smelling; aśnan—eating; gacchan—going; svapan—dreaming; śvasan—breathing; pralapan—talking; visṛjan—giving up; gṛhṇan—accepting; unmiṣan—opening; nimiṣan—closing; api—in spite of; indriyāṇi—the senses; indriya-artheṣu—in sense gratification; vartante—let them be so engaged; iti—thus; dhārayan—considering.

In this verse the Lord instructs that the pure ātmā is not the doer of actions, which depend on the five factors, namely the body, senses, prāṇas, ego and fate (karma). The niṣkāma karma yogī (yuktaḥ), even though performing actions such as seeing, from the combination of body, senses, prāṇas, ahaṁkāra and karma arising from pradhāna, realizes the true nature of individual ātmā (tattva vit). Thus he is convinced that the senses such as eye relate to the sense object such as form by the influence of the Lord according to the individual’s previous impressions. He consequently thinks, “I am not doing anything at all.” Seeing by the eye, hearing by the ear, touching by the skin, smelling by the nose, and tasting by the tongue are the actions of the knowledge senses (jñānendriya). Going by the feet, talking by the voice, excretion by the anus and genital and grasping by the hand are understood to be the action senses (karmendriya). Breathing represents the actions of the five major prāṇas. Opening and closing the eyes indicates the functions of the five secondary prāṇas. Sleeping indicates the actions of the internal organs (antaḥ karaṇa). [Note: Baladeva has used the plural for antaḥkaraṇa, perhaps meaning, mind, intellect and false ego.] I am only engaged in relishing the ātmā. The causes of actions are only the material elements such as body and senses arising from pradhāna, in turn caused by my beginningless material impressions (vāsanā). The cause is not due only to my essential nature. However it is not possible to claim that there is no doership at all for the ātmā in its essential nature, because ātmā itself is defined by its power of ascertainment and contemplation (implying doership). These elements are jñāna, and that jñāna is eternally part of the ātmā. The śruti thus says: na hi vijñātur vijñāter viparilāpo vidyate Knowing cannot be separated from the knower, because of being imperishable. Brhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.3.30 Moreover it is said that knowledge also is accomplished by the influence of the Lord as well as the capacity of the ātmā to know: hariṇā dharma-bhūtena jñānena ca.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Here, after explaining in the last section how one should engage in niskama karma‑yoga. which is actually Krsna's recommendation in the Bhagavad‑gita (one should one's duty in a detached way), Krsna is now going to describe how to act or what the performance looks like. See the translation again.

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
5.7 When again, as a means to attain full enlightenment, this person becomes yoga-yuktah, endowed with yoga; visuddhatma, pure in mind; vijitatma, controlled in body; jitendriyah, a coneror of the organs; and sarva-bhutatma-bhutatma, the Self of the selves of all beings-one whose Self (atma), the inmost consciousness, has become the selves (atma) of all beings (sarva-bhuta) beginning from Brahma to a clump of grass-, i.e., fully illumined; (then,) thus continuing in that state, he na lipyate, does not become tainted; kurvan api, even while performing actions for preventing mankind from going astray. That is to say, he does not become bound by actions. And besides, this person does not act in the real sense. Hence,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
5.7 But a Karma Yogin remains engaged in the performance of pure actions prescribed by the Sastras, which are of the nature of propitiation of the Supreme Person. By this, he becomes purified in mind. He thus subdues his self, i.e., subdues his mind easily, because his mind is engaged in the virtuous actions he has been performing before. Therefore his senses are subdued. His self is said to have become the self of all beings. Because of his being devoted to contemplation on the true nature of the self, he finds that his self is similar to the self of all beings like gods etc. One who contemplates on the true nature of the self understands that all selves are of the same form or nature. The distinctions obtaining among gods, men etc., cannot pertain to the form of the self, because those distinctions are founded on particular modifications of Prakrti i.e., the bodies of beings. Sri Krsna will teach: 'For the Brahman (an individual self), when untainted, is the same everywhere' (5.19). The meaning of this is that when dissociated from the Prakriti, i.e., the body, the self is of the same nature everywhere, i.e., in the bodies of gods, men etc. It is of the same form of knowledge. The meaning is that one, who has become enlightened in this way, active though he be, is not tainted on account of erroneously conceiving what is other than the self (the body) as the self. He is not at all associated therewith. Therefore, he attains the self without any delay. As Karma Yoga is superior to Jnana Yoga because it is more easily pursued and is more rapidly efficacious in securing the fruits, listen to its reirement:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
5৷৷7 See Comment under 5.11
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
5.7 He who is devoted to the path of action, whose mind is ite pure, who has conered the self, who has subdued his senses and who realises his Self as the Self in all beings, though acting, is not tainted.
Commentary

5.7 योगयुक्तः devoted to the path of action? विशुद्धात्मा a man of purified mind? विजितात्मा one who has conered the self? जितेन्द्रियः one who has subdued his senses? सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा one who realises his Self as the Self in all beings? कुर्वन् acting? अपि even? न not? लिप्यते is tainted.Commentary He who is harmonised by Yoga? i.e.? he who has purified his mind by devotion to the performance of action? who has conered the body and who has subjugated the senses? whose Self is the Self of all beings? he will not be bound by actions although he performs actions for the wellbeing or protection of the masses in orer to set an example to them. (Cf.XVIII.17)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
5.7 Endowed with yoga, [i.e. devoted to the performance of the nitya and naimittika duties.] pure in mind, controlled in body, a coneror of the organs, the Self of the selves of all beings-he does not become tainted even while performing actions. [The construction of the sentence is this: When this person resorts to nitya and naimittika rites and duties as a means to the achievement of fully Illumination, and thus becomes fully enlightened, then, even when he acts through the apparent functions of the mind, organs, etc., he does not become afflected.]
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
5.7 He who is spiritual, who is pure, who has overcome his senses and his personal self, who has realised his highest Self as the Self of all, such a one, even though he acts, is not bound by his acts.
Related values & verses
Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomVinaya (Humility / Modesty)
Related verses
BG 6.29 BG 12.13 BG 3.7 SB 11.2.46 SB 5.18.12 SB 3.25.25 CC Madhya 22.78 CC Madhya 23.105 CC Antya 4.191 Īśa Upaniṣad 6 BRS 1.2.187
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
United in yoga, with mind controlled, senses purified, his soul one with the soul of all — though acting, he is not entangled.
Practical Applications
  • Treat sense purification, mind control, and unity-vision as a unified package.
  • Notice that action becomes non-binding precisely at this convergence.
  • Aim for the package, not just one quality.
Reflection Questions
  • Which element (mind, senses, unity) is least developed in me?
  • What is my next step in the package?
Analogy

A clear pond mirrors every passerby without holding any of them. The yogī of purified self, controlled mind, conquered senses becomes that pond — present to all beings, attached to none, beloved of each because he reflects them without grasping. He works all day and stays clear all night.

Stories
Vidura in Hastināpura

Vidura served at the Kuru court through every storm — Dhṛtarāṣṭra's blindness, Duryodhana's hatred, Bhīṣma's silence, Draupadī's humiliation. He gave counsel, he raised the household, he walked the corridors of power for decades. Yet the Bhāgavatam preserves him as one whose mind was always in Kṛṣṇa.

When Kṛṣṇa came to Hastināpura as peace-messenger, He bypassed the king's palace and stayed at Vidura's humble home. The Lord's choice is the verse's commentary: the man yoga-yuktaḥ, viśuddha-ātmā, sarva-bhūta-ātma-bhūta-ātmā is the one to whom the Lord Himself runs.

Though always working, Vidura was kurvan api na lipyate — never entangled.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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