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Bhagavad-gītā 13.30

ప్రకృత్యైవ చ కర్మాణి క్రియమాణాని సర్వశ: । య: పశ్యతి తథాత్మానమకర్తారం స పశ్యతి ॥ ౩౦ ॥
prakṛtyaiva ca karmāṇi
[prakrityaiva cha karmaani]
kriyamāṇāni sarvaśaḥ
[kriyamaanaani sarvashah]
yaḥ paśyati tathātmānam
[yah pashyati tathaatmaanam]
akartāraṁ sa paśyati
[akartaaram sa pashyati]
Word-for-word
prakṛtyā — by material nature eva — certainly ca — also karmāṇi — activities kriyamāṇāni — being performed sarvaśaḥ — in all respects yaḥ — anyone who paśyati — sees tathā — also ātmānam — himself akartāram — the nondoer saḥ — he paśyati — sees perfectly .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
prakṛtyaiva ca karmāṇi
prakṛtyā
by material nature
eva
certainly
ca
also
karmāṇi
activities
kriyamāṇāni sarvaśaḥ
kriyamāṇāni
being performed
sarvaśaḥ
in all respects
yaḥ paśyati tathātmānam
yaḥ
anyone who
paśyati
sees
tathā
also
ātmānam
himself
akartāraṁ sa paśyati
akartāram
the nondoer
saḥ
he
paśyati
sees perfectly .
Important Words
  • prakṛtyā — by material nature
    Instrumental case — "by means of nature." The activities are *prakṛti-driven*, not soul-driven. Every act is finally an act of the three guṇas, not of the witness.
  • karmāṇi — activities
    Neuter plural. *All* activities — sleeping, eating, breathing, fighting — fall under prakṛti's regime. The soul performs none of them. This is the deepest cut of the verse.
  • kriyamāṇāni — being performed
    Present passive participle from √kṛ. *Being performed* — not *being performed by the soul*. The passive voice is the doctrine. Activities happen; the soul does not author them.
  • akartāram — the nondoer
    A- + kartṛ. The soul is the *non-doer*. This single word, properly seen, dissolves both pride ("I accomplished it") and despair ("I failed at it"). Neither was ever true.
  • paśyati — sees perfectly
    Repeated. The verse closes with the same verb 28 and 29 closed with. Right seeing is the chapter's recurring crown.
One who can see that all activities are performed by the body, which is created of material nature, and sees that the self does nothing, actually sees.
Purport

This body is made by material nature under the direction of the Supersoul, and whatever activities are going on in respect to one’s body are not his doing. Whatever one is supposed to do, either for happiness or for distress, one is forced to do because of the bodily constitution. The self, however, is outside all these bodily activities. This body is given according to one’s past desires. To fulfill desires, one is given the body, with which he acts accordingly. Practically speaking, the body is a machine, designed by the Supreme Lord, to fulfill desires. Because of desires, one is put into difficult circumstances to suffer or to enjoy. This transcendental vision of the living entity, when developed, makes one separate from bodily activities. One who has such a vision is an actual seer.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
30. He who sees all activities being done by matter alone, and sees the soul as doing nothing, actually sees.
Commentary

One who sees that all actions are done by prakṛti in the form of body and senses, and who sees that the jīva (ātmānam) is the doer only by thinking himself the body, but is not actually the doer, actually sees.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
30. He who sees all activities being done by matter alone, and sees the soul as doing nothing, actually sees.
Commentary

How does he perform this distinction of the individual self from prakṛti? [Note: In the previous verse the person distinguished the Lord from everything, by which he developed the power of discriminating himself from prakṛti.] The Lord explains in two verses. He who sees that all activities are being done by prakṛti alone, and impelled by the Lord, by My superintendence (indicated by the word ca), and sees the ātmā as not doing those activities, he alone sees himself as he truly is. This is the meaning. I, a jīva, having a nature of knowledge and bliss, do not actually perform the actions which produce suffering, such as fighting or sacrifice. Inspired by the Supreme Lord according to my desires for fulfilling my enjoyment, and superintended by me who have lost discrimination and possess beginningless impressions for enjoyment, this prakṛti alone with the nature of happiness, distress and illusion does the actions, through my body and senses. Because of supplying the body and senses, prakṛti is the doer of the actions. Prakṛti is the doer of the actions because of being the instrument. The pure jīva, the non-doer, is separate from prakṛti which accomplishes that action. By this (since he sees the jīva as non-doer in material acts) it is clear that such a person also sees that the pure jiva is also a doer.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

'Aham khara' = I am the doer.

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

Further describes the man who “actually sees” in real knowledge

He sees that “Neither he nor others are acting”
All activities are performed by the body, which is created by material nature (purport)
Body (like a machine) is given by the Lord according to past desires and karma
All acts are forced according to bodily constitution
Soul is outside bodily activities
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
13.30 And yah, he who; pasyati, sees, realizes; karmani, actions, those performed through speech, mind and body; as kriyamanani, being done, being accomplished; sarvasah, in various ways; prakrtya, by Nature-Nature is God's Maya consisting of the three alities, as is said in the Upanisadic text, 'However, know Maya as Nature' (Sv. 4.10); by that Nature; eva, itself-not by the other [Not by the Pradhana of the Sankhyas, known otherwise as prakrti.] which transforms itself in the form of cause and effects such as Mahat etc.; tatha, and also; atmanam, the Self, the Knower of the field; as akartaram, the non-agent, devoid of all adjuncts; sah, he; pasyati, sees-he is the one who has realized the supreme Reality. This is the idea. What is implied is that there is no valid proof about differences in the Non-agent who is devoid of alities and is unconditioned like space. The Lord elaborates again in other words that very true knowledge:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
13.30 When he perceives that 'all acts are performed by the Prakrti' in the manner previously stated in, 'Prakrti is said to be the cause of agency to the body and sense-organs' (13.20), and perceive also that 'the self, being of the form of knowledge, is not the doer,' and that the self's conjunction with the Prakrti, Its direction of the body and Its experiences of happiness and misery are the result of ignorance of the nature of Karma - then indeed he perceives the pure self.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
13.30 Prakrtya etc. He whose firm conviction is of this nature 'The Material Cause alone performs (or creates) this; I do nothing' - he, though he performs (or creates) all, does not perform (or create) anything [in fact]. In this manner, is the absence of doership in him.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
13.30 He sees, who sees that all actions are performed by Nature alone and that the Self is actionless.
Commentary

13.30 प्रकृत्या by Nature? एव alone? च and? कर्माणि actions? क्रियमाणानि being performed? सर्वशः all? यः who? पश्यति sees? तथा so also? आत्मानम् the Self? अकर्तारम् actionless? सः he? पश्यति sees.Commentary Nature is responsible for all activities. The Self is beyond all action. It is the silent witness only. He who experiences thus is the real seer or sage.He who knows that all actions proceeding from the five organs of knowledge? the five organs of action? the mind and the intellect are prompted by Nature and that the Self is actionless? really sees. He alone sees. He who identifies himself with the body? the mind and the senses and foolishly thinks that the Self is the actor is an ignorant man. He sees only with the physical eyes. He has no inner eye of intuition. The sky remains motionless but the clouds move across the sky. Even so the Self is actionless but Nature does everythin. The Self is destitute of any limiting adjunct. Just as there is no variety in ether? so also there is no variety in the Self. It is one homogeneous essence. It is free from any kind of characteristics. (Cf.III.27XIV.19XVIII.16)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
13.30 And he who sees actions as being done in various ways by Nature itself, and also the Self as the non-agent,-he sees.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
13.30 He who understands that it is only the Law of Nature that brings action to fruition, and that the Self never acts, alone knows the Truth.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 3.27 BG 5.8-9 BG 14.19 SB 11.22.51 SB 3.27.1 SB 1.7.5 CC Madhya 20.122 CC Madhya 24.135 CC Antya 5.79 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.1Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.11
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
One who sees that all activities are performed by the body, born of nature, while the self is non-doing — sees rightly.
Practical Applications
  • Practice the perception: body acts, self witnesses.
  • Use during pride and during shame both — neither belongs to the self.
  • Cultivate non-doer consciousness.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I claim doership for what nature is doing?
  • Where do I take blame the self never deserves?
Analogy

A pen lies on the desk while the writer's hand moves it across the page. From the page's perspective, the pen is writing; from the truer view, the hand is. The body, like the pen, is the visible mover; the self, the truer agent, does not write at all — and the soul, deeper still, only watches the writing happen.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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