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Bhagavad-gītā 5.15

నాదత్తే కస్యచిత్పాపం న చైవ సుకృతం విభు: । అజ్ఞానేనావృతం జ్ఞానం తేన ముహ్యన్తి జన్తవ: ॥ ౧౫ ॥
nādatte kasyacit pāpaṁ
[naadatte kasyachit paapam]
na caiva sukṛtaṁ vibhuḥ
[na chaiva sukritam vibhuh]
ajñānenāvṛtaṁ jñānaṁ
[ajnaanenaavritam jnaanam]
tena muhyanti jantavaḥ
[tena muhyanti jantavah]
Word-for-word
na — never ādatte — accepts kasyacit — anyone’s pāpam — sin na — nor ca — also eva — certainly su - kṛtam — pious activities vibhuḥ — the Supreme Lord ajñānena — by ignorance āvṛtam — covered jñānam — knowledge tena — by that muhyanti — are bewildered jantavaḥ — the living entities .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nādatte kasyacit pāpaṁ
na
never
ādatte
accepts
kasyacit
anyone’s
pāpam
sin
na caiva sukṛtaṁ vibhuḥ
na
nor
ca
also
eva
certainly
su - kṛtam
pious activities
vibhuḥ
the Supreme Lord
ajñānenāvṛtaṁ jñānaṁ
ajñānena
by ignorance
āvṛtam
covered
jñānam
knowledge
tena muhyanti jantavaḥ
tena
by that
muhyanti
are bewildered
jantavaḥ
the living entities .
Important Words
  • na ādatte — does not accept
    From ā + √dā — 'to take to oneself.' The Lord does not 'take on' anyone's karma; He is not contaminated by accepting the books of every soul's accounts. The doctrine refutes any image of God as cosmic judge maintaining a ledger.
  • vibhuḥ — the Supreme Lord
    From vi + √bhū — 'pervasive, all-extending.' The Lord is omnipresent yet uncontaminated. The very word vibhuḥ asserts that pervasion does not entail entanglement. He is in everything without taking on anything.
  • ajñānena āvṛtam — covered by ignorance
    Āvṛta — covered, veiled. The jīva's constitutional knowledge of itself as Kṛṣṇa-dāsa is occluded by ajñāna. In the Gauḍīya frame this covering is not mere absence: māyā is Bhagavān's real bahiraṅga-śakti, acting by His sanction. Hence muhyanti — the soul is genuinely bewildered, not merely uninformed — and only the Lord's mercy (or His knowledge, jñānaṁ) lifts the veil.
  • muhyanti — are bewildered
    From √muh — 'to faint, to be confused.' The same root behind moha and mohini. Conditioned beings (jantavaḥ) are in a state of fainting confusion about their own situation — not the Lord's fault, not the world's fault, only the ignorance's fault.
  • jantavaḥ — the living entities
    From √jan — 'to be born.' Jantu names the soul under its conditioned, repeatedly-born aspect. The word itself carries the diagnosis: it is the jantu, the born-and-rebornthing, that is bewildered. The unborn soul, recovered, is not.
Nor does the Supreme Lord assume anyone’s sinful or pious activities. Embodied beings, however, are bewildered because of the ignorance which covers their real knowledge.
Purport

The Sanskrit word vibhu means the Supreme Lord who is full of unlimited knowledge, riches, strength, fame, beauty and renunciation. He is always satisfied in Himself, undisturbed by sinful or pious activities. He does not create a particular situation for any living entity, but the living entity, bewildered by ignorance, desires to be put into certain conditions of life, and thereby his chain of action and reaction begins. A living entity is, by superior nature, full of knowledge. Nevertheless, he is prone to be influenced by ignorance due to his limited power. The Lord is omnipotent, but the living entity is not. The Lord is vibhu, or omniscient, but the living entity is aṇu, or atomic. Because he is a living soul, he has the capacity to desire by his free will. Such desire is fulfilled only by the omnipotent Lord. And so, when the living entity is bewildered in his desires, the Lord allows him to fulfill those desires, but the Lord is never responsible for the actions and reactions of the particular situation which may be desired. Being in a bewildered condition, therefore, the embodied soul identifies himself with the circumstantial material body and becomes subjected to the temporary misery and happiness of life. The Lord is the constant companion of the living entity as Paramātmā, or the Supersoul, and therefore He can understand the desires of the individual soul, as one can smell the flavor of a flower by being near it. Desire is a subtle form of conditioning for the living entity. The Lord fulfills his desire as he deserves: Man proposes and God disposes. The individual is not, therefore, omnipotent in fulfilling his desires. The Lord, however, can fulfill all desires, and the Lord, being neutral to everyone, does not interfere with the desires of the minute independent living entities. However, when one desires Kṛṣṇa, the Lord takes special care and encourages one to desire in such a way that one can attain to Him and be eternally happy. The Vedic hymns therefore declare, eṣa u hy eva sādhu karma kārayati taṁ yam ebhyo lokebhya unninīṣate. eṣa u evāsādhu karma kārayati yam adho ninīṣate: “The Lord engages the living entity in pious activities so that he may be elevated. The Lord engages him in impious activities so that he may go to hell.” ( Kauṣītakī Upaniṣad 3.8) ajño jantur anīśo ’yam ātmanaḥ sukha-duḥkhayoḥ īśvara-prerito gacchet svargaṁ vāśv abhram eva ca “The living entity is completely dependent in his distress and happiness. By the will of the Supreme he can go to heaven or hell, as a cloud is driven by the air.” Therefore the embodied soul, by his immemorial desire to avoid Kṛṣṇa consciousness, causes his own bewilderment. Consequently, although he is constitutionally eternal, blissful and cognizant, due to the littleness of his existence he forgets his constitutional position of service to the Lord and is thus entrapped by nescience. And, under the spell of ignorance, the living entity claims that the Lord is responsible for his conditional existence. The Vedānta-sūtras (2.1.34) also confirm this. Vaiṣamya-nairghṛṇye na sāpekṣatvāt tathā hi darśayati: “The Lord neither hates nor likes anyone, though He appears to.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
15. Thus, the Lord does not receive the sinful or pious reaction from those actions. The jīva’s knowledge is covered by ignorance. Because of this, living entities are bewildered.
Commentary

Since the Lord does not make the jīva do either good or bad actions, he does not experience the results in the form of suffering or enjoyment. He does not accept (na adatte) them. (He is not responsible for them). However, one of His associates, His śakti called ignorance (ajṣānena) covers the inherent knowledge of the jīva. Because of this (tena), the jīvas are bewildered (and hence act. and suffer or enjoy their karma).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
15. The Lord is not responsible for the sinful or pious acts of the jīvas. The jīvas knowledge is covered by their hostility to the Lord. Thus the living entities are bewildered by that ignorance and blame the Lord.
Commentary

“But if you say that the pure jīva is not the doer, then one must conclude that the paramātmā, out of some impulse of amusement, forcing pradhāna down the jīvas throat, created him with body and senses which are transformations of pradhāna. This is justified. The śruti confirms: eṣa u hy eva sādhu karma kārayati taṁ yam ebhyo lokebhya unninīṣate eṣa u evāsādhu karma kārayati taṁ yam adho ninīṣate. The Lord engages the living entity in pious activities whom he desires to elevate from these worlds. The Lord engages him in impious activities whom he desires to degrade. Kauṣītakī Upaniṣad 3.8 The smṛti also criticizes the Lord: ajṣo jantur anīśo’yam ātmanaḥ sukha-duḥkhayoḥ īśvara-prerito gacchet svargaṁ vāśv abhram eva ca The ignorant living entity is completely powerless in regards to attaining his distress and happiness. Impelled by the Supreme Lord he will go to heaven, or the sky. Mahābhārata 3.31.273 [Note: The Mahābhārata verse is almost the same as that quoted.] Therefore the Lord leads the jīva into states of sin and piety. In being the instigator, the Lord must therefore have the quality of injustice and must be blamed for the sins of the jīva.” This verse answers that accusation. The Supreme Lord (vibhuḥ), full of immeasurable bliss and knowledge, and full of unlimited energies, enjoying His own bliss, and being indifferent to all else, simply engages the jīva in activity according to the jīva’s impressions—a jīva who desiring to enjoy, bound up by beginningless impressions in the pradhāna, takes a body made of a transformation of pradhāna just by proximity to the Lord. Therefore, the Lord does not receive any sinful or pious reaction for any jīva’s actions. The Viṣṇu Purāṇa says: yathā sannidhi-mātreṇa gandhaḥ kṣobhāya jāyate manaso nopakartṛtvāt tathāsau parameśvaraḥ sannidhānād yathākāśa-kālādyāḥ kāraṇaṁ taroḥ tathaivāpariṇāmena viśvasya bhagavān hariḥ Smell brings about disturbance to the mind by proximity with the mind, not because of doing anything. In the same way the Supreme Lord also acts in relation to the living entities without thoughts of disturbing them. Just as by proximity, ether and time are causes of a tree without their undergoing transformation, so Bhagavān is the cause of the universe without His undergoing contact or transformation. Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.2.30-1 The example of fragrance is given to illustrate the neutral position of the Lord, but this does not mean that the Lord does not have desire in creating, for the śruti also says : so’kāmayata The Lord desired. Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.2.4 But then why do the jīvas accuse the Lord of injustice? This is explained in the next line of the verse. The knowledge of the jīva, though eternal, disappears from view (āvṛtam) due to the jīva’s hostility to the Lord without beginning (ajṣānena). Because of this (tena), the jīvas (jantuh) are bewildered. The Lord is just, but the ignorant people, not the wise, say that the Lord is unjust. The author of the Vedānta Sūtras says : vaiṣamya-nairghṛṇye na sāpekṣatvāt tathā hi darśayati The Lord has no injustice or hatred. Rather he is favorable to the jīvas. The sciptures declare this. Vedānta Sūtra 2.1.35 na karmāvibhāgād iti cen nānāditvāt You cannot say the Lord is just, because He gives them different karmas to each jīva at the beginning. But that is not so, because karma is without a beginning. Vedānta Sūtra 2.1.36

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

This is knowledge of the Supersoul. Here is the real knowledge that removes ignorance : (1) we are not our body; (2) the modes of material nature are controlled by the Supersoul, and (3) the Supersoul Himself is not responsible ‑ "He does not assume anyone's sinful or pious activities". In his Purport, Srila Prabhupada says: "A living entity is, by superior nature, full of knowledge. Nevertheless, he is prone to be influenced by ignorance due to his limited power. The Lord is omnipotent, but the living entity is not. The Lord is vibhu, or omniscient, but the living entity is anu, or atomic. Because he is a living soul, he has the capacity to desire by his free will. Such desire is fulfilled only by the omnipotent Lord. And so, when the living entity is bewildered in his desires, the Lord allows him to fulfill those desires, but the Lord is never responsible for the actions and reactions of the parti situation which may be desired. Being in a bewildered condi therefore, the embodied soul identifies himself with the circumstantial material body and becomes subjected to the temporary misery and happiness of life. The Lord is the constant companion of the living entity as Paramatma, or the Supersoul, and therefore He can understand the desires of the individual soul, as one can smell the flavor of a flower by being near it. Desire is a subtle form of conditioning for the living entity. The Lord fulfills his desire as he deserves: Man proposes and God disposes. The individual is not, therefore, omnipotent in fulfilling his desires. The Lord, however, can fulfill all desires, and the Lord, being neutral to everyone, does not interfere with the desires of the minute independent living entities. However, when one desires Krsna, the Lord takes special care and encourages one to desire in such a way that one can attain to Him and be eternally happy. The living entity, although he is not the doer, because of his desiring, he is responsible. And the Supersoul's service to the living entity is to sanction and fulfill the living entity's desires as he deserves. Even though He is the omnipotent Lord and He is the controller of everything, still the Supreme Lord is not responsible because He is neutral and is just 'sanctioning'. This is knowledge about the Supersoul's position and this was already explained in the 4th Chapter, Section B (Applied transcendental knowledge), after describing the limited freedom of the living entity, not free to obtain his desires. He is free to desire, but is the Lord who allows him, the Lord fulfils his desires.

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

Role of the Lord

THEME: One in Knowledge sees material nature as being under Lord’s control and thus the Lord as the

ultimate performer and the cause of all actions

But this theme raises a question that “Doesn’t that make Him responsible for all good and bad things done in this world?”
Text 5.15 answers this: “He simply sanctions, the soul initiates by desire and therefore living entity is responsible for all good and bad reactions
Focus of Learning

(a) Supreme Lord is vibhu (omniscient) – This means He is full of all six opulences

He is always satisfied in Himself, undisturbed by sinful or pious activities
He does not create a particular situation for any living entity

(b) Living entity is anu (atomic) –

Prone to ignorance – He is prone to ignorance because of limited power, although he is full of knowledge and bliss
Free will to desire – As a part of the Supreme Lord he has the capacity to desire by his free will
Desire is a subtle form of conditioning for the living entity
Misuse of desire – Under ignorance living entity desires to be put into a certain condition of life
Therefore his chain of actions and reactions begin
Under ignorance the living entity claims that the Lord is responsible for his conditional existence

(c) Supreme Lord as the witness and permitter – The desires of the living entities are fulfilled only by

the omnipotent Lord

Analogy of flower: Lord is the constant companion as Supersoul and He can understand the desires of the individual soul, as one can smell the fragrance of a flower by being near to it
Does Lord fulfill all desires – He fulfills the desires as one deserves; Man proposes, God disposes

(c) Living entity is not the ‘so-called’ master

As long as he is in the city of the body, he appears to be master of it (indicated by the word “prabhuh”)
He is neither the proprietor nor the controller of the actions and reactions of the body
Analogy: Waves of material ocean are simply tossing him in the struggle for existence

(d) Best solution to save living entities from all turmoil: Get out of the water by transcendental

Krishna consciousness

SUMMARIZED THEME 5C

COMPARING THE SOUL AND SUPERSOUL (5.13 – 5.16)

S.NO

SOUL

SUPERSOUL

Eternal

Eternal

Blissful, but suffers when covered by maya

Blissful, above the modes

Cognisant of his body

Cognisant of all bodies

Anu, atomic

Vibhu, omniscient

Has minute independence to desire but is

dependent upon Supersoul to fulfil desires

Complete independence

SUMMARIZED THEME 5D

CONCLUSION: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SOUL,
SUPERSOUL AND THE MATERIAL MODES OF NATURE

1. Soul desires – Lord does not interfere

2. Lord as supersoul sanctions – Those desires that the soul deserves, Lord is the director of the

choreography who causes activities to be done through material nature

3. Modes of material nature carry out actions to fulfil those desires, body and actions are

choreographed by the modes

4. Establishes living entity is not the only doer

5. Who is responsible

Supersoul not to be held responsible for all actions, because all initiated by desires of the living entity (5.13)
Living entity is responsible for his own good and bad actions and is thus responsible for the consequensces
Supersoul is the ultimate controller of the activities, but not the initiator and modes of nature are the agents of the Lord

6. Benefits of understanding the position of the Supreme (5.16) – It leads to “A state of perfect

knowledge”

When one surrenders unto the Lord (7.19)
Happiness and Real Peace

(d) The Lord is neutral to everyone – He does not interfere with the desires of the minute,

independent living entities

When the living entity is bewildered the Lord allows him to fulfill those desires, but the Lord is never responsible for the particular situation created
When the living entity desires Krishna, the Lord takes special care and encourages one to desire in such a way that one can attain to Him and be eternally happy
References for Lord’s neutrality (study purport)
Ref. Vedic hymns / Kausitaki Upanisad
Ref. Vedanta Sutra 2.1.34 “vaisamya-nairghrnya…”
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
5.15 Vibhuh, the Omnipresent; na adatte, neither accetps; kasyacit, anybody's-even a adevotee's; papam, sin; na ca eva, nor even; does He accept sukrtam, virtue offered by devotees. Why then are such virtuous acts as worship etc. as also sacrifices, charity, oblation, etc. worship etc. as also sacrifices, charity, oblation, etc. offered by devotees? To this the Lord says: Jnanam, knowledge, discriminating wisdom; remains avrtam, covered; ajnanena, by ignorance. Tena, thery; jantavah, the creatures, the non-discriminating people in the world; muhyanti, become deluded thus-'I do; I make others do; I eat; I make others eat.'
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
5.15 Because, It, the Atman is 'all-pervading', i.e., is not limited to particular area or space included in the bodies of gods, men etc.; It is not the relative or the enemy of any one. For this reason It does not take away or remove the evil or suffering of anyone such as a son who is related and therefore dear to one; nor does It take away, i.e., remove the happiness of anyone whom It deems with aversion. All this is the effect of Vasanas or subtle impressions of Prakrti. How does do these contrary Vasanas originte in the case of one whose intrinsic nature is a described above? In answer it is said that knowledge is enveloped by the darkness of ignorance. The Atman's knowledge is enveloped, i.e., contracted by preceding Karmas which are opposed to knowledge, so that a person may be alified to experience the fruits of his own Karma. It is by this Karma, which contracts knowledge, and can join the Jiva with the bodies of gods etc., that the misconception that the bodies are the selves is produced. Conseently there will originate the Vasanas or the unconscious subtle impressions born of such misapprehension of the self and the inclination to undertake actions corresponding to them. Sri Krsna now brings into proper seence what has been taught before in the following verses: 'You will completely cross over the sea of all your sins with the boat of knowledge' (4.36), and 'The fire of knowledge reduces all Karmas to ashes in the same way' (4.37), and 'For there is no purifier here eal to knowledge' (4.38).
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
5.15 Nadatte etc. The sinful acts and the like have been effected not by the Soul; but they have been effected by the Illusion belonging to It, just as a poison is effected in the nectar by a doubt. Therefore-
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
5.15 The Lord takes neither the demerit nor even the merit of any; knowledge is enveloped by ignorance, thery beings are deluded.
Commentary

5.15 न not? आदत्ते takes? कस्यचित् of anyone? पापम् demerit? न not? च and? एव even? सुकृतम् merit? विभुः the Lord? अज्ञानेन by ignorance? आवृतम् enveloped? ज्ञानम् knowledge? तेन by that? मुह्यन्ति are deluded? जन्तवः beings.Commentary Knowledge is enveloped by ignorance. Conseently man is deluded. He thinks? I act. I enjoy. I have done such and such a meritourious act. I will get such and such a fruit. I will enjoy in heaven. I will get a birth in a rich family.Of anyone even of His devotees.Man is bound when he is identifies himself with Nature and its effects -- body? mind? Prana or the lifeforce? and senses. He attains freedom or Moksha when he identifies himself with the immortal? actionless Self that dwells within his heart.When I does not act how can God accept good or evil deeds (Cf.V.29)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
5.15 The Omnipresent neither accepts anybody's sin nor even virtue. Knowledge remains covered by ignorance. Thery the creatures become deluded.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
5.15 The Lord does not accept responsibility for any man's sin or merit. Men are deluded because in them wisdom is submerged in ignorance.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 9.29 BG 7.14 BG 13.28 SB 6.3.12 SB 3.7.9 SB 11.22.10 CC Madhya 20.117 CC Madhya 20.118 CC Ādi 7.119 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.7Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.2
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Nor does the Lord accept anyone's sin or piety — knowledge is veiled by ignorance; that is why beings are bewildered.
Practical Applications
  • Stop expecting Kṛṣṇa to 'judge' moment-by-moment; that's not His role.
  • Recognize that ignorance, not the Lord's verdict, is the issue.
  • Apply yourself to dissolving ignorance.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I expect divine micro-management instead of taking responsibility?
  • What ignorance is most veiling my present clarity?
Analogy

Clouds do not decide which fields they shade; they simply pass, and ignorance of the cloud's nature makes villagers think the cloud has favored or punished them. The Supreme does not accept your sin or your virtue. Ignorance, like the villager's misreading, is what generates the entire drama of cosmic judgment.

Stories
Gajendra and the crocodile

When the elephant king Gajendra was seized by the crocodile and dragged toward the lake's depth, he did not pray for the Lord to punish the crocodile. He had passed through long years of struggle, exhausted his own strength, and finally cried out the Lord's names in pure surrender.

The Lord came — not to accept Gajendra's piety as a reward-earning currency, not to penalize the crocodile's sin. He came because the call was real and the ignorance covering Gajendra's knowledge had at last been ripped. The Lord's intervention is not a verdict on the case; it is the response to recognition.

This verse's logic shines in the episode: na ādatte kasyacit pāpaṁ na ca eva su-kṛtam. The Lord does not score. He liberates the soul that sees through ajñāna.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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