Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 Verse 13 Meaning
Mentally renouncing all actions and being self-controlled, the embodied one happily rests in the nine-gated city, neither acting nor causing others (body and senses) to act.
BG 5.13
सर्वकर्माणि मनसा संन्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी। नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन्
sarva-karmāṇi manasā sannyasyāste sukhaṁ vaśhī nava-dvāre pure dehī naiva kurvan na kārayan
Meaning
Mentally renouncing all actions and being self-controlled, the embodied one happily rests in the nine-gated city, neither acting nor causing others (body and senses) to act.
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What Does Bhagavad Gita 5.13 Mean?
Mentally renouncing all actions and being self-controlled, the embodied one happily rests in the nine-gated city, neither acting nor causing others (body and senses) to act. Situated within the chapter on The Yoga of Renunciation, this verse contributes to the Gita's exploration of renunciation in action and its relationship to inner peace. Shankaracharya emphasizes that this teaching is not merely contextual but universal.
The principle of renunciation in action expressed here transcends its battlefield setting and speaks to the fundamental relationship between action, knowledge, and spiritual realization. The practical invitation is to hold this verse as a mirror. Where in your life does the principle of renunciation in action feel most challenging? That is precisely where the teaching has the most to offer.
— Explained by the Nitya Team
What Is the Context of Bhagavad Gita 5.13?
The comparison between renunciation of action and selfless action, showing both lead to liberation.
Key themes in this chapter include Renunciation, Inner peace, Equality.
How Can I Apply Bhagavad Gita 5.13 in Daily Life?
- •When you need steadiness while dealing with renunciation
- •When practicing inner peace amid uncertainty
- •When applying equality to real-life choices
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Related Verses
BG 5.10
He who does actions, offering them to Brahman and abandoning attachment, is not tainted by sin, just as a lotus leaf is not tainted by water.
BG 5.18
Sages look with an equal eye on a Brahmana endowed with learning and humility, on a cow, an elephant, a dog, and even an outcaste.
BG 1.1
Dhritarashtra said, "What did my people and the sons of Pandu do when they had assembled together, eager for battle, on the holy plain of Kurukshetra, O Sanjaya?"
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