Shloka

न च मां तानि कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय |
उदासीनवदासीनमसक्तं तेषु कर्मसु ||९-९||

Transliteration

na ca māṃ tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañjaya .
udāsīnavadāsīnamasaktaṃ teṣu karmasu ||9-9||

Translations

Dr.S.Sankaranarayan

9.9. O Dhananjaya ! These acts do not bind Me, remaining as if unconcerned and unattached in these actions.

Shri Purohit Swami

9.9 But these acts of mine do not bind Me. I remain outside and unattached.

Sri Abhinav Gupta

9.9 See Comment under 9.10

Sri Ramanuja

9.9 But actions like uneal creation do not bind Me. There can be no imputation of cruelty etc., to Me, because the previous actions (Karmas) of individual selves are the causes for the ineality of conditions like that of gods etc. I am untouched by the ineality. I sit, as it were, apart from it as one unconcerned. Accordingly, the author of the Vedanta-sutras says: ‘Not ineality and cruelty, on account of (creation) being dependent, for so scripture declares’ (Br. Su., 2.1.34), and ‘If it be said that there is no Karma on account of non-distinction, it is replied that it is not proper to say so, because it is beginningless ৷৷.’ (Ibid., 2.1.35). [The idea is this: Creation has no first beginning. It is an eternal cyclic process of creation and dissolution of the universe. So the differentiation of Karma, Jiva and Isvara even before creation has to be accepted. Only in the creative cycle the differentiation becomes patent, and in the dissolved condition it remains latent.]

Sri Shankaracharya

9.9 O Dhananjaya, na ca, nor do; tani, those; karmani, actions-which are the sources of the creation of the multitude of beings uneally; nibadhnanti, bind; mam, Me, who am God. As to that, the Lord states the reason for His not becoming associated with the actions: Asinam, remaining (as I do); udasinavat, like one unconcerned, like some indifferent spectator- for the Self is not subject to any change; and asaktam, unattached; tesu karmasu, to those actions-free from attachment to results, free from the egoism that ‘I do.’ Hence, even int he case of any other person also, the absence of the idea of agentship and the absence of attachment to results are the causes of not getting bound. Otherwise, like the silkworm, a foolish man becomes bound by acitons. This is the idea. There (in th previous two verses) it involves a contradiction to say, ‘Remaining like one unconcerned, I project forth this multitude of beings.’ In order to dispel this doubt the Lord says:

Swami Adidevananda

9.9 But these actions do not bind Me, O Arjuna, for I remain detached from them like one unconcerned.

Swami Gambirananda

9.9 O Dhananjaya (Arjuna), nor do those actions bind Me, remaining (as I do) like one unconcerned with, and unattached to, those actions.

Swami Sivananda

9.9 These acts do not bind Me, O Arjuna, sitting like one indifferent, unattached to those acts.

Commentaries

Swami Sivananda

9.9 न not? च and? माम् Me? तानि these? कर्माणि acts? निबध्नन्ति bind? धनञ्जय O Dhananjaya? उदासीनवत् like one indifferent? आसीनम् sitting? असक्तम् unattached? तेषु in those? कर्मसु acts.Commentary These acts Creation and dissolution of the universe. I am the only cause of dissolution of the universe. I am the only cause of Nature and its activities and yet? being indifferent to everythin? I do nothing. Nor do I cause anything to be done.I remain as one neutral or indifferent or unconcerned. I have no attachment for the fruits of those actions. Further I have not go the egoistic feeling of agency I do this. I know that the Self is actionless. Therefore the actions involved in creation and dissolution do not bind Me.As in the case of Isvara so in the case of others also the absence of the egoistic feeling of agency and the absense of attachment to the fruits of action is the cause of freedom (from Dharma and Adharma? virtue and evil) The ignorant man who works with egoism and who expects rewards for his action is bound by his own actions like the silkworm in the cocoon.Just as the neutral referee or umpire in a cricket or football match is not affected by the victory or defeat of the parties? so also the Lord is not affected by the creation and destruction of this world as He remains unconcerned or indifferent and as He is a silent and changeless witness. (Cf.IV.14)