Bhagavad Gita BG 5.13
Chapter 5, Verse 13 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
सर्वकर्माणि मनसा संन्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी । नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन् ॥
sarva-karmani manasa sannyasyaste sukham vashi nava-dvare pure dehi naiva kurvan na karayan
Meaning
Renouncing all actions mentally, the self-controlled embodied one dwells joyfully in the nine-gated city, neither acting nor causing (others) to act.
Understanding
The vivid metaphor: the body is a nava-dvare pura — a city with nine gates (the nine openings of the body: 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 nostrils, 1 mouth, 1 urethra, 1 anus). In this city dwells the dehi (the embodied Self). The wise one is vashi (self-controlled) and mentally (manasa) has renounced all karma. Naiva kurvan na karayan: neither acting (as the agent 'I do') nor causing others to act. This is pure witnessing.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| वशी | vashi | self-controlled, master of oneself |
| नवद्वारे पुरे | nava-dvare pure | in the city of nine gates (the body) |
| देही | dehi | the embodied Self, the dweller in the body |
| कुर्वन् | kurvan | acting, doing |
| कारयन् | karayan | causing to act, making others act |
| सर्वकर्माणि | sarva-karmāṇi | all actions / all deeds |
| मनसा | manasā | by the mind / mentally |
| संन्यस्य | saṃnyasya | having renounced / surrendering mentally |
| आस्ते | āste | dwells / lives / resides |
| सुखम् | sukham | happily / comfortably |
| न एव | naiva | neither / not at all |