Bhagavad Gita BG 5.15
Chapter 5, Verse 15 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभुः । अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः ॥
nadatte kasyacit papam na caiva sukrtam vibhuh ajnanena avrtam jnanam tena muhyanti jantavah
Meaning
The all-pervading Lord takes on neither the sin of anyone, nor their merit. Knowledge is veiled by ignorance — by that, beings are deluded.
Understanding
The vibhu (all-pervading Self) takes neither papa (sin) nor sukrta (merit) from anyone. The inner witness is untouched by the moral theater. But why do beings suffer? Ajnanenav rtam jnanam — knowledge is avrtam (covered, veiled) by ajnana (ignorance). Not destroyed, not absent — covered. Like the sun behind clouds. When the covering is removed, the light (jnana) was always there. This covering is why jantavah (creatures) muhyanti (are deluded).
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| विभुः | vibhuh | all-pervading, omnipresent (the Lord/Self) |
| अज्ञानेन | ajnanena | by ignorance |
| आवृतम् | avrtam | covered, veiled, hidden |
| जन्तवः | jantavah | creatures, living beings |
| मुह्यन्ति | muhyanti | are deluded, confused, bewildered |
| न आदत्ते | nādatte | does not accept / does not take up |
| कस्यचित् | kasyacit | anyone's / of any person |
| पापम् | pāpam | sin / evil deed |
| न च एव | na caiva | nor indeed / and not |
| सुकृतम् | sukṛtam | meritorious act / good deeds |
| ज्ञानम् | jñānam | knowledge (covered by ignorance) |
| तेन | tena | by that (ignorance) |