Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 13, Verse 32: Krishna to Arjuna — Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga
Just as space fills everything yet is stained by nothing, the Self, though dwelling in every body, is never touched by what the body does or suffers.
Bhāṣyakāra purports
- Śaṅkaraadvaita
The Supreme Self (paramatman) is anadi (beginningless) — what has a beginning perishes, but this has none, hence it is avyaya (imperishable). Being nirguna (without qualities), it undergoes no deterioration through quality-loss as conditioned things do. Though said to dwell in the body because it is cognised there, it neither acts nor is touched by the fruits of action; only an agent incurs the taint of karma-phala (action-fruit), and this Self is no agent. The apparent doership and taint belong solely to avidya (nescience) operating as if real — at the level of paramartha (ultimate truth) there is only the one paramatman, untouched.
- Rāmānujaviśiṣṭādvaita
Akasha (space), though all-pervading and in contact with every object, is not stained by those objects because of its ati-saukshma (extreme subtlety); likewise the atman, though residing in every body — deva, human, and the rest — is not stained by the distinct natures of each such body. The Self retains its own unblemished svarupa (essential form) in every bodily vehicle, neither contaminated by the gunas (qualities) of prakrti (nature) nor by the dharmas (properties) of the particular body it inhabits. Its intimate relationship to Bhagavan as his sarira (body) is what preserves this untaintability.
- Madhvadvaita
The paramatman is anadi (beginningless) — what originates is subject to vyaya (decay), but Hari, having no origin, has no decay. What bears gunas (qualities) decays through their loss; being nirguna (quality-free), Hari admits no such decay. The verse thus confirms avyayatva (imperishability) through two independent grounds. The statement 'it does not act' refers to the absence of any worldly action (laukika-kriya) — Hari enacts only sovereign governance, not driven action; the jiva acts only as his completely dependent instrument, and the taint of mundane action never adheres to Hari who is of a wholly distinct ontological order.
- Vallabhaśuddhādvaita
The antarah purusha (inner Person), the aksara-svarupa (imperishable-formed) atman-jiva, is naturally free from all prakrta-sambandha (connection to matter) by virtue of his anadi (beginninglessness) and nirguna (quality-free) nature. Though Bhagavan's iccha (will) causes the jiva to appear as separately manifested, this is adhyasa (superimposition) only — in truth the jiva is akarta (non-agent) and alipta (untainted). Freedom from taint is thus not an achievement but the jiva's inherent condition when the superimposition of separation is seen through.
- Śrīdharabhakti
The question arises: if the Lord dwells in the body during samsara (transmigration), how can he remain unaffected by the unevenness of sukha-duhkha (pleasure-pain)? The answer is that what has an origin perishes, and what has gunas (qualities) decays when those qualities are lost; but this paramatman is anadi (beginningless) and nirguna (quality-free), therefore avyaya (imperishable) and avikari (without modification). Residing in the body, he neither performs any action nor is he touched by karma-phala (action-fruit). The samadarsana (equal vision) of the wise is grounded in this direct recognition of the Lord's untouched nature.
- Madhusūdanaadvaita-bhakti
Lest one suppose that even an inherently non-acting Self acquires auphadhika (conditional, superimposed) agency through its connection with a body, this verse removes that objection. Vyaya (decay) is twofold: decay of the dharmin (substance-bearer) itself, or decay through loss of its dharmas (properties). The first is blocked by anadi (beginninglessness) — the atman has no prior non-existence and hence no birth, and without birth no subsequent vikara (modification). The second is blocked by nirguna (quality-freeness) — where there are no dharmas, none can come or go. Just as the sun reflected in water appears to move when the water moves but does not actually move, so this atman appears to act through adhyasika-sambandha (superimposed connection) with the body but never truly acts, and therefore is never touched by any karma-phala. This also establishes the non-dual brahman: svagata-bheda (internal difference) is negated by nirguna, sajatiya-bheda (difference among similar) by the 'nature alone acts' teaching, and vijatiya-bheda (difference from the unlike) by the 'when one sees many beings' teaching — the atman is advitiya brahman (non-dual Brahman).