BG 5.9 — Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga — Sūtrakṛt-Gītā

Bhagavad Gītā 5.9Chapter 5 · Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · anuṣṭubh

प्रलपन् विसृजन् गृह्णन्नुन्मिषन् निमिषन्नपि ।

इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन् ॥

pralapan visṛjan gṛhṇann unmiṣan nimiṣann api

indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣu vartanta iti dhārayan

spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip

meaning

Even while speaking, releasing, grasping, blinking, the knower holds one thought steady: it is the senses moving among their objects, not the self acting.

ekras · bhāṣya

Speaking, releasing, grasping, opening the eyes, closing the eyes — even these, the smallest involuntary motions, are accounted for. The closing line is the discipline of the mind: dharayan — holding the conviction — that the senses are moving among their objects, not the self. The verse pair 5.8-5.9 is read together by the panel; together they exhaust the body's behavior.

Madhusudana provides the most systematic phenomenological map. Each participle in the pair is assigned to its instrument. Seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating — to the five jnana-indriyas. Walking, speaking, releasing, grasping — to the five karma-indriyas. Breathing — to the prana-panchaka. Blinking — to the naga-kurma group of subordinate vital airs. Sleeping — to the inner fourfold antahkarana as it withdraws. Nothing in ordinary embodied life escapes the catalogue.

Shridhara is anatomically complete in the same direction; the panel converges on this division across registers.

Madhva's note is terse but the doctrinal angle is distinct: the jiva who correctly understands I do nothing is not collapsing into Brahman — the jiva remains eternally distinct from Hari — but is recognizing that every sense-faculty operates by Hari's sanction, not by the jiva's independent agency.

Vallabha turns the same recognition into a softer register: the body's activity is not the practitioner's instrument but Krishna's ongoing lila passing through it. The blinking and breathing and grasping are then received, not performed; the holding-steady is gratitude, not detachment.

Context

where

Chapter 5 · Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga · meter anuṣṭubh

who speaks

Krishna → Arjuna

preceded by — BG 5.8

The knower of truth, fully absorbed, says “I do nothing at all” while the senses go on seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping, and breathing.

What's going on

Even while speaking, releasing, grasping, blinking, the knower holds one thought steady: it is the senses moving among their objects, not the self acting.

Sūtras through this verse (63)

ŚaṅkaraclassicalB

Knowledge alone, with all action laid downbetween

3.4Mere not-doing is not renunciation at all.───→here5.9───→5.13Lay down all acts in mind; sit at ease, body free.

ĀnandagiriclassicalA

The two-niṣṭhā axisbetween

5.1Every clause tagged jñāna or karma.───→here5.9───→7.1First hexad ends, middle hexad opens.

RamsukhdasclassicalA

What binds you (and how to let go)between

4.23Clinging to anything is what binds you.───→here5.9───→5.12Drop the wish for fruit, not the fruit itself.

show all 63

Śaṅkaraclassicalshankara_jnana_nishtha

Shankara Jnana Nishthabetween · other

3.4Naishkarmya is not just non-doing───→here5.9───→5.13Nine-gated city, all karma laid down

ŚaṅkaraclassicalC

Knowledge plus action will not save youbetween

5.2Each path bears fruit by its own working.───→here5.9───→18.66The combined-path view named and dismantled.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalD

The fit student vs the unfit studentbetween

5.6Renunciation is hard without yoga first.───→here5.9───→18.41Each order's work is born of its own nature.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalE

Ignorance is the only enemybetween

4.18See not-doing in doing, doing in not-doing.───→here5.9───→5.13Body-self confusion is the only error.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalK

Liberation while still embodiedbetween

2.72Standing in this state, one reaches Brahman..───→here5.9───→5.13Nine-gated city: body remains, doership does not.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalH

The Lord is friend of every beingapproach

───→here5.9───→5.29Friend of all beings, the witness of every act.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalI

The lover and the knower are one personapproach

───→here5.9───→7.16Of the four devotees, the knower is dearest.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalG

After knowing, act only to hold the worldexit

5.8I do nothing at all, says the knower.───→here5.9───→

Madhvaclassicalmadhva_pratibimba

Madhva Pratibimbabetween · other

4.14Acts without clinging───→here5.9───→5.14Two tiers of rulership

MadhvaclassicalT1

Hari is supreme — the running reading-rulebetween

5.7'Self of all beings' just means the Lord.───→here5.9───→8.3The 'imperishable Brahman' is the supreme person.

MadhvaclassicalT2

Soul depends on Lord — the gap that does not closebetween

3.27Action is the modes'; the soul only seems to act.───→here5.9───→5.14The soul rules the inert; the Lord rules the soul.

MadhvaclassicalT5

Mirror-and-image — how seeming-action worksbetween

4.14He acts but does not cling to the act.───→here5.9───→5.14The Lord rules the modes; the soul rules the body.

MadhvaclassicalT7

Action and knowledge — never rivalsbetween

5.1Renouncing isn't quitting the householder's life.───→here5.9───→6.1The renouncer and yogi are one person, two names.

MadhvaclassicalT8

Direct vision — the only proximate causebetween

2.59The taste fades only when the source is seen.───→here5.9───→5.16Mediated knowing is just the first step.

MadhvaclassicalT12

Closure by gloss — the small repertoirebetween

5.7'Self of all' resolves to the Lord himself.───→here5.9───→6.20'Self' here is not soul but the Lord within.

Ekrasmodernkarma_yoga

Karma yoga — the apprentice pathbetween · v2

5.6Renunciation needs the path───→here5.9───→5.10Lotus-leaf in water

Ekrasmodernvairagya

Vairāgya — dispassion as instrumentbetween · v2

2.58Tortoise withdrawing───→here5.9───→5.27Senses excluded

Ekrasmodernparadox_of_doership

Paradox of doership — kartṛtvabetween · v2

3.27Modes act, ego claims───→here5.9───→5.13Nine-gated city

Ekrasmodernanger_management

Anger Managementbetween · other

3.37Kāma is the enemy───→here5.9───→5.23Endure the urge

ĀnandagiriclassicalC

Adhikāra: seeker vs. fulfilledbetween

5.1Two saṃnyāsas: fruit and means.───→here5.9───→6.46Yogin vs. jñānin: not synonyms.

ĀnandagiriclassicalD

Praśna-bīja chapter openingsbetween

5.1Recap-then-question becomes the rule.───→here5.9───→7.1Lord answers a question Arjuna did not ask.

ĀnandagiriclassicalF

Which karma? — fourfold typologybetween

5.1Body-residue karma vs. fruit-bearing karma.───→here5.9───→18.1Tyāga and saṃnyāsa named distinct.

ĀnandagiriclassicalH

Phala-saṃkalpa is the only upādhibetween

4.18Action-in-inaction: the upādhi seen. Anchor.───→here5.9───→5.13All actions renounced by mind alone.

MadhusūdanaclassicalA

Three groups of six: you, the Lord, the joiningbetween

5.1Two chapters settled action and knowing.───→here5.9───→7.1First six unfold 'you,' middle six unfold 'that.'

MadhusūdanaclassicalB

Different students need different teachingsbetween

5.1Not combined, not optional; distributed by fitness.───→here5.9───→6.1The renouncer and yogi are one under two views.

MadhusūdanaclassicalC

Action purifies before knowing can landbetween

5.1Action for the ignorant: purification's only door.───→here5.9───→6.1Renouncing too lives by purity of mind.

MadhusūdanaclassicalG

Knowing and acting cannot run togetherbetween

5.1Neither combined, nor optionally substituted.───→here5.9───→5.13The knower's body acts; the knower does not.

RamsukhdasclassicalC

Desire is the root — not actionbetween

3.43Use intellect to slay the enemy within.───→here5.9───→5.12Renounce the wish for fruit, not the fruit.

RamsukhdasclassicalG

Equanimity in everythingbetween

2.48Yoga itself is just sameness of mind.───→here5.9───→5.18See a sage, a cow, a dog as one.

RamsukhdasclassicalH

All paths arrive at the same roombetween

5.4Insight and practice are not two paths.───→here5.9───→6.46The lover outranks every other yogi.

RamsukhdasclassicalK

The body is not yoursbetween

5.8The knower thinks, 'I do nothing at all.'───→here5.9───→6.3Body, senses, and mind: none of them yours.

Ramsukhdasclassical

Sādhaka Sañjīvanī commentary at this versebetween

───→here5.9───→

Ekrasmodernmeditation

Meditation — the dhyāna tourapproach · v2

───→here5.9───→6.10Solitary seat

Ekrasmodernbhakti

Bhakti — devotion pathapproach · v2

───→here5.9───→7.16Four kinds of bhakta

ĀnandagiriclassicalI

Bhakti carries jñāna, never parallelapproach

───→here5.9───→7.1Upāsya and tat-pada in apposition. Anchor.

ĀnandagiriclassicalJ

Prakṛti is never autonomousapproach

───→here5.9───→7.4Two-fold prakṛti is the Lord's own power.

MadhusūdanaclassicalE

Devotion is how knowing actually arrivesapproach

───→here5.9───→7.1The chapter elaborates the prior bhajana-line.

MadhusūdanaclassicalF

Every middle chapter opens with a bow to the teacherapproach

───→here5.9───→7.1A bow to the bliss-cloud, Nanda's son, opens seven.

RamsukhdasclassicalI

The Lord already inside the heartapproach

───→here5.9───→6.30See Me everywhere, I am never lost.

RāmānujaclassicalC

Three ṣaṭkas (1–6 / 7–12 / 13–18)between

5.1A four-clause summary of all of 2 through 4.───→here5.9───→6.1The renouncer and yogi are the same person.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalA

The carama-śloka as retroactive bracketbetween

2.12From here to 18.66: one Krishna-utterance.───→here5.9───→5.16Knowledge dispels what mā śucaḥ will close.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalG

Three yogas — three angles on one configurationbetween

5.5The fruit of either is one and the same.───→here5.9───→6.1The renouncer and yogi are one figure.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalH

Mā śucaḥ — the inclusio of evolving griefbetween

2.11First grief — chapter-1 cowardice — closed.───→here5.9───→5.16Knowledge-darkness cleared — not yet refuge.

VallabhaclassicalC

Drop the doer, not the deedbetween

5.1Arjuna asks the wrong question. first.───→here5.9───→6.1Real renouncing keeps the act alive.

VallabhaclassicalD

Chapter-opening preludesbetween

5.1Single-verse prelude sets sannyāsa-yoga eka.───→here5.9───→6.1Prelude binds yoga to puṣṭi-bhakti.

VallabhaclassicalE

Three paths, one teaching orderbetween

5.5Where one path goes, the other reaches too.───→here5.9───→6.1The two paths are one through fruit-renouncing act.

RāmānujaclassicalA

World as the Lord's body (antaryāmin)approach

───→here5.9───→7.4Two natures of the Lord: matter and selves.

RāmānujaclassicalE

Bhakti as continuous recollectionapproach

───→here5.9───→7.17I am dearest to him.

RāmānujaclassicalF

Two prakṛtis · jīva as eternal aṃśaapproach

───→here5.9───→7.4Lower nature: matter.

RāmānujaclassicalJ

Śeṣa-śeṣī · pati-vrata simileapproach

───→here5.9───→7.18He is My self; I cannot hold without him.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalB

Prapatti — bhakti's access for those the long path defeatsapproach

───→here5.9───→7.14Those who take refuge cross the māyā.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalI

9.24 — the standing citation for ārādhyaapproach

───→here5.9───→7.21Deity-worship: His self-arrangement of grace.

VallabhaclassicalB

Grace alone — the technical markapproach

───→here5.9───→7.18The wise one is Myself, by grace alone.

VallabhaclassicalK

Aphorism, gloss, full commentaryapproach

───→here5.9───→6.47Six chapters of aphorism close at this verse.

ŚrīdharaclassicalE

Inner cleansing reconciles work and knowingbetween

5.5See sāṅkhya and yoga as one — see truly.───→here5.9───→8.7Without a clean mind, steady remembrance fails.

ŚrīdharaclassicalL

Chapter prefaces as the bhāṣya's spinebetween

5.1Settling the doubt: renounce or work?───→here5.9───→6.1Pure mind is not yet release: now meditate.

ŚrīdharaclassicalC

Devotion is both the way and the homeapproach

───→here5.9───→6.47Be a devotee: that is the meaning.

ŚrīdharaclassicalH

The grammar of single-pointednessapproach

───→here5.9───→7.14Undivided love crosses the great mist.

Gauravmodernkarma_yoga_hand

Karma Yoga Handbetween

3.27Palm, kartala. Akartritva, non-doership. 'Prakriteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani s───→here5.9───→5.18Ring finger. Samadrishti. 'Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi hastini, shuni ch

Gauravmodernthree_yogas_braid

Three Yogas Braidbetween

5.5'Yat sankhyaih prapyate sthanam tad yogair api gamyate.' The place reached by sa───→here5.9───→6.46'Tapasvibhyo'dhiko yogi jnanibhyo'pi mato'dhikah, karmibhyash chadhiko yogi tasm

Śabda · lemmas (11 unique · 11 occurrences)

प्रलपन् pra-√lap — to lament, prattle (pra- + √lap) · nominative masculine singular present participle verb
विसृजन् vi-√sṛj — to release, emit, dispatch (vi- + √sṛj) · nominative masculine singular present participle verb
गृह्णन् √grah — to seize, grasp, accept (verbal root) · nominative masculine singular present participle verb
उन्मिषन् √unmiṣ — to open the eyes, awake (ud- + √miṣ) · nominative masculine singular present participle verb
निमिषन् ni-√miṣ — to close the eyes, wink (ni- + √miṣ) · nominative masculine singular present participle verb
धारयन् √dhāray — to hold, sustain (causative of √dhṛ) · nominative masculine singular present participle verb

show all 11

अपि api — also, even, although
इन्द्रियाणि indriya — sense, sense-organ; the eleven indriyas (5 jñānendriyas + 5 karmendriyas + manas) · nominative neuter plural noun · also at 2.60, 3.7, 3.40, 3.42, 5.8, 13.5
इन्द्रियार्थेषु indriyārtha — sense-object (indriya + artha) · locative masculine plural noun
वर्तन्ते √vṛt — to be, exist, occur, turn (verbal root) · present indicative 3rd person plural verb
इति iti — thus (quotative particle)

Praśna · so what (7)

01If the senses operate on their own — like rivers flowing to the sea — what exactly does the 'I' contribute when I say 'I decided to do that'?
02Śaṅkara says a mirage-knower no longer fetches water from it; where in your own life are you still 'fetching water' from a process that has already been seen through?

show all 7

03Rāmānuja distinguishes the ātman's intrinsic nature from its instrumental entanglement; which of your habitual self-definitions are actually descriptions of the instrument, not the self?
04The verse lists blinking alongside speaking and walking — why does Kṛṣṇa include involuntary reflexes in a teaching about karma and doership?
05Madhusūdana assigns sleeping (svapan) to the antaḥkaraṇa (inner apparatus); if the inner faculty itself is an instrument, who — or what — is awake during deep sleep?
06All six schools agree that action continues even after agency is released; what would change, concretely, in how you work or speak if you genuinely held 'the organ is acting, not I'?
07Vallabha reads every sense-movement as Kṛṣṇa's prasāda; Śaṅkara reads it as proof that action is ultimately unreal for the knower — can both be simultaneously true, and what difference does the framing make in practice?

Vyavahāra · try it in your life

Advaita

When a difficult conversation erupts — sharp words fly out before reflection catches them — instead of adding a second layer of guilt ('I said that, I am that'), pause and observe: the speech-organ (vāgindriya) discharged; the ātman was the witness-space in which it occurred. Use this not as excuse but as a precise diagnostic: the organ acted from conditioning; the self was not authored by it. This is Śaṅkara's 'mirage-knower' principle applied to reactive speech.

Viśiṣṭādvaita

In professional service — drafting, coding, teaching, caregiving — hold Rāmānuja's anu-sandhāna (continuous recollection): 'my faculty of analysis is operating; my intrinsic nature as awareness is not diminished or enhanced by the output quality.' This is not indifference to excellence; it is offering the faculty's full capacity without appropriating the result as a badge of personal worth. Kainkarya (service) flows most cleanly when the servant stops claiming ownership of the service.

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Dvaita

When you find yourself in a role of authority — managing a team, parenting, leading a community — Madhva's frame asks: are you acting as Hari's dependent instrument, whose decisions must be filtered through dharmic accountability, or as an independent agent whose will is self-authorizing? Practically: before a consequential decision, one deliberate pause to ask 'is this Hari's will or my preference?' is not piety-theater; it is the structural check that Dvaita's eternal jīva-Hari distinction requires.

Śuddhādvaita

Vallabha's application is most accessible in creative work — music, cooking, writing, craft. When the work 'flows' and the maker disappears, that is not metaphor; it is the Puṣṭi-mārga recognition that Kṛṣṇa is playing through the instrument. Cultivate the conditions (rāga, bhāva, practice) that let this happen more often — not to claim credit for the flow-state but to offer the instrument in readiness for it.

Bhakti

Śrīdhara's anatomical mapping — assigning each organ to its function — becomes a contemplative body-scan during physical exertion (exercise, yoga, manual work). Mentally assign each movement: feet walk, lungs breathe, hands grip. This is not dissociation; it is the progressive habit Śrīdhara describes as 'the karma-yogin who step by step becomes a knower.' The body is not denied — it is seen clearly.

Advaita-Bhakti

Madhusūdana's synthesis is most useful at the boundary of exhaustion or grief — when the antaḥkaraṇa (inner apparatus) itself feels overloaded. His systematic mapping confirms that even the inner faculty's distress belongs to the instrument, not the ātman. This is not spiritual bypassing of emotion; it is the Advaita-bhakti move of holding emotion in the larger space of awareness, allowing full feeling without being constituted by it, and returning to Kṛṣṇa-orientation from within the feeling rather than against it.

Adhiṣṭhāna · substrate signature

substratev2.6-frozen

parserByT5-Sanskrit-multitask (Nehrdich/Hellwig/Keutzer EMNLP 2024)

mūlaBelvalkar critical edition (BORI 1947), via Ambuda multi-witness

show all metadata

weightsa=1 · b=0.01 · e_v=0.005 · z=0.2 · h=0 · th=0.01

anchorfit on Ramsukhdas's Sādhak Sañjīvanī (1980), frozen across the eight-commentator panel; cross-validated R@4 = 71.6% on Śaṅkara

extracted2026-04-21

methodPaper 1, Section II.B

↓ view raw per-verse object (JSON)↗ per-verse-object schema ↗ substrate code (MIT) + data (CC-BY 4.0)

The schema generalizes to any bounded-polysemy corpus with discrete primary text units, attested witness traditions, identifiable schools, and formal substrate. Port the per-verse object; refit weights on a domain-appropriate Layer-3 anchor; ship.

Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 5, Verse 9: Krishna to Arjuna — Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga