Bhagavad Gita 5.13
Spoken by Krishna · Verse 13 of 29
सर्वकर्माणि मनसा संन्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी। नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन् न कारयन्॥५-१३॥
sarva-karmāṇi manasā sannyasyāste sukhaṃ vaśī | nava-dvāre pure dehī naiva kurvan na kārayann || 5.13 ||
The self-controlled one mentally renounces all actions, rests happily in the nine-gated city — not acting, not causing.
Word by word (7)
- sarva-karmāṇi
- — all actions
- manasā sannyasya
- — having renounced mentally / by mind alone
- āste sukham
- — dwells happily / rests in ease
- vaśī
- — the self-controlled one / master of self
- nava-dvāre pure
- — in the nine-gated city (the body with 9 openings)
- dehī
- — the embodied self / the soul inhabiting the body
- na eva kurvan na kārayan
- — neither doing nor causing to be done
The self-controlled, embodied soul (dehī) — mentally renouncing all actions — rests happily in the body (described as a city with nine gates: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth, and two lower openings). This inner renunciant neither actually does actions nor makes others do them.
A modern analogy
The CEO of a large company who has deeply delegated everything — the company runs, produces, operates — but the CEO rests in executive awareness without being personally agitated by each transaction. The 'nine-gated city' runs; the inner ruler watches in ease.
What it does NOT mean
The body still moves; the world still turns. This is about the deepest sense of identity — the dehī (embodied Self) does not identify with the actions of the body-city. It is the King who does not personally dig the trenches, though the city operates under his governance.
Take with you
- The nine-gated city image is one of the Gita's most evocative: your body is a city; you are the king, not the gatekeeper of each sense-opening.
- Manasā sannyasya — mental renunciation — is the inner action: not withdrawing from the world but releasing the inner sense of being the agent of every bodily act.
- Sukham (happily) is the keynote: the state of vaśī is restful, not strained. True self-control produces ease, not tension.
Public-domain translations (6) compare all →
"Renouncing all actions mentally, the embodied self-controlled one dwells happily in the nine-gated city — neither doing nor causing to be done." [1]
"Having mentally renounced all actions, the self-controlled embodied one rests happily in the nine-gated city, neither acting nor causing others to act." [4]
"Having mentally resigned all deeds, the self-governed, the embodied (soul) resteth blissfully in the nine-gated city, neither acting nor causing act." [5]
"The self-controlled man, who mentally renounces all works, rests in ease in the nine-gated city of his body, without either acting or causing to act." [6]
"The self-subjugated spirit, freed from wrong, dwelling within the body's town of nine gates — neither working, nor causing work — rests blissful." [7]
"The self-restrained man, who has mentally discarded all actions, rests in the nine-gated city of the body, not doing any action, and not causing any action to be done." [9]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
The Lord creates neither doership, actions, nor fruit-unions for the world — svabhāva alone operates.
Senses < mind < intellect < Self. Know the hierarchy — the Self is highest, and from there desire can be defeated.
This has been sung by the rishis in many hymns, distinctly — and in brahma-sūtra passages, with clear reasoning!
I taught this imperishable yoga to the sun-god at the dawn of time — it has been passed down through kings ever since.
One with no ego-doer-sense, whose buddhi is untainted — even while killing all these beings, kills not, is not bound.
Action renounced through yoga, doubt cut by knowledge, self-possessed — actions cannot bind that person.
Verse 13 of 29 · back to Chapter 5