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BG 9.9 — 9.9 These acts do not bind Me, O Arjuna, sitting like one indifferent, unattached to those acts.
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न च मां तानि कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय |
उदासीनवदासीनमसक्तं तेषु कर्मसु ||९-९||

na ca māṃ tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañjaya . udāsīnavadāsīnamasaktaṃ teṣu karmasu ||9-9||


9.9 These acts do not bind Me, O Arjuna, sitting like one indifferent, unattached to those acts.

Word-by-word meanings

9.9 न not? च and? माम् Me? तानि these? कर्माणि acts? निबध्नन्ति bind? धनञ्जय O Dhananjaya? उदासीनवत् like one indifferent? आसीनम् sitting? असक्तम् unattached? तेषु in those? कर्मसु acts.Commentary These acts Creation and dissolution of the universe. I am the only cause of dissolution of the universe. I am the only cause of Nature and its activities and yet? being indifferent to everythin? I do nothing. Nor do I cause anything to be done.I remain as one neutral or indifferent or unconcerned. I ha

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

9.9 O Dhananjaya, na ca, nor do; tani, those; karmani, actions-which are the sources of the creation of the multitude of beings uneally; nibadhnanti, bind; mam, Me, who am God. As to that, the Lord states the reason for His not becoming associated with the actions: Asinam, remaining (as I do); udasinavat, like one unconcerned, like some indifferent spectator- for the Self is not subject to any change; and asaktam, unattached; tesu karmasu, to those actions-free from attachment to results, free from the egoism that 'I do.' Hence, even int he case of any other person also, the absence of the idea of agentship and the absence of attachment to results are the causes of not getting bound. Otherwise, like the silkworm, a foolish man becomes bound by acitons. This is the idea. There (in th previous two verses) it involves a contradiction to say, 'Remaining like one unconcerned, I project forth this multitude of beings.' In order to dispel this doubt the Lord says:

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Swami Gambirananda

9.9 O Dhananjaya (Arjuna), nor do those actions bind Me, remaining (as I do) like one unconcerned with, and unattached to, those actions.

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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