Gita 05.07 – Inner purity ensures outer action without reaction
Bhagavad Gita 5.7
Yoga Yukto VishuddhÄtmÄ VijjhÄtmÄ Ji Tendriya
Sarva-bhÅ«tÄtmÄ BhÅ«tÄtmÄ
Guruvannapi na lipyate
“Yoga Yukto” refers to one who is engaged in yoga, and “VishuddhÄtmÄ” refers to one whose ÄtmÄ (soul) is purified. The word ÄtmÄ can refer to the soul, the mind, the intelligence, or even the Supreme Lord. In this context, it is typically used to refer to the intelligence.
“VijjhÄtmÄ” means that the mind has been conquered. It also refers to one who has control of the senses. “Sarva-bhÅ«tÄtmÄ BhÅ«tÄtmÄ” refers to one who is the soul of all souls, meaning a person who becomes the well-wisher of all living beings. We will explore what this means.
Guruvannapi na lipyate indicates that a person, even while acting, does not become entangled in reactions. Krishna is continuing his explanation of Karma Yoga and explaining how, while practicing Karma Yoga, a person does not become bound.
Earlier in 5.6, Krishna said, “Yoga Yukto Munir Brahma Achirena Adhikachyati,” meaning that a Muni (sage) engaged in yoga will soon, without much difficulty, attain perfection and ultimately reach Brahman. Now Krishna continues this theme, emphasizing that when one is engaged in yoga, they purify their soul. “VishuddhÄtmÄ” refers to the purified soul.
The term VishuddhÄtmÄ can be translated in different ways. In 3.40, Krishna explained that the senses, mind, and intelligence are the residing places of lust. In this verse, Krishna states that these threeāsenses, mind, and intelligenceāare purified. Thus, the purification process is not limited to the intelligence alone but includes the mind and senses as well.
The intelligence becomes purified, and as a result, the person is freed from the inner captivation by lust. Lust hijacks the inner knowledge-acquiring faculties, distorting one’s understanding of what is truly pleasurable. When the intelligence is pure, the person can distinguish between what is actually pleasurable and what is not, and what is adorable and what is abominable.
The soul, however, is covered by the subtle and gross bodies. The subtle body is the template on which the gross body is built. The state of our subtle body determines the kind of form we will attain in the future. Krishna discusses this further in 8.6, explaining that the subtle body governs the future form of the soul. At this stage, Krishna focuses on how Karma Yoga helps keep the soul free from bondage.
It is not the body that is bound but the mind and desires. Materialistic people may appear to be freer than religious individuals, who are often perceived as more restricted due to their practices. However, this is an illusion. The visible world is deceptive, and the freedom that materialistic people seem to have is actually bondage, as they are governed by countless desires embedded in their subconscious and subtle bodies. Krishna describes this as ÄÅÄ pÄÅaÅata irbattÄ, meaning that materialistic people are bound by hundreds and thousands of desires.
When someone is bound by desires to such an extent, what is the solution? The solution is to overcome the illusion of freedom. We, as devotees, can use the Shastra Chakshu (the eye of the scriptures) to understand that there are invisible ropes in the subtle body that drag a person in various directions. These ropes do not exist when the intelligence is pure, as described in JitÄtmÄ, VijitÄtmÄ, and JitendriyÄ. When the mind, intelligence, and senses are purified and conquered, the person is no longer bound by these desires.
The impure intelligence is not able to recognize what is truly pleasurable and what is harmful. However, when the intelligence is purified, one can make the right choices, avoiding the traps of material desires and remaining unaffected by the illusions of the material world.
The impure intelligence makes the abominable seem adorable, the unconscionable seem irresistible, and that which is filthy seem to be very cool, very trendy. But when the intelligence is pure, one can see clearly what should be done and what should not be done. Now beyond that, we may sometimes know what to do and what not to do, and still, the mind remains restless, saying, “I want to do it, I want to do it, I want to do it.”
At this point, it is mentioned that not only is the intelligence pure, but the mind has also been conquered. When the mind is conquered, Krishna will talk about this concept of JitÄtmÄ. He says later in 6.7, āJitÄtmana prasÄntasyaā ā when the mind is conquered, the person becomes deeply peaceful. When the intelligence is pure, it can repeatedly discipline, conquer, and purify the mind, bringing peace to it.
Similarly, JitÄyindriyÄįø„ refers to one who has conquered the senses. The person who can conquer the senses is the one who recognizes that the senses often mislead us, and in that sense, they are enemies that need to be controlled. The person who understands this can strive to control and conquer the senses.
Imagine how wonderful life will be when all the inner misdirectorsā the mind, intelligence, and egoā are directed in the proper direction. When all of them work in harmony, life becomes peaceful and fulfilling. SarvabhÅ«tÄtmÄ bhÅ«tÄtmÄ means the person becomes the well-wisher of all living beings. This is a compound word, and in this context, it means that the person becomes so dear to everyone. Normally, what alienates people from us is a conflict of interests. When we are self-centered, people become alienated from us. But when we are not self-centered and are spiritually selfless, we can actually help others in many valuable ways.
The important point here is that when a person works on becoming spiritually selfless, they can serve others and bring peace. Kuruvaį¹ api na lipyate means even if we act in this way, the person will not become bound or entangled. The key is that internally there is no attachment. It is attachment that causes entanglement, not the action itself. Therefore, Krishna assures Arjuna that if you strive for inner purity and mastery, then there cannot be any outer bondage, even if you act in the outer world.
Thank you.