Bhagavad Gita · Karma Sannyasa YogaChapter 5, Shloka 11 (5.11)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि
योगिनः कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वाऽऽत्मशुद्धये
॥ 5.11 ॥
kāyena manasā buddhyā kevalairindriyairapi
yoginaḥ karma kurvanti saṅgaṃ tyaktvā''tmaśuddhaye
Translation
"Yogis, giving up attachment, act for self-purification with the body, the mind, the intellect and even with the senses alone (free of possessiveness)."
Interpretation
Four instruments, one attitude. Body, mind, intellect, senses — action through all of them; but saṅgaṃ tyaktvā — giving up attachment.
"Kevalaiḥ" — Shankaracharya: mamatva-varjitaiḥ "īśvarāyaiva karma karomi na mama phalāya" iti mamatva-buddhi-śūnyaiḥ — "free of possessiveness": "I act for Ishvara, not for my own reward". And this word "kevala" is joined to each of body, mind and intellect (pratyekaṃ sambadhyate), so that sarva-vyāpāreṣu mamatā-varjanāya — possessiveness is given up in all activities. Ātma-śuddhaye = sattva-śuddhaye.
Acharya Ramanuja: they perform the actions accomplished by body, mind, intellect and senses, svargādi-phala-saṅgaṃ tyaktvā — giving up attachment to fruits like heaven, ātma-viśuddhaye … ātma-gata-prācīna-karma-bandhana-vināśāya — for destroying the old bonds of karma clinging to the self.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.