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GĪTĀ, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. V 975
$$ न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः।
न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते ॥१४॥ नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभुः।
अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः ॥१५॥ the mouth, the opening for urinating, and the anus are looked upon as nine openings or doors of the body. The Blessed Lord now gives a metaphysical explanation of the fact that the Karma-Yogin remains 'yukta', though he is performing Actions
(14) The prabhu (that is, the Ātman or the Parameśvara) does not create either the capacity of men for Action, nor their Actions, nor the attendant Fruit of Action (accruing to the doers). Inherent nature, (that is, Prakrti) performs (everything). (15) The vibhu (that is, the all-pervading Ātman or Parameśvara) does not acquire either the merit or the sin of anybody. As Knowledge is covered by the covering of Ignorance (that is to say, as a result of Māyā), all created beings are confused.
[The principle involved in both these stanzas is originally from the Sāmkhya philosophy (See Gītā-Rahasya pp. 222 to 224). But, as according to Vedantists, the Ātman=the Parameśvara, they extend the principle that the Ātman is a non-doer' to the Parameśvara. The Sāmkhyas look upon Prakrti (Matter) and Purusa (Spirit) as the two fundamental principles, and look upon the Prakrti as the active agent and the Atman as inactive; but the Vedantists go even beyond that, and say that the root of both Purusa and Prakrti is a quality-less Parameśvara, who is a Non-Doer (udāsin) like the Ātman of the Samkhyas; and that the entire activity is of Māyā or of Prakrti (Gi Ra p. 369). The Blessed Lord now explains that the ordinary man does not understand these things on account of Ignorance; and that, as the Karma-Yogin understands the difference between the Doer and the Non-Doer, he remains unscathed, notwithstanding that he performs Action-1
