Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 5, Verse 14

न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः । न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते

na kartṛtvaṃ na karmāṇi lokasya sṛjati prabhuḥ | na karmaphalasaṃyogaṃ svabhāvastu pravartate

Translation

Neither agency nor objects does the Lord create for the world, nor union with the fruits of actions. But it is the nature that acts.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

na

not

kartṛtvam

agency

na

not

karmāṇi

actions

lokasya

of the world

sṛjati

emanates

prabhuḥ

the Lord

na

not

karmaphalasaṃyogam

of action, and, of fruit, and, the union

svabhāvaḥ

own-nature

tu

indeed

pravartate

exists forth (manifests)

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

The Self, the Lord of the body, does not create agency; i.e., does not of Himself urge any one to action, 'do this.' Neither does the Self create cars, jars, mansions, and other objects of desire. Nor does the Self unite him who makes a car or the like with the fruit of the act. What acts is Nature, Svabhāva, Prakṛti, Māyā, 'the Divine Māyā made up of guṇas' (vii.14).