Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 9, Verse 9

न च मां तानि कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय । उदासीनवदासीनमसक्तं तेषु कर्मसु

na ca māṃ tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañjaya | udāsīnavadāsīnamasaktaṃ teṣu karmasu

Translation

Nor do these acts, O Dhanañjaya, bind Me, remaining like one unconcerned, unattached to those acts.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

na

not

ca

and

mām

me

tāni

these

karmāṇi

works

nibadhnanti

bind

dhanañjaya

O Dhanañjaya

udāsīnavat

like indifferent (one)

āsīnam

seated

asaktam

unattached

teṣu

in those

karmasu

action

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

The acts involved in the unequal creation of the multitudinous beings do not bind Me, the Īśvara. I, knowing the immutability of the Self, remain like one who is unconcerned, without attachment for the fruit of the act, i.e., without the egotistic feeling 'I do.' Wherefore, in the case of others also, the absence of the egotistic feeling of agency and the absence of attachment for results is the cause of freedom from dharma and adharma. Otherwise, the deluded man is bound by his own acts like the silk-worm in the cocoon.