Chapter 13 Shloka 31

अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्यय:।

शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते।।३१।।

O Arjuna! That Indivisible Supreme Atma,

without beginning and devoid of attributes,

is established in the bodies of all beings,

yet does nothing, and does not

get tainted by anything.

Chapter 13 Shloka 31

अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्यय:।

शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते।।३१।।

Explaining the Atma Self further, the Lord proceeds:

O Arjuna! That Indivisible Supreme Atma, without beginning and devoid of attributes, is established in the bodies of all beings, yet does nothing, and does not get tainted by anything.

The Lord thus clarifies:

1. The Purusha is without beginning, timeless;

2. That Kshetragya, too, is devoid of origin;

3. The Atma is also without beginning.

That is, the Atma is beyond creation and destruction.

Nirguna (निर्गुण)

The Lord further specifies:

a) The Supreme Lord of all transcends the qualities of Prakriti.

b) The Supreme Atma is not bound by the qualities of Prakriti.

c) That Supreme Atma is uninfluenced by the qualities of Prakriti.

d) That Supreme Atma is not the handiwork of these qualities of Prakriti.

The Supreme Atma is ever blemishless, devoid of form and detached. Thus the Atma is never born; the Atma is devoid of form; the Atma has no name; the Atma does naught. It is merely the qualities interacting amidst themselves that cause all deeds to be done. The cycle of karma is self-propelling. The entire creation is a handiwork of Prakriti. It is also sustained and nourished by Prakriti and then re-absorbed into Prakriti and its primordial elements. The ‘I’ fruitlessly becomes attached to all this.

Look Kamla! The Atma is devoid of attributes and the attributes are inert.

1. It is the ‘I’ which causes attachment and the resultant delusion.

2. It is the ‘I’ which becomes uselessly attached to the qualities and causes attachment to the body.

3. The attachment of ‘I’ with the body is the root of moha and ignorance.

The consequences of invoking the qualities of the Supreme

The invocation of the qualities of the Lord into one’s own being can banish ignorance and help the individual to transcend the body idea. When the Atmavaan, in identification with the Atma, renounces the body idea, his body continues to dispense all its duties; the only difference is that all the actions of such a one are devoid of doership, pride and the arrogance of the intellect which is subservient to the body. Since such an individual does not claim the body self, he cannot even claim the attributes of the body.

The qualities of Prakriti expand and grow within this body, mind and intellect unit. It is this unit which is affected by this natural growth and evolution. Further, the attributes of one’s body are influenced by the attributes of others. When the body ceases to belong to oneself, the play and interaction of the qualities and their influence both begin to wane and become meaningless.

All actions are performed through the means of the body; when the body is no longer ‘mine’ then one is no longer the doer of the actions performed by the body.

Little one, the Atma which abides in the body is a mere witness. It perceives all, yet remains uninfluenced. The mind and intellect of the Atmavaan are completely quiescent. His body performs all actions as that of ordinary mortals, yet despite doing all this, such a one is innately devoid of attributes.

Little one, only the foolish consider themselves to be the doers. In fact they are not the doers. However, even though such people do not know themselves to be the Atma, the truth is that they are. Those who are attached to their attributes are welcome to their conceptions. In actual fact, there is no room for attachment in the Lord’s plan.

Little one, in reality even the belief ‘I believe’ or ‘I do not believe’ is not in your hands. So learn how to smile no matter what is said to you or done to you by the other. Neither are you anybody’s master, nor keeper. Continue to dispense your duty and keep smiling.