Chapter 5 Verse 13
Karm Sanyās Yog
सर्वकर्माणि मनसा संन्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी। नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन्।।5.13।।
sarva-karmāṇi manasā sannyasyāste sukhaṁ vaśhī nava-dvāre pure dehī naiva kurvan na kārayan
Word Meanings
| sarva | all |
| karmāṇi | activities |
| manasā | by the mind |
| sannyasya | having renounced |
| āste | remains |
| sukham | happily |
| vaśhī | the self-controlled |
| nava-dvāre | of nine gates |
| pure | in the city |
| dehī | the embodied being |
| na | never |
| eva | certainly |
| kurvan | doing anything |
| na | not |
| kārayan | causing to be done |
Translation
Mentally renouncing all actions and being self-controlled, the embodied one happily rests in the nine-gated city, neither acting nor causing others (body and senses) to act.
Philosophical Significance
Core Meaning
This verse says real renunciation happens in the mind. A person who gives up attachment to results and masters their senses finds calm and happiness inside.
The "nine-gated city" is the body with its senses and mind. When you stop forcing the body and senses from ego or desire, you remain peaceful — neither compulsively acting nor pushing others (your senses or body) to act.
Inner freedom comes from steady self-control and letting actions flow without clinging. True rest is an inner state, not mere inactivity.
Life Application
- Do your duties, but focus on sincere effort, not on controlling outcomes.
- When desires or urges rise, pause and breathe before reacting; notice them without immediately following.
- Train small daily habits (short meditation, mindful walking, or single-tasking) to strengthen inner self-control.
Reflection Question
Am I acting from calm purpose, or from a need to control results and others?