“Those with the vision of eternity can see that the soul is transcendental, eternal, and beyond the modes of nature. Despite contact with the material body, O Arjuna, the soul neither does anything nor is entangled.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 13.32)

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अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्यय:
शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते

anāditvān nirguṇatvāt
paramātmāyam avyayaḥ
śarīra-stho ’pi kaunteya
na karoti na lipyate

“I think we can all agree that Bhagavad-gita casts a wide net in terms of appeal. The jnanis, the karmis, the bhogis, the mayavadis, the people who want to merge into nothingness – they are all drawn like a magnet to that conversation between Krishna and Arjuna. And yes, I understand that the most important information to take away, the factual and actual conclusion, is that devotion is the only path forward for making meaningful progress. “Sarva-dharmān parityajya”.

सर्व-धर्मान् परित्यज्य
माम् एकं शरणं व्रज
अहं त्वां सर्व-पापेभ्यो
मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.66)

“Now that we have established the validity to the interest in that great Sanskrit work, let us delve into some of the contradictions. There is one teaching in particular which might leave people puzzled. I came across it recently. I believe the context of the discussion is who actually does anything.

“The idea is that no one can really kill another person. This is because the potential victim lives on as spirit soul. Death is merely the individual changing locations. They depart for another destination, in the same way that they once arrived from a previous place. The circumstances change, but the individual does not.

“The teaching is that the soul does not do anything. At least the wise do not view the soul in this way. Only the foolish consider the soul to be the cause of action and thus implicated in the results. Okay, but how does this work, exactly? Are we not reading Bhagavad-gita to specifically change the way we act?

“Even if we do not reach the standard of pure devotion, there is some change we are looking to make. The main participant in the discussion, Arjuna, changes course as a result of accepting the wisdom from Shri Krishna, who is the teacher. How can any rational person say that the soul does not act, then? Is not Arjuna spirit soul?”

The understanding pertinent to this teaching lies in the nature of consequence. Just what exactly is it that results from our work? Upon which factor do those consequences apply? We can take the simple example of someone employed at a particular business. One person goes to their desk in the morning, writes a report, and emails it out to others.

They then enjoy or suffer the consequences. If others should approve of the message, if they consider the content to have value, then that employee might rise in the ranks. On the other side, if the report is not up to par, if it is substandard, then that same employee might be punished. These are the consequences to the work, impacting that specific employee.

Meanwhile, there is the leader of the company. They might one day decide to author a report of their own. They subsequently email that report to subordinates. This time, there are no consequences pertaining to the employment status. The leader will remain in their position, irrespective of the feedback from the recipients. There is work, but there are no consequences.

In the higher understanding, the individual in this world exercises choice. They decide to act or not to act. On either side, there are consequences. That is the reason for entry into the realm, to begin with. There is association with gunas, which are specifications within the aggregate energy known as prakriti. Based on the kind of association, there is enjoyment or suffering.

पुरुषः प्रकृति-स्थो हि
भुङ्क्ते प्रकृति-जान् गुणान्
कारणं गुण-सङ्गो ऽस्य
सद्-असद्-योनि-जन्मसु

puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi
bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ‘sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu

“The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 13.22)

The enjoyment or suffering in this case is the consequence. That consequence pertains only to the body of the individual. That is one way to understand karma. It is action which leads to future development of a body. Since the individual is spirit soul, this development has no impact on identity. I am spirit soul whether I ascend to the heavenly region or fall to the hellish planets. Whether I rise to the highest stature in society or descend into a degraded condition, wherein no one dares to even touch me. I am still spirit soul.

This means that there is no actual action that takes place. The soul does not do anything precisely because the soul can never be affected by consequences. We only think we are suffering or enjoying, but this is due to the association with prakriti.

“If the soul does not do anything, then why are there choices in action? What exactly is the meaning to the call to abandon all varieties of dharma and surrender unto Krishna? How do we distinguish the relative positions of the person who surrenders and the person who is still in maya?”

The call to action still applies to work, but the benefit is on the soul instead of the body. Stop working in a way where you remain in illusion. Keep the soul away from material nature. Avoid the temporary illusion of identifying with something that does not truly represent identity.

Whether we act or not, we will remain who we are. We are eternally of a certain standing. When we act in karma, we maintain the association of gunas. When we act on the transcendental platform, we are above the influence of gunas. This is the meaning to spiritual life. We should realize our true identity and alter our goals, objectives, and desires in accordance with that identity.

गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः
यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते

gata-saṅgasya muktasya
jñānāvasthita-cetasaḥ
yajñāyācarataḥ karma
samagraṁ pravilīyate

“The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge merges entirely into transcendence.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.23)

In Closing:

Knowledge but confusion too,
That soul apparently nothing to do.

But how that to manifest true and real?
When choice central to instruction’s appeal.

Idea that only on body impacting,
Pleasure or punishment exacting.

Avoid guna development to create,
Guidance for dharma to reinstate.

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