प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः ।अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ॥
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ |ahaṅkāravimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate ||
- प्रकृतेः · prakṛteḥ
- of nature
- क्रियमाणानि · kriyamāṇāni
- being done, performed
- गुणैः · guṇaiḥ
- by the qualities (guṇas)
- कर्माणि · karmāṇi
- actions
- सर्वशः · sarvaśaḥ
- in all ways, entirely
- अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा · ahaṅkāravimūḍhātmā
- one deluded by ego
- कर्ता · kartā
- the doer
- अहम् · aham
- I
- इति · iti
- thus, so
- मन्यते · manyate
- thinks, imagines
“Actions are performed in all ways by the qualities of nature — yet one deluded by ego thinks, 'I am the doer.'”
— Original plain-language translation
The metaphysical root of bondage: prakṛti's guṇas do everything, while ahaṅkāra falsely signs its name to the work. All karma-yoga practice aims at dissolving this misappropriation. The next verse shows the contrasting vision of the knower.
— Reader's notes (original)