चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः ।तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ॥
cāturvarṇyaṃ mayā sṛṣṭaṃ guṇakarmavibhāgaśaḥ |tasya kartāram api māṃ viddhy akartāram avyayam ||
- चातुर्वर्ण्यम् · cāturvarṇyam
- the fourfold order
- मया · mayā
- by me
- सृष्टम् · sṛṣṭam
- created
- गुणकर्मविभागशः · guṇakarmavibhāgaśaḥ
- according to division of qualities and actions
- तस्य · tasya
- of it
- कर्तारम् · kartāram
- the author
- अपि · api
- though
- माम् · mām
- me
- विद्धि · viddhi
- know
- अकर्तारम् · akartāram
- as the non-doer
- अव्ययम् · avyayam
- imperishable, unchanged
“The fourfold order was created by me according to the division of qualities and actions. Though its author, know me as the non-doer, imperishable.”
— Original plain-language translation
Social order flows from guṇa and karma — aptitude and deed — not mere birth, in the Gita's framing. Yet its author remains akartā, uninvolved, like a king whose laws run without his stirring. Divine authorship without bondage models the karma-yogin's own ideal.
— Reader's notes (original)