नैव किञ्चित्करोमीति युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित् ।पश्यञ्शृण्वन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपञ्श्वसन् ॥
naiva kiñcit karomīti yukto manyeta tattvavit |paśyañ śṛṇvan spṛśañ jighrann aśnan gacchan svapañ śvasan ||
- न · na
- not
- किञ्चित् · kiñcit
- anything
- करोमि · karomi
- I do
- युक्तः · yuktaḥ
- the disciplined one
- मन्येत · manyeta
- should think
- तत्त्ववित् · tattvavit
- knower of truth
- पश्यन् · paśyan
- seeing
- शृण्वन् · śṛṇvan
- hearing
“The disciplined knower of truth should think, 'I do nothing at all,' even while seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping, and breathing.”
— Original plain-language translation
The first half of a famous pair continued in 5.9. Ordinary sensing continues, but ownership drops away. Agency is reassigned from the self to the senses operating among their objects.
— Reader's notes (original)