Gita 04.14 – Knowledge of Krishna’s position protects us from karmic subjugation
na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti
na me karma-phale spṛhā
iti māṁ yo ’bhijānāti
karmabhir na sa badhyate (Bg 4.14)
Word-for-word:
na — never; mām — Me; karmāṇi — all kinds of work; limpanti — do affect; na — nor; me — My; karma-phale — in fruitive action; spṛhā — aspiration; iti — thus; mām — Me; yaḥ — one who; abhijānāti — does know; karmabhiḥ — by the reaction of such work; na — never; saḥ — he; badhyate — becomes entangled.
Translation:
There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work.
Explanation:
Kṛṣṇa continues to speak about His transcendental position, bringing to a close this brief detour in the fourth chapter that began with Arjuna’s question—how Kṛṣṇa, who appears younger than the sun-god, could have enlightened him. Kṛṣṇa now declares:
na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti: I am not affected by any karma; that is, karmic reactions do not bind Me.
na me karma-phale spṛhā: Nor do I have any desire for the fruits of action.
In fact, the two are connected: when one does not seek the fruits, one is not bound by karma.
iti māṁ yo ’bhijānāti: One who understands this truth about Me,
karmabhir na sa badhyate: such a person is not bound by karma.
Essentially, Kṛṣṇa is reiterating a point similar to what He stated in Bhagavad-gītā 4.9, where He describes the transformative effects of understanding Him. In 4.9, Kṛṣṇa says:
janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ’rjuna
Those who understand His birth and activities—janma karma—to be truly divine—vetti tattvataḥ—such persons, upon giving up the body, tyaktvā dehaṁ, do not take birth again—punar janma naiti. Instead, mām eti—they attain Kṛṣṇa, O Arjuna.
Now, this verse speaks of a similar, although not identical, result. It says iti māṁ yo ’bhijānāti—those who understand Me in this way—karmabhir na sa badhyate—they will not be bound by karma.
We need to understand two things about Kṛṣṇa: He is not affected by karma, and He does not aspire for the fruits of karma. This is essentially similar to the divyam aspect—although there the emphasis is more on transcendence in general, here the focus is specifically on transcendence to karma.
Selfishness is the cause of illusion and tribulation. Selfishness means thinking that “I” am the enjoyer, that “I” want to enjoy—and disconnecting ourselves from the whole, from Kṛṣṇa, and focusing solely on how “I” can enjoy. Then we get caught; we get bound. When that happens, we often seek pleasure through sinful, irreligious, or immoral means, hurting others in the process. The bad karma we generate brings reactions upon us. Selfishness leads to illusion—the illusion that I am an independent entity and can be happy through my own schemes, without a connection to God. That illusion ultimately leads to tribulation and karmic entanglement.
Kṛṣṇa is, of course, not a soul like us. He is the complete whole Himself; He is the Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṇa exemplifies, through His transcendental position, the ideal karma-yogī—a person who does not want to be bound should not have a selfish motive and should not desire the fruits of work for oneself. When one does not desire the fruits of work for oneself, one remains free from bondage. When there is no selfishness, there is no illusion; and when there is no illusion, there is no tribulation. Such a person does not become bound by material existence.
In the third chapter, Kṛṣṇa was discussing karma-yoga, and from verse 4.16 onward, He will resume that discussion. Here, He explains how He exemplifies the principle of karma-yoga—by having no desire for the fruits of work and remaining free from karmic entanglement.
Having no desire for the fruits of work does not mean that a person is negligent or irresponsible in performing the work. It simply means that one is motivated by a higher purpose than the result itself. When Kṛṣṇa or His devotees act, they do so out of love for one another, and the reciprocation of that love is more important than the achievement of any particular outcome. In this sense, they are not attached to the fruits of work.
Kṛṣṇa says that one who understands Him in this way—recognizing His true nature—will not be bound by karma. Although He appears to be born as just another kṣatriya in the Yadu dynasty and seems to perform actions similar to those of other kṣatriyas, His position is entirely transcendental.
Even during His manifest pastimes, most people did not recognize Him as God. They saw Him as a powerful warrior—perhaps the most powerful of His time—but not as the Supreme Person. This kind of understanding is rare.
Although at an external level Kṛṣṇa may seem to act like a brother, a son, a father, or a king, and His actions may appear similar to those of any other person in those roles, His motivations are entirely different. Of course, Kṛṣṇa acts for the good of everyone, but still, on the surface, His actions may look similar. Internally, however, He is not acting out of any need or desire for something He lacks—He is acting for the deliverance of everyone, in a manner appropriate to the role He has assumed as a kṣatriya monarch.
When we understand Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, we need to actually understand His transcendence before we can subject Him to our morality.
When we seek to understand Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, we must first recognize His transcendental position before evaluating His actions through the lens of our morality. For example, if someone thrusts a knife into another person’s stomach, he would likely be arrested and punished. But when a surgeon makes an incision in a patient’s body, the surgeon is not only permitted but also compensated for it. The distinction lies in the role and qualification of the person acting.
A surgeon possesses the knowledge, expertise, and authority to perform such an act for the purpose of healing. What determines culpability is not merely the action itself, but the context, intention, and the position of the individual performing it. The same external action—making an incision—can be either criminal or curative, depending on who performs it and why. Thus, an act that may be considered homicide in one case is recognized as life-saving surgery in another.
When we understand that Kṛṣṇa is transcendental, that knowledge purifies us—because we see that although He is beyond this world, He acts within it out of love for His devotees and for all of us. He behaves just like an ordinary human being to reciprocate love with His devotees and to set an example of dharma, by following which we too can gradually become elevated.
When we grasp this principle of pure, selfless love that animates Kṛṣṇa’s actions, we cannot help but fall in love with Him. And when we fall in love with Him, we cannot help but return to Him. Even if we don’t yet reach that level of love, simply understanding Kṛṣṇa’s transcendence raises us to a transcendental level.
That knowledge of Kṛṣṇa protects us from karmic bondage, because we begin acting with a desire to serve Him—not to pursue our own material aggrandizement. And that change in desire safeguards us from bondage.
Thank you.
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