Gita 05.07 – Inner purity ensures outer action without reaction

Link: https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/gita-05-07-inner-purity-ensures-outer-action-without-reaction/

yoga-yukto viśuddhātmā
vijitātmā jitendriyaḥ
sarva-bhūtātma-bhūtātmā
kurvann api na lipyate

Word-to-word
yoga-yuktaḥ — engaged in devotional service; viśuddha-ātmā — a purified soul; vijita-ātmā — self-controlled; jita-indriyaḥ — having conquered the senses; sarva-bhūta — to all living entities; ātma-bhūta-ātmā — compassionate; kurvan api — although engaged in work; na — never; lipyate — is entangled.

Translation
One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and senses is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him. Though always working, such a man is never entangled.

Explanation
The word Ātma can have multiple meanings—it may refer to the soul, the mind, the intelligence, or even the Supreme Lord. In this context, however, it is generally understood as referring to the intelligence.
Krishna continues here His description of Karma Yoga, explaining how a practitioner of this path does not become bound. In the previous verse (5.6), He had stated that the Muni engaged in yoga attains perfection quickly and without much difficulty. Verse 5.7 develops this point further.
Although translations can vary, the essence becomes clearer when we recall Krishna’s earlier teaching in 3.40: indriyāṇi mano buddhir asyādhiṣṭhānam ucyate etair vimohayaty eṣa jñānam āvṛtya dehinam—the senses, the mind, and the intelligence are described as the strongholds of lust, which covers knowledge and deludes the embodied soul. In 5.7, these same faculties—the senses, mind, and intelligence—are described as being purified through Karma Yoga. A pure intelligence, mind, and heart free the practitioner from inner captivity. In other words, the very instruments of knowledge that are usually hijacked by lust become liberated and aligned with spiritual purpose.
Here the term viśuddhātmā is used. The soul itself is pure, but it becomes covered by the subtle and gross bodies. The subtle body serves as the template upon which the gross body is formed, and the state of the subtle body determines the kind of body we will attain in the future. Krishna elaborates on this principle later in 8.6.
At this point, however, Krishna’s focus is on how Karma Yoga keeps the soul free from bondage. It is not the body that is truly bound. In fact, from an external perspective, materialistic people may appear freer than religious practitioners—religious people avoid certain places or disciplines, while materialists seem unrestricted in their choices. Yet appearances deceive. What seems like freedom is actually bondage, and what seems like restriction is often liberation. The visible can be delusional. Materialists, though outwardly free to go wherever they like, are inwardly shackled by countless desires lodged in their subtle body. Krishna describes them as bound by hundreds and thousands of desires. And when a person is so entangled in desires, the natural question arises: what is the way forward? What is the solution for such bondage?
The way forward is to strive to overcome illusion—especially the illusion that “I am free.” Through śāstra-cakṣu (seeing through the eyes of scripture), devotees can recognize the subtle ropes of desire that bind and drag a person in different directions. These ropes are not visible outwardly, but they tightly hold the conditioned soul. When the intelligence is impure, it cannot clearly distinguish what is truly pleasurable and what is harmful. Such distorted intelligence makes the abominable appear semi-adorable, the unconscionable seem irresistible, and even the filthy look attractive or fashionable. But when intelligence is purified, one sees reality as it is—what should be pursued and what should be rejected. Still, even when we know what is right, the restless mind may keep pulling us: I want to do it… I want to do it. Therefore, beyond pure intelligence, the mind too must be conquered. Krishna talks about vijitātmā later in (6.7): jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya—one who has conquered the mind becomes deeply peaceful. Pure intelligence repeatedly disciplines and purifies the mind until it becomes steady and calm. Similarly, one must conquer the senses. The senses, when uncontrolled, mislead us and thus act like enemies. Recognizing this danger, a wise person strives to restrain and master them. Such mastery over intelligence, mind, and senses brings true inner freedom.
We can imagine how wonderful life becomes when our inner faculties—the mind, intelligence, and ego—no longer misdirect us toward undesirable things but are aligned in the proper direction. Life then gains clarity, harmony, and purpose.
Krishna describes such a person as sarva-bhūtātma-bhūtātmā—the well-wisher of all living beings. This is a compound word, meaning “the soul of all souls.” In other words, such a person becomes deeply dear to everyone. Normally, what alienates us from others is the conflict of interests born from self-centeredness. But when one rises above selfishness and acts with spiritual selflessness, one naturally contributes to others in valuable ways and wins their trust and affection.
This spirit of selfless action is central to Karma Yoga. Even when one acts in the world, one does not become entangled, because bondage arises not from the action itself but from the attachment behind the action. A yogi who has cultivated inner purity and mastery remains unattached, and thus free. Krishna assures Arjuna that by striving for this inner mastery, one can act fully in the world without ever being bound by it.