Bhagavad-gītā 5.12
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युक्तः कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम्। अयुक्तः कामकारेण फले सक्तो निबध्यते।।5.12।।
yuktaḥ karma-phalaṁ tyaktvā śhāntim āpnoti naiṣhṭhikīm ayuktaḥ kāma-kāreṇa phale sakto nibadhyate
The well-poised, forsaking the fruit of action, attains peace, born of steadfastness; the unbalanced one, led by desire, is bound by being attached to the fruit (of action).
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| yuktaḥ | one who is united in consciousness with God |
| karma-phalam | the results of all activities |
| tyaktvā | giving up |
| śhāntim | peace |
| āpnoti | attains |
| naiṣhṭhikīm | everlasting |
| ayuktaḥ | one who is not united with God in consciousness |
| kāma-kāreṇa | impelled by desires |
| phale | in the result |
| saktaḥ | attached |
| nibadhyate | becomes entangled |
Read the Sanskrit as a connected thought built from yuktaḥ (one who is united in consciousness with God), naiṣhṭhikīm (everlasting), and nibadhyate (becomes entangled). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to renunciation within responsible work. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 5.12.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Compare renunciation of work with renunciation of attachment and examine the chapter’s account of inner freedom.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
The well-poised, forsaking the fruit of action, attains peace, born of steadfastness
- 2
the unbalanced one, led by desire, is bound by being attached to the fruit (of action)
- 3
yuktaḥ: one who is united in consciousness with God
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 5.12, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 5.12 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 5.12 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 5.12 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
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