na kartṛtvaṁ na karmāṇi lokasya sṛjati prabhuḥ na karma-phala-saṁyogaṁ svabhāvas tu pravartate
"The Lord does not create agency, nor actions, nor the connection of action with its fruit. But nature operates."
What This Means:
God (the Lord/Self) doesn't create the sense of doership, doesn't create actions, and doesn't connect actions with their results. It's all nature (svabhava) doing its thing. The Self/God is uninvolved in the karmic machinery.
Going Deeper:
This verse absolves the Self of all responsibility for worldly activity. 'Kartritva' (doership), 'karma' (action), and 'karma-phala-samyoga' (union of action with result)—none of these come from Prabhu (the Lord/Self). 'Svabhava pravartate' (nature operates)—prakriti/nature runs on its own laws. The Self witnesses but doesn't participate. This is radical non-doership.
How To Apply This:
Stop blaming God for karma—or crediting God with your actions. The Self simply is. Nature does everything according to its laws. When you realize this, you stop taking credit for success or blame for failure. It's all nature unfolding.
Key Sanskrit Terms: