śrī-bhagavān uvāca akṣaraṁ brahma paramaṁ svabhāvo 'dhyātmam ucyate bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo visargaḥ karma-saṁjñitaḥ
"The Supreme Lord said: Brahman is the imperishable, supreme reality. One's essential nature is called the Self (adhyatma). The creative force that brings beings into existence is called karma."
What This Means:
Krishna gives crisp definitions: Brahman = the imperishable absolute. Adhyatma = your own essential nature (svabhava). Karma = the creative action that generates beings and their circumstances.
Going Deeper:
Note that karma here isn't just 'action'—it's the creative force behind manifestation. Every action contributes to the ongoing creation of reality. Karma is cosmically creative, not just individually binding.
How To Apply This:
Your essential nature (svabhava) is already divine. Karma isn't punishment—it's creative participation in reality. You're not separate from Brahman; you're an expression of it.
Key Sanskrit Terms: