5.15
Chapter 5, Verse 15
नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभुः। अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः৷৷
nādattē kasyacitpāpaṅ na caiva sukṛtaṅ vibhuḥ. ajñānēnāvṛtaṅ jñānaṅ tēna muhyanti jantavaḥ৷৷
Translation
The Lord does not accept responsibility for any man's sin or merit. Men are deluded because in them wisdom is submerged in ignorance.
Translation — Purohit Swami
Commentary
न not, आदत्ते takes, कस्यचित् of anyone, पापम् demerit, न not, च and, एव even, सुकृतम् merit, विभुः the Lord, अज्ञानेन by ignorance, आवृतम् enveloped, ज्ञानम् knowledge, तेन by that, मुह्यन्ति are deluded, जन्तवः beings. Commentary: Knowledge is enveloped by ignorance. Conseently man is deluded. He thinks, I act. I enjoy. I have done such and such a meritourious act. I will get such and such a fruit. I will enjoy in heaven. I will get a birth in a rich family.Of anyone even of His devotees.Man is bound when he is identifies himself with Nature and its effects -- body, mind, Prana or the lifeforce, and senses. He attains freedom or Moksha when he identifies himself with the immortal, actionless Self that dwells within his heart.When I does not act how can God accept good or evil deeds (Cf.V.29)
Commentary — Swami Sivananda
Sanskrit and transliteration of the Bhagavad Gita. Corpus compiled from the vedabase and the IIT Kanpur Gita Supersite.