Shloka 12
Devotion in Kimpuruṣa-varṣa and the Glory of Bhārata-varṣa
Rāmacandra & Nara-Nārāyaṇa; Rivers, Varṇāśrama, and Liberation
गायति चेदम्— कर्तास्य सर्गादिषु यो न बध्यते न हन्यते देहगतोऽपि दैहिकै: । द्रष्टुर्न दृग्यस्य गुणैर्विदूष्यते तस्मै नमोऽसक्तविविक्तसाक्षिणे ॥ १२ ॥
gāyati cedam — kartāsya sargādiṣu yo na badhyate na hanyate deha-gato ’pi daihikaiḥ draṣṭur na dṛg yasya guṇair vidūṣyate tasmai namo ’sakta-vivikta-sākṣiṇe
Nārada sings: Though He is the doer of creation, maintenance, and dissolution, He is never bound and never destroyed. Though He appears to dwell in a body, He is untouched by bodily troubles like hunger, thirst, and fatigue. Though He is the all-seeing Witness, His senses are not tainted by the qualities of what is seen. Obeisances to that unattached, pure Witness, the Supreme Lord.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is described as sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, the body of eternity, transcendental bliss and full knowledge. Now in this verse He is more fully described. Kṛṣṇa is the creator of the entire cosmic manifestation, yet He is unattached to it. If we were to construct a very tall skyscraper, we would be very attached to it, but Kṛṣṇa is so renounced that although He has created everything, He is not attached to anything ( na badhyate ). Furthermore, although Kṛṣṇa has His transcendental form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, He is not disturbed by the bodily necessities of life, which are called daihika; for example, He is never hungry, thirsty or fatigued ( na hanyate deha-gato ’pi daihikaiḥ ). Then again, since everything is Kṛṣṇa’s property, He sees everything and is present everywhere, but because His body is transcendental, He is above vision, the objects of vision and the process of vision. When we see someone beautiful, we are attracted. The sight of a beautiful woman immediately attracts a man, and the sight of a man naturally attracts a woman. Kṛṣṇa, however, is transcendental to all these faults. Although He is the seer of everything, He is not afflicted with faulty vision ( na dṛg yasya guṇair vidūṣyate ). Therefore, although He is the witness and seer, He is aloof from all affection for the activities He sees. He is always unattached and separate; He is only a witness.
FAQs
This verse states that although the Lord is the agent behind creation and other cosmic acts, He is never bound—His actions do not produce karmic bondage like those of conditioned beings.
It teaches the distinction between the conscious witness (seer) and material objects (seen): the witness is not inherently contaminated by the modes of nature that color the objects perceived.
Practice observing thoughts, emotions, and bodily changes as ‘seen’ phenomena while remembering the Lord as the inner witness; this supports detachment, steadiness, and devotion amid life’s fluctuations.