Gita : Ch-5. Slo-11.

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita :


Chapter-5. ( Karma-sanyasa-yogam)


Slokam-11. ( The yogies, abandoning attachment, act with body, mind, intelligence, and even with the senses, only for the purpose of purification. )


Kayena  manasa  buddhya  kevalairindriyairapi,


yoginah  karma   kurvanti  sangam  tyaktvatmasuddhaye.




yoginah  sangam  tyaktva  =  Yogies  giving up  attachments;

atmasuddhaye  =  for the purpose  inner (  Atma  )  purification;

kayena  manasa  buddhya  =  body, mind, intelligence, with these;

kevalaih  indriyaih api  =  even  with  purified  senses;

karma  kurvanti  =  ( Yogies )  do  ( their  respective )  karmam.




Lord Krishna describes the activities of karma yoga or prescribed Vedic activities and how they should be performed to achieve purity of mind.

Lord Krishna elaborating further states that those practising karma yoga or prescribed Vedic activities without desire perform all their actions free from attachment to sense objects and the hankerings for rewards of actions solely for the purification of the mind.

After previously stating that actions performed for the Supreme Lord as a matter of duty without desire for rewards do not bind one to samsara or the cycle of birth and death in material existence, Lord Krishna is illustrating how by bathing the body, meditating in the mind, reflecting with the intellect, hearing and narrating about the divine pastimes of the Supreme Lord and such activities are for the purification of the mind and lead to moksham or liberation from material existence.

Completely devoid of all cravings for the rewards of one's actions and endeavours even up to desiring entry to svargaloka or the heavenly spheres. Those who have indeed become accomplished in karma yoga or prescribed Vedic activities without desiring rewards simply let their body, mind and senses perform their natural functions as instruments to effect atma-suddhi or self-purification which breaks the bonds of the past deeds which bind the atma to samsara or the cycle of birth and death. Karma yoga should be performed solely for this purpose and not for obtaining heavenly enjoyments in svargaloka.

To be continued  .....