Devanagari
तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु य: ।
पश्यत्यकृतबुद्धित्वान्न स पश्यति दुर्मति: ॥ १६ ॥
Verse text
tatraivaṁ sati kartāram
ātmānaṁ kevalaṁ tu yaḥ
paśyaty akṛta-buddhitvān
na sa paśyati durmatiḥ
Synonyms
tatra
—
there
;
evam
—
thus
;
sati
—
being
;
kartāram
—
the worker
;
ātmānam
—
himself
;
kevalam
—
only
;
tu
—
but
;
yaḥ
—
anyone who
;
paśyati
—
sees
;
akṛta-buddhitvāt
—
due to unintelligence
;
na
—
never
;
saḥ
—
he
;
paśyati
—
sees
;
durmatiḥ
—
foolish.
Translation
Therefore one who thinks himself the only doer, not considering the five factors, is certainly not very intelligent and cannot see things as they are.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
16. Though these five are the causes of action, the unintelligent fool who sees only himself as the doer does not see.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
16. Though these five are the causes of action, the unintelligent fool, who, because of not attaining that knowledge, sees only himself as the doer, does not see.
Purport
A foolish person cannot understand that the Supersoul is sitting as a friend within and conducting his actions. Although the material causes are the place, the worker, the endeavor and the senses, the final cause is the Supreme, the Personality of Godhead. Therefore, one should see not only the four material causes but the supreme efficient cause as well. One who does not see the Supreme thinks himself to be the doer.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Then what happens? Though these five are causes of action (tatra evam), one who sees only that the self, the jīva, is the doer, though actually the jīva is not associated with action at all, does not see, being a fool (durmatiḥ), because of impure intelligence (akṛta-buddhitvāt). One may say that such a foolish person is blind.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
Then what happens? Though the jīva’s acting as doer takes place only with permission of the Lord, and depends upon the body and senses given by the Lord (evam), he who sees only the jīva as the doer in his action (tatra), called a fool, (durmatiḥ) because of lack of that knowledge, does not see. He is like a blind man.
Surrender Unto Me
Krsna says that this consciousness of 'kartaham', 'I am the doer', is of a 'mudhah', a person bewildered by that false ego reflecting within his materialistic heart. Thinking 'I am the doer' means thinking that ' I am the only doer', and this, specifically, exactly what binds one in the material world, binds one to the fruits of one's actions (either good, bad or mixed).
This consciousness that 'I am the One', (we already have heard that in Chapter Sixteen) 'isvaro 'ham aham bhogi/ siddho 'ham balavan sukhi', 'I am the enjoyer, I am the controller, I am perfect, I am powerful, I am happy...', ‑ this is just the definition of illusion. It stems from ignorance of who real are. And here we are, so tiny, so insignificant... Even the bug he is thinking that is the doer, the enjoyer... What can anyone in this world do actually?
To explain to us from the point of view of Vedanta that we are not the big controllers, the big doers, Krsna says that there are five factors of action. Ultimately the real sanctioner, who no one can do anything without getting permission from, is the Supersoul, the Lord in the heart.
One who thinks himself the only doer, who is not considering these five factors, he is certainly not intelligent, he is 'akr ta‑ buddhitvan' and he cannot see things as they are, in other words he is in illusion. This kind of person who thinks 'I am the doer', he is getting sinful reactions or pious reactions in everything that he does.
But one who is , on the other hand, free from reactions, because Krsna is still making the point of how to become free from reaction,...