B.G 18.17

यस्य नाहङ्कृतो भावो बुद्धिर्यस्य न लिप्यते। हत्वापि स इमान् लोकान् न हन्ति न निबध्यते ॥१७॥

yasya nāhaṅkṛto bhāvo buddhiryasya na lipyate। hatvāpi sa imān lokān na hanti na nibadhyate ॥17॥

[यस्य (yasya) - whose; न (na) - not; अहङ्कृतः (ahaṅkṛtaḥ) - egoism; भावः (bhāvaḥ) - nature; बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - intellect; यस्य (yasya) - whose; न (na) - not; लिप्यते (lipyate) - is attached; हत्वा (hatvā) - killing; अपि (api) - even; सः (saḥ) - he; इमान् (imān) - these; लोकान् (lokān) - worlds; न (na) - not; हन्ति (hanti) - kills; न (na) - not; निबध्यते (nibadhyate) - is bound;]

He who has no egoism, whose intellect is not tainted, even if he kills these worlds, he does not kill, nor is he bound.

Gīta Bhāshya 18.17

Knowledge and ability to be devoid of ego is praised. He who is slightly egoistic is also slightly bound.

तज्ज्ञानं स्तौति - यस्य इति।

tajjñānaṃ stauti - yasya iti।

[तत् (tat) - that; ज्ञानं (jñānam) - knowledge; स्तौति (stauti) - praises; यस्य (yasya) - whose; इति (iti) - thus;]

That knowledge is praised in the verse 'yasya', i.e. 'He who'.

यस्तु ईषत् बद्ध्यते स ईषदहङ्कारी च ॥१७॥

yastu īṣat baddhyate sa īṣadahaṅkārī ca ॥17॥

[यः (yaḥ) - who; तु (tu) - but; ईषत् (īṣat) - slightly; बद्ध्यते (baddhyate) - is bound; सः (saḥ) - he; ईषत् (īṣat) - slightly; अहङ्कारी (ahaṅkārī) - egoistic; च (ca) - and;]

He who is slightly egoistic is also slightly bound.

Gīta Tātparya 18.17

When one considers freedom and performs duty out of attachment, faults may arise due to that cause, but virtues may also be born from good deeds. But 'intelligence that is not attached' does not act out of passion, but rather with a sense of righteousness. Freedom is recognized in God alone, never in oneself.

"स्वातन्त्र्यमीश्वरे वेत्ति नैवात्मनि कदाचन। ईश्वराधीनमेवात्मन् स्वातन्त्र्यं तु जडान् प्रति॥

"svātantryam īśvare vetti naivātmani kadācana। īśvarādhīnamevātman svātantryaṃ tu jaḍān prati॥

[स्वातन्त्र्यम् (svātantryam) - freedom; ईश्वरे (īśvare) - in God; वेत्ति (vetti) - knows; न (na) - not; एव (eva) - indeed; आत्मनि (ātmani) - in self; कदाचन (kadācana) - ever; ईश्वराधीनम् (īśvarādhīnam) - dependent on God; एव (eva) - indeed; आत्मन् (ātman) - the being; स्वातन्त्र्यम् (svātantryam) - freedom; तु (tu) - but; जडान् (jaḍān) - to the insentient; प्रति (prati) - towards;]

"Freedom is recognized in God alone, never in oneself. The freedom of the beings as well as the insentient are indeed dependent on God.

तारतम्येन लक्ष्म्यादेः जीवान् प्रति च सर्वशः। यस्तदर्थं समुत्पन्नो यथा रुद्रो यथा यमः॥ हत्वापि स इमान् लोकान् न हन्ति न निबद्ध्यते। अज्ञः तदर्थं जातोपि वद्ध्यते दैत्यवद् ध्रुवम्॥

tāratamyena lakṣmyādeḥ jīvān prati ca sarvaśaḥ। yastadarthaṃ samutpanno yathā rudro yathā yamaḥ॥ hatvāpi sa imān lokān na hanti na nibaddhyate। ajñaḥ tadarthaṃ jātopi vaddhyate daityavad dhruvam॥

[तारतम्येन (tāratamyena) - by hierarchy; लक्ष्म्यादेः (lakṣmyādeḥ) - of Lakshmi and others; जीवान् (jīvān) - beings; प्रति (prati) - towards; च (ca) - and; सर्वशः (sarvaśaḥ) - governance-ship; यः (yaḥ) - who; तदर्थं (tadarthaṃ) - for that purpose; समुत्पन्नः (samutpannaḥ) - born; यथा (yathā) - like; रुद्रः (rudraḥ) - Rudra; यथा (yathā) - like; यमः (yamaḥ) - Yama; हत्वा (hatvā) - having killed; अपि (api) - even; सः (saḥ) - he; इमान् (imān) - these; लोकान् (lokān) - worlds; न (na) - not; हन्ति (hanti) - kills; न (na) - not; निबद्ध्यते (nibaddhyate) - is bound; अज्ञः (ajñaḥ) - ignorant; तदर्थं (tadarthaṃ) - for that purpose; जातः (jātaḥ) - born; अपि (api) - even; वद्ध्यते (vaddhyate) - is bound; दैत्यवत् (daityavat) - like a demon; ध्रुवम् (dhruvam) - certainly;]

Governance ship is distributed as per the hierarchy of their respective roles and its purpose, starting with goddess Lakshmi and others like Rudra, like Yama. Even if they destroy these worlds, they neither kill nor are bound by their actions, as they are born for that purpose. However, an ignorant person is certainly bound like a demon.

अपरोक्षदृङ्ग् न जातो यः तदर्थं मुक्तिगं सुखम्। ह्रसेत् तस्य परोक्षज्ञः किञ्चिद् दोषेण लिप्यते॥"

aparokṣadṛṅg na jāto yaḥ tadarthaṃ muktigaṃ sukham। hraset tasya parokṣajñaḥ kiñcid doṣeṇa lipyate॥"

[अपरोक्षदृङ्ग् (aparokṣadṛṅg) - direct perception; न (na) - not; जातः (jātaḥ) - born; यः (yaḥ) - who; तदर्थम् (tadartham) - for that purpose; मुक्तिगम् (muktigam) - leading to liberation; सुखम् (sukham) - happiness; ह्रसेत् (hraset) - diminishes; तस्य (tasya) - his; परोक्षज्ञः (parokṣajñaḥ) - indirect knower; किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - slightly; दोषेण (doṣeṇa) - by fault; लिप्यते (lipyate) - is tainted;]

The happiness that leads to liberation diminishes for one who is not born with direct perception; his indirect knowledge is slightly tainted by faults."

इति च।

iti ca।

[इति (iti) - thus; च (ca) - and;]

- stated thus

अस्वातन्त्र्यत् हन्मीति भावोऽपि अस्य नास्तीति न हन्ति। अन्यस्य भावोऽस्तीति विशेषः। 'बुदि्धर्यस्य न लिप्यते' इति रागान्न हन्ति, किन्तु धर्मबुद्ध्या।

asvātantryat hanmīti bhāvo'pi asya nāstīti na hanti। anyasya bhāvo'stīti viśeṣaḥ। 'buddhiryasya na lipyate' iti rāgānna hanti, kintu dharmabuddhyā।

[अस्वातन्त्र्यत् (asvātantryat) - from lack of independence; हन्मीति (hanmīti) - the thought of killing; भावः (bhāvaḥ) - emotion; अपि (api) - also; अस्य (asya) - of this; न (na) - not; अस्ति (asti) - is; इति (iti) - thus; न (na) - not; हन्ति (hanti) - kills; अन्यस्य (anyasya) - of another; भावः (bhāvaḥ) - emotion; अस्ति (asti) - is; इति (iti) - thus; विशेषः (viśeṣaḥ) - distinction; बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - intelligence; यस्य (yasya) - whose; न (na) - not; लिप्यते (lipyate) - is attached; इति (iti) - thus; रागात् (rāgāt) - from passion; न (na) - not; हन्ति (hanti) - kills; किन्तु (kintu) - but; धर्मबुद्ध्या (dharmabuddhyā) - with righteous intelligence;]

Due to lack of independence, the thought of killing does not arise in him, so he does not kill. However, the emotion exists in others, which makes a distinction. 'Intelligence that is not attached' does not act out of passion, but rather with a sense of righteousness.

"स्वातन्त्र्यं मन्यमानस्य रागाद् धर्मं च कुर्वतः। तन्निमित्तस्तु दोषः स्यात् गुणश्च स्यात् सुकर्मजः॥"

"svātantryaṃ manyamānasya rāgād dharmaṃ ca kurvataḥ। tannimittastu doṣaḥ syāt guṇaśca syāt sukarmajaḥ॥"

[स्वातन्त्र्यं (svātantryaṃ) - freedom; मन्यमानस्य (manyamānasya) - considering; रागात् (rāgād) - from attachment; धर्मं (dharmaṃ) - duty; च (ca) - and; कुर्वतः (kurvataḥ) - performing; तन्निमित्तस्तु (tannimittastu) - due to that cause; दोषः (doṣaḥ) - fault; स्यात् (syāt) - may be; गुणः (guṇaḥ) - virtue; च (ca) - and; स्यात् (syāt) - may be; सुकर्मजः (sukarmajaḥ) - born of good deeds;]

"When one considers freedom and performs duty out of attachment, faults may arise due to that cause, but virtues may also be born from good deeds."

इति च॥

iti ca॥

[इति (iti) - thus; च (ca) - and;]

- stated thus as well.