Chapter 5 · Shloka 15— The Yoga of Renunciation of Action

nādatte kasyachit pāpaṁ na chaiva sukṛitaṁ vibhuḥ ajñānenāvṛitaṁ jñānaṁ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ

na

— not

ādatte

— accepts

kasyachit

— anyone’s

pāpam

— sin

na

— not

cha

— and

eva

— certainly

su-kṛitam

— virtuous deeds

vibhuḥ

— the omnipresent God

ajñānena

— by ignorance

āvṛitam

— covered

jñānam

— knowledge

tena

— by that

muhyanti

— are deluded

jantavaḥ

— the living entities

"Nadatte kasyacit papam na caiva sukritam vibhuh, ajnanenavritam jnanam tena muhyanti jantavah." — The omnipresent takes on neither the sin nor the merit of anyone; knowledge is covered by ignorance — hence beings are deluded. This verse continues the teaching of 5.14 by addressing its most obvious objection: if the Atman is not the doer, why do beings experience the results of sin and merit? The answer is given precisely: because knowledge (jnana of the Atman) is covered by ignorance (ajnana), beings remain deluded about who they are. The Atman's freedom remains unrecognized; the ego continues claiming doership and receiving the corresponding results. 'Vibhu' — the all-pervading — is the Atman. It takes on neither sin ('papa') nor merit ('sukritam'). This is not ethical neutrality — it is the structural reality of what the Atman is: pure, untouched awareness. Sin and merit are categories that apply to the ego-mind complex, not to the witnessing Atman. Shankaracharya dwells on 'ajnanenavritam jnanam' — knowledge covered by ignorance. The covering is key: the jnana (knowledge of the Atman's freedom) is already present. It is not created by practice; it is revealed by the removal of the veil. Ignorance (avidya) functions like a covering that prevents the sun of jnana from being seen. Spiritual practice in the Gita's framework is precisely this unveiling — removing the covering, not creating the light.

The image of knowledge covered by ignorance rather than absent is significant for spiritual practice. It means liberation is not an achievement to be produced but a recognition of what was always present. Practice doesn't create the light — it removes the covering. This reframes the entire project of spiritual development: you are not building toward freedom, you are uncovering what you already are. Setbacks are not failures of construction; they are moments when the covering reasserts itself. And breakthroughs are not gains of something new; they are the dropping of a veil.

The Atman takes on no one's sin or merit — it's covered by ignorance, not corrupted by it. Key distinction: the knowledge of freedom is already there, just covered. Practice isn't BUILDING the light — it's removing the covering. You're not working toward something you don't have; you're uncovering something that's already there. That's a different kind of motivation than achievement-seeking.

The real Self — the Atman — is pure and never takes on anyone's mistakes or good deeds. But it's like the sun behind clouds: the wisdom about who we truly are is covered by ignorance, like clouds covering sunshine! We get confused because we can't see clearly. Spiritual practice is like blowing away the clouds so the sunshine — the knowledge of our true Self — can shine through!