nāvasīdanti ye 'nu tam

īhate bhagavān īśo

na hi tatra visajjate

ātma-lābhena pūrṇārtho

nāvasīdanti ye 'nu tam

The Supreme Lord, the controller, complete in himself, acts but is not bound by action. Those who follow the Lord and perform bhakti do not become bound up by action.

 “But a person involved in actions, being surrounded by such actions, becomes bound up like an insect in a cocoon.” Those who follow the Lord, those who receive instructions on bhakti, do not become bound up.

|| 8.1.16||

tam īhamānaṁ nirahaṅkṛtaṁ budhaṁ

nirāśiṣaṁ pūrṇam ananya-coditam

nṝñ śikṣayantaṁ nija-vartma-saṁsthitaṁ

prabhuṁ prapadye 'khila-dharma-bhāvanam

I surrender to the Lord who is ātmārāma, who is without false ego, who is intelligent, without desire, complete, independent, who gives instructions to mankind by his own actions, who is situated in bhakti-yoga, and who teaches bhakti-yoga.

 

“You are giving us instructions, but what are you doing at this moment?” I surrender to the Lord, the master. Here he does not mention a particular name, but this refers to the person who gives life to the universe in verse 9. How is he described? That Supreme Lord desires himself (īhamānam). Just as the devotees desire the Lord, the Lord desires himself. This means he is ātmārāma, enjoying in himself. He has no false ego, though he is the supreme controller. He is ordered by himself (ananya-coditam). He is situated in the method to attain him, which has been nearly lost because of time. He teaches mankind by his own behaviour. He propagates the best dharma, bhakti-yoga (akhila-dharma).

 

|| 8.1.17||

śrī-śuka uvāca

iti mantropaniṣadaṁ