नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभुः ।
अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः ॥
अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
सर्वव्यापी परमात्मा न किसीके पापकर्मको और न शुभकर्मको ही ग्रहण करता है किन्तु अज्ञानसे ज्ञान ढका हुआ है, उसीसे सब जीव मोहित हो रहे हैं ॥
English
The all-pervading one takes neither anyone's wrongdoing nor anyone's good deed. Knowledge is covered by ignorance, and that is why living beings are deluded.
What this verse means
The divine does not collect anyone's good or bad actions. People get confused because ignorance covers their understanding.
Context & commentary
Krishna is still answering Arjuna on the battlefield, where duty feels impossible and every choice seems stained. He shifts the focus from action itself to the ignorance that distorts understanding, showing why people stay confused about responsibility.
Why this verse still matters
You replay one mistake at 2 a.m. and treat it like your identity. This verse cuts deeper: the real problem is not the act alone, but the ignorance that keeps repeating it.
The takeaway
You are not trapped by what you did, but by what you fail to see.
Word-by-word translation
नादत्ते (does not take) / कस्यचित् (of anyone) / पापम् (wrongdoing) / न (not) / च (and) / एव (indeed) / सुकृतम् (good deed) / विभुः (the all-pervading one) / अज्ञानेन (by ignorance) / आवृतम् (covered) / ज्ञानम् (knowledge) / तेन (by that) / मुह्यन्ति (are deluded) / जन्तवः (living beings)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5: Karma Sanyasa Yoga — The Yoga of Renunciation, which contains 29 verses.
Explore related themes: jnana (24 verses), delusion (19 verses), karma phala (10 verses)