Chapter V · Śloka 14
Śrī Kṛṣṇa uvāca
न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः |
न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते ||
न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते ||
na kartṛtvaṃ na karmāṇi lokasya sṛjati prabhuḥ |
na karma-phala-saṃyogaṃ svabhāvas tu pravartate ||
na karma-phala-saṃyogaṃ svabhāvas tu pravartate ||
The Lord does not create the sense of doership, nor the actions, nor the connection with the fruits of action for the people of the world — it is nature itself that proceeds.
The divine does not impose action upon anyone. Nature — svabhāva, one's own inherent quality — drives action from within. The Lord is not the puppeteer; the gunas are the machinery. Understanding this dissolves both blame and pride.