Remove ignorance and wisdom shines again.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभुः |अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः ||५-१५||
nādatte kasyacitpāpaṃ na caiva sukṛtaṃ vibhuḥ . ajñānenāvṛtaṃ jñānaṃ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ ||5-15||
Use this verse when you feel confused and blame everything outside.
Meaning
The all-pervading Lord takes neither anyone’s sin nor merit. Knowledge is covered by ignorance, and beings are deluded by that.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Ignorance covers knowledge and creates delusion.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna teaches that delusion comes from ignorance covering knowledge. The Divine does not randomly assign sin or merit to people. Instead, beings become confused because their inner wisdom is veiled. This shifts the focus from blame to awakening. The task is to remove ignorance through knowledge, reflection, practice, and right guidance.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna corrects a common religious misconception: that the Divine sits as a judge dispensing reward and punishment. The Vibhu — the all-pervading Self — accepts neither anyone's sin (papa) nor anyone's merit (sukrita). The Supreme is not the cause of our bondage or suffering; it remains ever pure and untouched.
Why then do beings suffer and stumble? Because jnanam ajnanena avritam — true knowledge is veiled by ignorance (ajnana). Like clouds hiding the sun, this veil of unknowing makes creatures (jantavah) forget their real nature and become deluded (muhyanti).
They mistake the body for the Self and the gunas for their own doing. The remedy, then, is not appeasing an external judge but removing the inner veil of ignorance through self-knowledge. Liberation is a matter of clear seeing, not divine bargaining.
In daily life
Instead of blaming fate, seek the ignorance behind confusion.
Someone repeatedly choosing toxic relationships may need to understand attachment patterns, not only blame destiny.
Try this today
Write one confusion and the knowledge needed to clear it.
My wisdom shines as ignorance is removed.Reflect
What ignorance is covering my wisdom right now?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘अज्ञानेन आवृतम्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on ignorance, in other chapters
- Verse 7.13We are mesmerised by life's changing qualities and miss the changeless Divine behind them — wake from the trance and look deeper.
- Verse 14.8The most dangerous bondage is the one that dulls you to its own presence — heedlessness, laziness, and stupor.
- Verse 18.32The darkest mind sees everything backwards, mistaking wrong for right and ruin for good.
- Verse 4.32All forms of sacred action belong to the realm of action; knowing this — and that the true Self stands beyond it — is liberating.
Swipe left for 5.16 · Knowledge reveals what ignorance hides.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 5.15
Who says Bhagavad Gita 5.15, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 5.15, in Chapter 5, Karma Sannyas Yoga (Karma Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 5.15 mean?
The all-pervading Lord takes neither anyone’s sin nor merit. Knowledge is covered by ignorance, and beings are deluded by that. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 5.15 for daily life?
Instead of blaming fate, seek the ignorance behind confusion. Someone repeatedly choosing toxic relationships may need to understand attachment patterns, not only blame destiny.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 5.15 mean?
न आदत्ते — takes not / accepts not; कस्यचित् पापम् — the sin of anyone; न च एव सुकृतम् — nor even the merit; विभुः — the all-pervading Lord; अज्ञानेन आवृतम् — enveloped by ignorance.
Where does verse 5.15 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 15 of 29 in Chapter 5, Karma Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 5.16.