देहानुच्चावचाञ्जन्तु: प्राप्योत्सृजति कर्मणा । शत्रुर्मित्रमुदासीन: कर्मैव गुरुरीश्वर: ॥ १७ ॥
dehān uccāvacāñ jantuḥ prāpyotsṛjati karmaṇā śatrur mitram udāsīnaḥ karmaiva gurur īśvaraḥ
- dehān
- material bodies
- ucca-avacān
- high- and low-class
- jantuḥ
- the conditioned living entity
- prāpya
- obtaining
- utsṛjati
- gives up
- karmaṇā
- by the reactions of his material activities
- śatruḥ
- his enemy
- mitram
- friend
- udāsīnaḥ
- and neutral party
- karma
- material work
- eva
- alone
- guruḥ
- his spiritual master
- īśvaraḥ
- his lord
Because it is karma that causes the conditioned living entity to accept and then give up different high- and low-grade material bodies, this karma is his enemy, friend and neutral witness, his spiritual master and controlling lord.