What is the source of this (Kayena vacha...) text? or Where does it come from?

Question

I am talking about the following shloka (posting it in Sanskrit and English):

कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा
बुद्ध्यात्मना वा प्रकृतेः स्वभावात् ।
करोमि यद्यद् सकलं परस्मै
नारायणायेति समर्पयामि ॥

Kayena Vacha Mana-Sendriyair Va
Budhyaatmana Va Prakruteh Swabhavath
Karoami Yadyad Sakalam Parasmai
Narayana Yeti Samarpayami

Meaning: Whatever I do with my body, speech, mind or with other senses of my body, or with my intellect and soul or with my innate natural tendencies I offer (dedicate) everything to Narayana.

As this shloka/mantra is widely used for surrendering our (Nishkama) karma to God, I want to know, where does this shloka/mantra come from? In Hindu scriptures, Is it Vedic? or Who has written it?

Answer 1

The verse occurs in this chapter of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Here is what the sons of Rishabha tell Nimi (the solar dynasty king whom I discuss here):

I consider that one whose intelligence is constantly disturbed by his falsely identifying himself with the temporary material world can achieve real freedom from fear only by worshiping the lotus feet of the infallible Supreme Lord. In such devotional service, all fear ceases entirely. Even ignorant living entities can very easily come to know the Supreme Lord if they adopt those means prescribed by the Supreme Lord Himself. The process recommended by the Lord is to be known as bhāgavata-dharma, or devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. O King, one who accepts this process of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead will never blunder on his path in this world. Even while running with eyes closed, he will never trip or fall. In accordance with the particular nature one has acquired in conditioned life, whatever one does with body, words, mind, senses, intelligence or purified consciousness one should offer to the Supreme, thinking, “This is for the pleasure of Lord Nārāyaṇa.”

Note that the verse has a slight difference from verse you gave:

kāyena vācā manasendriyair vā
buddhyātmanā vānusṛta-svabhāvāt |
karoti yad yat sakalaṁ parasmai
nārāyaṇāyeti samarpayet tat ||

It says samarpayet tat - "he should offer that" rather than samarpayami - "I offer that". I'm not sure how it was changed into first-person form, or how it was incorporated into Hindu rituals like Sandhyavandanam. Perhaps it's originally from some other scripture and is merely being quoted by the Bhagavatam. It could be from some Pancharatra text, given that it's based on the notion of Karma Yoga.

By the way, the Sri Vaishnava sect (of which I'm a member) uses another verse called the Sattvika Tyaga for much the same purpose:

bhagavan eva svaniyamya sva-śeṣa-bhūtena maya
sva-ārādhana-eka-prayojanāya idam (name of the karma)
svasmai svaprītyai svayam eva karayati |

The auspicious deity, exerting control on himself, using me (his other part) as an instrument, himself effects , with his pleasure/ worship being the only purpose.

I'm not sure where this verse comes from either, but again the Pancharatra texts (which I discuss here) would be a safe bet.

Answer 2

This verse appears in multiple scriptures.

1. Mainly, the last verse that appears in the Śrī Viṣṇu Sahasranāma Stotram from Mahābhārata. 0

   कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैश्च
   बुद्ध्यात्मना वानुसृतिर्स्वभावात् ।
   करोमि यद् यत् सकलं परस्मै
   नारायणायैव समर्पयामि ॥ १९॥

   kāyena vācā manasendriyaiś ca
   buddhyātmanā vānusṛtir-svabhāvāt
   karomi yad yat sakalaḿ parasmai
   nārāyaṇāyaiva samarpayāmi

2. One of the versions of Mukundamālā by Kulasekhara (one of the Alvars in the Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition) has also included it. It appears in the extended version of the Mukundamālā Stotram as well 1 2.

3. This also appears (albeit a bit differently) in the 11th Canto, Chapter 2, Verse 36 of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) 3

   कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा
   बुद्ध्यात्मना वानुसृतस्वभावात् ।
   करोति यद् यत् सकलं परस्मै
   नारायणायेति समर्पयेत्तत् ॥ ३६ ॥

   kāyena vācā manasendriyair vā
   buddhyātmanā vānusṛta-svabhāvāt
   karoti yad yat sakalaṁ parasmai
   nārāyaṇāyeti samarpayet tat

Answer 3

• from Mukundamala: कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा । बुद्ध्यात्मना वा प्रकृतिस्वभावात् । करोमि यद्यत्सकलं परस्मै । नारायणयेति समर्पयामि ॥ Kaayena Vaacaa Manase[a-I]ndriyairvaa Buddhy[i]-Aatmanaa Vaa Prakrteh Svabhaavaat | Karomi Yad-Yat-Sakalam Parasmai Naaraayannayeti Samarpayaami ||

Meaning: 1: Whatever I do with the Body, Speech, Mind or the Sense Organs, 2: Either by discrimination of the Intellect, or by the deeper feelings of the Heart, or by the existing Tendencies of the Mind, 3: I Do them All (i.e. Whatever work is to be done) without Ownership, 4: And I Surrender them at the feet of Sri Narayana.

• from Srimad Bhagavatam (11.2.36): कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा बुद्ध्यात्मना वानुसृतस्वभावात् । करोति यद्यत्सकलं परस्मै नारायणयेति समर्पयेत्तत् ॥ Kaayena Vaacaa Manase[a-I]ndriyairvaa Buddhy[i]-Aatmanaa Va-Anusrta-Svabhaavaat | Karoti Yad-Yat-Sakalam Parasmai Naaraayannayeti Samarpayet-Tat ||

Meaning: 1: Whatever is done with the Body, Speech, Mind or the Sense Organs, 2: Either by discrimination of the Intellect, or by the deeper feelings of the Heart, or by the existing Tendencies of the Mind, 3: The devotee does them All (i.e. Whatever work is done) without Ownership, 4: And Surrenders them at the feet of Sri Narayana.