Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 – Karma Yoga
The yoga of selfless action — the right path of performing duty.
43 verses
All verses of this chapter
- 3.1 – अर्जुन उवाच – Arjuna said: O Janardana, if You hold that wisdom is greater than action, then why, O Keshava, do You urge…
- 3.2 – व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव – With these seemingly mixed words You appear to bewilder my understanding.
- 3.3 – श्रीभगवानुवाच – The Blessed Lord said: O sinless one, in this world a twofold discipline was declared by Me in the past…
- 3.4 – न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते – A person does not reach freedom from action by merely abstaining from work, nor does he attain perfection by…
- 3.5 – न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु – No one can remain even for a moment without acting; for all are helplessly driven to action by the gunas…
- 3.6 – कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते – The deluded person who restrains the organs of action yet sits brooding in his mind over sense objects is…
- 3.7 – यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन – But, O Arjuna, he who controls the senses with the mind and, unattached, engages the organs of action in…
- 3.8 – नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं – Perform your prescribed duty, for action is better than inaction.
- 3.9 – यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः – Apart from action done for the sake of sacrifice, this world is bound by action.
- 3.10 – सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच – In the beginning, having created beings together with sacrifice, Prajapati said: ‘By this shall you prosper…
- 3.11 – देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु – With this sacrifice, nourish the devas, and may the devas nourish you.
- 3.12 – इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते – Gratified by sacrifice, the devas will give you the enjoyments you desire.
- 3.13 – यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः – The good, who eat what remains after sacrifice, are freed from all sins; but the sinful, who cook only for…
- 3.14 – अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः – Beings arise and live from food; food comes from rain; rain comes from sacrifice; and sacrifice is born of…
- 3.15 – कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम् – Know that action arises from Brahma (the Veda), and Brahma arises from the Imperishable.
- 3.16 – एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह – O Partha, one who does not follow here the wheel thus set in motion — sinful in life and delighting in the…
- 3.17 – यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः – But the person who delights only in the Self, is satisfied in the Self and is content in the Self alone…
- 3.18 – नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह – For that Self-satisfied person there is no gain in this world from action done, nor any from action undone…
- 3.19 – तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म – Therefore, always perform your duty well, free from attachment; for the person who acts without attachment…
- 3.20 – कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः – Janaka and others attained perfection through action alone.
- 3.21 – यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः – Whatever an eminent person does, others follow; whatever standard he sets up, the world follows.
- 3.22 – न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं – O Partha, in the three worlds there is nothing that I am bound to do, nor anything unattained that I need to…
- 3.23 – यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं – O Partha, if I were ever not to engage in action, tirelessly, men would in every way follow My path.
- 3.24 – उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां – If I did not perform action, these worlds would perish; I would be the author of disorder and would destroy…
- 3.25 – सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति – As the unwise act, attached to action, O Bharata, so should the wise act, unattached, desiring the welfare…
- 3.26 – न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम् – The wise one should not unsettle the minds of the ignorant who are attached to action; himself steady in…
- 3.27 – प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि – All actions are performed in every way by the gunas of Nature; but one whose mind is deluded by egoism…
- 3.28 – तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः – But the knower of the truth about the division of the gunas and their actions, O mighty-armed, understanding…
- 3.29 – प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु – Those deluded by the gunas of Nature become attached to the actions of the gunas; one who knows the whole…
- 3.30 – मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा – Surrendering all actions to Me, with the mind fixed on the Self, free from expectation and the sense of…
- 3.31 – ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति – Those who constantly follow this teaching of Mine, full of faith and free from fault-finding, are also…
- 3.32 – ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे – But those who, finding fault, do not follow this teaching of Mine — know them to be deluded in all…
- 3.33 – सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि – Even the wise act in accord with their own nature; all beings follow nature — what can suppression accomplish?
- 3.34 – इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ – Attraction and aversion are seated in the object of every sense.
- 3.35 – श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् – One's own dharma, though imperfect, is better than another's dharma well performed.
- 3.36 – अर्जुन उवाच – Arjuna said: O Varshneya, impelled by what does this person commit sin, even unwillingly, as though driven…
- 3.37 – श्रीभगवानुवाच – The Blessed Lord said: It is desire, it is anger, born of the quality of rajas; all-devouring and greatly…
- 3.38 – धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च – As fire is covered by smoke, a mirror by dust, and the embryo by the womb membrane, so is this knowledge…
- 3.39 – आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा – O son of Kunti, knowledge is covered by this constant enemy of the wise, in the form of desire, insatiable…
- 3.40 – इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते – The senses, the mind and the intellect are said to be its seat.
- 3.41 – तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ – Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, first control the senses and slay this sinful desire, the destroyer of…
- 3.42 – इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः – They say the senses are superior to the body; superior to the senses is the mind; superior to the mind is…
- 3.43 – एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा – Thus, knowing the Self to be beyond the intellect, steadying the mind by the intellect, O mighty-armed, slay…