Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 18

Chapter 3 – Karma Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन ।
न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रयः ॥

Transliteration

naiva tasya kṛtenārtho nākṛteneha kaścana .
na cāsya sarvabhūteṣu kaścidarthavyapāśrayaḥ ॥

Meaning

For that Self-satisfied person there is no gain in this world from action done, nor any from action undone; nor does he depend on any being for any purpose of his.

Word meanings

न – not
एव – indeed
तस्य – for him
कृतेन – by doing
अर्थः – purpose, gain
न – nor
अकृतेन – by not doing
इह – here
कश्चन – any
न च – nor
अस्य – his
सर्वभूतेषु – among all beings
कश्चित् – any
अर्थव्यपाश्रयः – dependence for any purpose

Anvaya (word order)

इह तस्य कृतेन कश्चन अर्थः न एव, अकृतेन (अपि) न; अस्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चित् अर्थव्यपाश्रयः च न ।

Explanation

The previous verse said that no duty remains for the one satisfied in the Self. The Lord now gives the reason. The ordinary person acts to gain something, or refrains to avoid losing something. But for one who is inwardly complete, action brings no unattained object, and non-action incurs no fault.

The second point is more subtle: ‘na chasya sarva-bhuteshu kaschid artha-vyapasrayah’. He has to rely on no creature for any selfish end. He neither wants anything from anyone nor fears anyone. His relationship with all is of love, not of exchange. Shankara calls this the knower's total fulfilment.

According to Ramanuja, such a yogi's actions are no longer self-motivated, yet they continue as worship of the Lord. In this way both action and inaction become free of bondage for him.

The essence of the verse is that when the motive for action is not fear or greed but inner fullness, a rare freedom enters life.

Context

Verse 3.17 stated that for the Self-delighting person no duty remains. Verse 3.18 explains why, and in 3.19 the Lord draws the conclusion for Arjuna: still, keep doing your duty without attachment.

Life lesson

Work done from inner fullness rather than fear or greed is weightless. Examine your motive: are you acting to obtain something, or from the joy of being able to give?

Key terms

Krita: what is done, action performed
Akrita: what is left undone
Artha-vyapashraya: dependence on another for one's own ends