Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 31

Chapter 3 – Karma Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः ।
श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभिः ॥

Transliteration

ye me matamidaṃ nityamanutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ .
śraddhāvanto.anasūyanto mucyante te.api karmabhiḥ ॥

Meaning

Those who constantly follow this teaching of Mine, full of faith and free from fault-finding, are also released from the bonds of action.

Word meanings

ये – who
मानवाः – people
मे – My
इदम् – this
मतम् – teaching
नित्यम् – constantly
अनुतिष्ठन्ति – practise
श्रद्धावन्तः – full of faith
अनसूयन्तः – free from fault-finding
मुच्यन्ते – are freed
ते – they
अपि – also
कर्मभिः – from the bonds of action

Anvaya (word order)

ये मानवाः श्रद्धावन्तः अनसूयन्तः (च सन्तः) मे इदं मतं नित्यम् अनुतिष्ठन्ति, ते अपि कर्मभिः मुच्यन्ते ।

Explanation

The Lord now states the fruit of His teaching. Those who adopt the way of offering action to God are ‘karmabhih mucyante’ — freed from the bondage of actions. But two qualities are needed to walk this path: ‘shraddha’ and ‘anasuya’.

Shraddha is not blind belief but inner trust that propels one along the path of practice. Until experience matures, this trust is the support for travelling. ‘Anasuya’ means absence of the tendency to find fault. We often reject a teaching or a great person on seeing some flaw and thereby deprive ourselves of the benefit.

Shankara says that those who follow the Lord's teaching with faith and without fault-finding are released from the bondage of action, even if they are not fully enlightened. The word ‘api’ also suggests that while the knowers are of course free, those who faithfully practise this teaching are free as well. Ramanuja sees here the liberation of the seeker who acts in a spirit of devotion.

The message is that the path needs not perfect scholarship but faith and humility.

Context

After teaching the offering of action in 3.30, the Lord gives its fruit. The next verse, 3.32, states the result for those who neglect this teaching.

Life lesson

Faith and the absence of fault-finding are the first conditions for learning. Instead of hunting for flaws in those we learn from, we should learn to take in the essence.

Key terms

Shraddha: faith; trust with which practice is undertaken
Anasuya: absence of fault-finding and envy
Mata: teaching, doctrine