Bhagavad Gita · 3.5 · Path of Selfless Service·5 of 43
न हि कश्िचत्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत्।कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥
na hi kaśhchit kṣhaṇam api jātu tiṣhṭhatyakarma-kṛit
kāryate hyavaśhaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛiti-jair guṇaiḥ
Sanskrit recitation
Why act at all · 3.1–3.9 · Teaching
Translation
Verily, no one can remain for even a moment without performing action; for everyone is made to act helplessly, indeed, by the qualities born of Nature.
Meaning
The Gunas (alities of Nature) are three, viz., Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Sattva is harmony or light or purity Rajas is passion or motion Tamas is inertia or darkness. Sattvic actions help a man to attain to Moksha. Rajasic and Tamasic actions bind a man to Samsara.These alities cannot affect a man who has knowledge of the Self. He has crossed over these alities. He has become a Gunatita (one who has transcended the alities of Nature). The ignorant man who has no knowledge of the Self and who is swayed by Avidya or nescience is driven helplessly to action by the Gunas. (Cf.IV.16,XVIII.11).
After Swami Sivananda
Why act at all· 3.1–3.9→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 3.1Arjuna said: If Thou thinkest that knowledge is superior to action, O Krishna, why then, O Kesava, doest Thou ask me to engage in this terrible action?
- 3.2With this seemingly perplexing speech, you seem to be confusing my understanding; therefore, tell me one certain way by which I may attain bliss.
- 3.3The Blessed Lord said, "In this world, there is a twofold path, as I said before, O sinless one: the path of knowledge of the Sankhyas and the path of action of the Yogins."
- 3.4Man does not reach actionlessness by not performing actions; nor does he attain perfection by mere renunciation.
3.5Verily, no one can remain for even a moment without performing action; for everyone is made to act helplessly, indeed, by the qualities born of Nature.
- 3.6He who, restraining the organs of action, sits thinking of the sense-objects in his mind, he of deluded understanding is called a hypocrite.
- 3.7But whoever, controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, engages himself in Karma Yoga with the organs of action, without attachment, he excels.
- 3.8Perform your bounden duty, for action is superior to inaction, and even the maintenance of the body would not be possible for you through inaction.
- 3.9The world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of sacrifice; do thou, therefore, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), perform actions for that sake alone, free from attachment.
Word-by-word→
- na
- not
- hi
- certainly
- kaśhchit
- anyone
- kṣhaṇam
- a moment
- api
- even
- jātu
- ever
- tiṣhṭhati
- can remain
- akarma-kṛit
- without action
- kāryate
- are performed
- avaśhaḥ
- helpless
- karma
- work
- sarvaḥ
- all
- prakṛiti-jaiḥ
- born of material nature
- guṇaiḥ
- by the qualities
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