Chapter 3 · 43 verses

Karma Yoga: The Yoga of Action

अध्याय 3 — कर्मयोग

Why action is better than inaction, how to work as an offering without selfish desire, and how desire and anger are the real enemies within.

कर्म न करने से कर्म करना श्रेष्ठ क्यों है, स्वार्थ छोड़कर कर्म को यज्ञ की तरह कैसे करें, और काम व क्रोध भीतर के असली शत्रु कैसे हैं।

Verse 3.1ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन …Arjuna asks Krishna: if you think understanding is better than action, why are you pushing me into this terrible action of war?
Verse 3.2व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे …Arjuna says Krishna's words seem mixed and are confusing him. He asks Krishna to tell him one clear path that will lead to his highest good.
Verse 3.3लोकेऽस्मिन्द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ …Krishna explains that long ago he taught two paths in this world: the path of knowledge for those inclined to reflection, and the path of action for those inclined to work.
Verse 3.4न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते …Simply not starting any work does not free a person from the effects of action, and merely renouncing the world does not bring perfection.
Verse 3.5न हि कश्िचत्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् …No one can stay without acting even for a moment. Everyone is driven to act by the qualities of their own nature, whether they want to or not.
Verse 3.6कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् …One who holds back the body from acting but keeps dwelling on sense pleasures in the mind is fooling themselves and is called a pretender.
Verse 3.7यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन …But one who controls the senses with the mind and, without attachment, uses the body to do their work in the spirit of karma yoga is truly superior.
Verse 3.8नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः …Do the work that is yours to do; action is better than inaction. Without action, you could not even keep your body going.
Verse 3.9यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः …Work done only for oneself binds a person; work done as an offering does not. So, Arjuna, do your work as an offering, free from attachment.
Verse 3.10सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः …Krishna says that at the beginning, the Creator made human beings together with the practice of sacrifice and said: through this you will flourish; let it fulfil your wishes.
Verse 3.11देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः …Honour the divine powers through your offerings, and they will support you in return. By caring for one another this way, all will reach the highest good.
Verse 3.12इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः …Pleased by your offerings, the divine powers will give you what you need. But one who enjoys their gifts without giving anything back is like a thief.
Verse 3.13यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः …Good people who eat what remains after an offering are freed from wrongdoing. But those who cook only for themselves are really eating sin.
Verse 3.14अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः …All living beings come from food, food comes from rain, rain comes from sacrifice, and sacrifice comes from action.
Verse 3.15कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम् …Know that action comes from the Vedas, and the Vedas come from the Imperishable. So the all-pervading divine is always present in sacrifice.
Verse 3.16एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः …One who does not play their part in this turning cycle, living only for sense pleasure, lives a wasted and sinful life.
Verse 3.17यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः …But for a person who delights in the self, is satisfied in the self and content within, there is no duty left that they must do.
Verse 3.18नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन …Such a person gains nothing by acting and loses nothing by not acting, and they do not depend on any being for anything.
Verse 3.19तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर …So always do the work that needs doing, without attachment. By working without attachment, a person reaches the highest.
Verse 3.20कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः …King Janaka and others reached perfection through action alone. And just for the sake of keeping the world on track, you should act.
Verse 3.21यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः …Whatever a respected person does, others follow; whatever standard they set, the world follows.
Verse 3.22न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन …Krishna says there is nothing in all three worlds that he must do, nothing he lacks or needs to gain — and yet he keeps on acting.
Verse 3.23यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः …If I ever stopped working tirelessly, Krishna says, people everywhere would follow my example.
Verse 3.24उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् …If I did not act, these worlds would fall into ruin. I would be the cause of disorder and would bring harm to all these people.
Verse 3.25सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत …Just as the unwise work with attachment, the wise should work just as hard but without attachment, wanting the good of the world.
Verse 3.26न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम् …A wise person should not unsettle the minds of those who are attached to their work. Instead, working with full focus, they should inspire others to do their work well.
Verse 3.27प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः …All actions are carried out by the qualities of nature, but one confused by ego thinks, “I alone am the doer.”
Verse 3.28तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः …But one who knows the truth about the qualities of nature and their actions understands that it is just qualities acting on qualities, and so does not get attached.
Verse 3.29प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु …People confused by the qualities of nature get attached to the actions those qualities produce. One who sees the full picture should not disturb those who see only part of it.
Verse 3.30मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा …Offer all your actions to me with your mind on the self. Free from expectations and possessiveness, and with your inner fever gone, fight.
Verse 3.31ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः …Those who follow this teaching of mine steadily, with faith and without finding fault, are also freed from the bondage of action.
Verse 3.32ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् …But those who find fault with this teaching and do not follow it are confused about all knowledge, lacking discernment, and are lost.
Verse 3.33सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि …Even a wise person acts according to their own nature. All beings follow their nature — what can mere suppression achieve?
Verse 3.34इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ …Every sense naturally feels attraction and aversion toward its objects. Do not fall under the control of these two, because they are obstacles on your path.
Verse 3.35श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् …Better to follow your own path imperfectly than another’s path perfectly.
Verse 3.36अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः …Arjuna asks Krishna what pushes a person to do wrong, even against their own will, as if forced by some power.
Verse 3.37काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः …Krishna answers that it is desire, and anger that grows out of it, both born of restless passion. It is never satisfied and is greatly harmful — know it as the enemy here.
Verse 3.38धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथाऽऽदर्शो मलेन च …As fire is covered by smoke, a mirror by dust, and an unborn child by the womb, so true understanding is covered by desire.
Verse 3.39आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा …A wise person's knowledge is covered by this constant enemy, desire, which burns like a fire that can never be filled.
Verse 3.40इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते …The senses, the mind and the intellect are said to be where desire lives. Through them it covers true knowledge and confuses the person.
Verse 3.41तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ …So first bring your senses under control, and then destroy this troublemaker, desire, which ruins both knowledge and real understanding.
Verse 3.42इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः …The senses are said to be powerful, the mind is higher than the senses, the intellect is higher than the mind, and the self is higher still than the intellect.
Verse 3.43एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना …Knowing the self to be higher than the intellect, steady your mind through your own inner strength, and defeat this hard-to-conquer enemy that takes the form of desire.