Chapter 3
Karma Yoga
The Yoga of Action
- Verse 3.1If, O Ganardana! devotion is deemed by you to be superior to action, then why, O Kesava! do you prompt me to (this)…
- Verse 3.2You seem, indeed, to confuse my mind by equivocal words. Therefore, declare one thing determinately, by which I may…
- Verse 3.3O sinless one! I have already declared, that in this world there is a twofold path--that of the Sankhyas by devotion…
- Verse 3.4A man does not attain freedom from action merely by not engaging in action; nor does he attain perfection by mere…
- Verse 3.5For nobody ever remains even for an instant without performing some action; since the qualities of nature constrain…
- Verse 3.6The deluded man who, restraining the organs of action, continues to think in his mind about objects of sense, is…
- Verse 3.7But he, O Arguna! who restraining his senses by his mind and being free from attachments, engages in devotion (in the…
- Verse 3.8Do you perform prescribed action, for action is better than inaction, and the support of your body, too, cannot be…
- Verse 3.9This world is fettered by all action other than action for the purpose of the sacrifice. Therefore, O son of Kunti! do…
- Verse 3.10The Creator, having in olden times created men together with the sacrifice, said: 'Propagate with this. May it be the…
- Verse 3.11Please the gods with this, and may those gods please you. Pleasing each other, you will attain the highest good.
- Verse 3.12For pleased with the sacrifices, the gods will give you the enjoyments you desire. And he who enjoys himself without…
- Verse 3.13The good, who eat the leavings of a sacrifice, are released from all sins. But the unrighteous ones, who prepare food…
- Verse 3.14From food are born (all) creatures; from rain is the production of food; rain is produced by sacrifices; sacrifices…
- Verse 3.15know that action has its source in the Vedas; the Vedas come from the Indestructible. Therefore the all-comprehending…
- Verse 3.16He who in this world does not turn round the wheel revolving thus, is of sinful life, indulging his senses, and, O son…
- Verse 3.17But the man who is attached to his self only, who is contented in his self, and is pleased with his self, has nothing…
- Verse 3.18He has no interest at all in what is done, and none whatever in what is not done, in this world; nor is any interest…
- Verse 3.19Therefore always perform action, which must be performed, without attachment. For a man, performing action without…
- Verse 3.20By action alone, did Ganaka and the rest work for perfection. And having regard also to the keeping of people (to…
- Verse 3.21Whatever a great man does, that other men also do. And people follow whatever he receives as authority.
- Verse 3.22There is nothing, O son of Pritha! for me to do in (all) the three worlds, nothing to acquire which has not been…
- Verse 3.23For should I at any time not engage without sloth in action, men would follow in my path from all sides, O son of…
- Verse 3.24If I did not perform actions, these worlds would be destroyed, I should be the cause of caste interminglings; and I…
- Verse 3.25As the ignorant act, O descendant of Bharata! with attachment to action, so should a wise man act without attachment,…
- Verse 3.26A wise man should not shake the convictions of the ignorant who are attached to action, but acting with devotion…
- Verse 3.27He whose mind is deluded by egoism thinks himself the doer of the actions, which, in every way, are done by the…
- Verse 3.28But he, O you of mighty arms! who knows the truth about the difference from qualities and the difference from actions,…
- Verse 3.29But those who are deluded by the qualities of nature form attachments to the actions of the qualities. A man of…
- Verse 3.30Dedicating all actions to me with a mind knowing the relation of the supreme and individual self, engage in battle…
- Verse 3.31Even those men who always act on this opinion of mine, full of faith, and without carping, are released from all…
- Verse 3.32But those who carp at my opinion and do not act upon it, know them to be devoid of discrimination, deluded as regards…
- Verse 3.33Even a man of knowledge acts consonantly to his own nature. All beings follow nature. What will restraint effect?
- Verse 3.34Every sense has its affections and aversions towards its objects fixed. One should not become subject to them, for…
- Verse 3.35One's own duty, though defective, is better than another's duty well performed. Death in (performing) one's own duty…
- Verse 3.36But by whom, O descendant of Vrishni! is man impelled, even though unwilling, and, as it were, constrained by force,…
- Verse 3.37It is desire, it is wrath, born from the quality of passion; it is very ravenous, very sinful. Know that that is the…
- Verse 3.38As fire is enveloped by smoke, a mirror by dust, the foetus by the womb, so is this enveloped by desire.
- Verse 3.39Knowledge, O son of Kunti! is enveloped by this constant foe of the man of knowledge, in the shape of desire, which is…
- Verse 3.40The senses, the mind, and the understanding are said to be its seat; with these it deludes the embodied (self) after…
- Verse 3.41Therefore, O chief of the descendants of Bharata! first restrain your senses, then cast off this sinful thing which…
- Verse 3.42It has been said, Great are the senses, greater than the senses is the mind, greater than the mind is the…
- Verse 3.43Thus knowing that which is higher than the understanding, and restraining (your)self by (your)self, O you of mighty…