Bhagawad Gita Chapter 3

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3: Karma Yoga

Gita chapter 3 – Karma Yoga: Selfless Work Develops the Spirit of Service. The third chapter of the Bhagawad Gita explains the great secret of how we should act in this world. Krishna taught that no one can really stop doing (creating), because the universe itself continues to move.

The key to happiness is not to escape from duty, but to transform the act itself into an offering (Yajña). By working without being tied to results or personal interests (selfless), one will not be shackled by the law of cause and effect (Karma), but instead will achieve purity of heart and true peace.

---

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3: Part 1

3:1 arjuna uvāca: jyāyasī cet karmaṇ as te mat ā buddhir janārdana, tat kiṁ karmaṇi ghore māṁ niyojayasi keśava
arjuna asked: “kṛṣṇa, if you consider buddhi or intelligence to be better than karma or deeds, then why do you urge me to do something, to fight?”

3:2 vyāmiśreṇeva vākyena buddhiṁ mohayasīva me, tad ekaṁ vada niścitya yena śreyo’ham āpnuyām
“ what you have said really confuses my mind because it contains many opposing opinions. please, show me a path that I need to take to achieve śreya – glory in life.”

3:3 śrī-bhagavān uvāca: loke’smin dvi-vidhā niṣṭhā purā proktā mayānagha, jñāna-yogena sāṅkhyānāṁ karma-yogena yoginām
śrī bhagavān (blessed Krishna) said: “arjuna, it is said that in this world there are two options available to reach perfection or yoga. The path of jñāna – examines the nature of things with the logic of sāṁkhya. and, the path of karma – activity selflessly.”

3:4 na karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣkarmyaṁ puruṣo’śnute, na ca sannyasanād eva siddhiṁ samadhigacchati
“one cannot transcend (the law of) karma by non-action; one cannot attain perfection by freeing oneself from all action.”

3:5 na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api jātu tiṣṭhaty akarma-kṛt, kāryate hy avaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛti-jair guṇaiḥ
“no one can live without doing something. Everyone is always driven to act according to their nature and nature.”

3:6 karmendriyāṇi saṁyamya ya āste manasā smaran, indriyārthān vimūḍhātmā mithyācāraḥ sa ucyate
“one who sits quietly as if he has succeeded in controlling his senses, while thinking continuously about the pleasures of the senses; is a confused, hypocritical, and self-deceiving person.”

3:7 yas tv indriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate’rjuna, karmendriyaiḥ karma-yogam asaktaḥ sa viśiṣyate
“on the other hand, Arjuna, he who is strong-willed and has successfully controlled all the senses; then using the same senses as tools, and working in the spirit of yoga without attachment is a truly praiseworthy man.”

3:8 niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ, śarīra-yātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ
“Therefore, work according to your duties, because work is better than not working. In fact, you cannot maintain and maintain this body without working”.

3:9 yajñārthāt karmaṇo’nyatra loko’yaṁ karmabandhanaḥ, tad-arthaṁ karma kaunteya mukta-saṅgaḥ samācara
“man is bound by and because of his own actions, unless he acts in the spirit of worship. therefore, arjuna, do your duty well, without attachment, and in the spirit of worship.”

3:10 saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purovāca prajāpatiḥ, anena prasaviṣyadhvam eṣa vo’stv iṣṭa-kāma-dhuk
“prajāpati brahmā created mankind with the spirit of offering and his message was, ‘progress in the same way and attain all the pleasures you desire.’”

3:11 devān bhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ, parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ param avāpsyatha
“behave towards the gods or the forces of nature with a spirit of worship; so that they also behave towards you with the same spirit. Thus, you will achieve the best.”

3:12 iṣṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajña-bhāvitāḥ, tair dattān apradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ
“truly, he who enjoys all the gifts of nature without caring for and preserving them again with the same spirit of worship, is a thief.”

3:13 yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ, bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt
“the noble enjoy what is left of the offering. while the ignoble only cook for their own pleasure, they only enjoy the fruits of their own sins.”

3:14 annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ, yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
“living things grow because of food; food depends on rain; rain depends on yajña (preservation of nature); and the offering is the fruit of karma/work.”

3:15 karma brahmodbhavaṁ viddhi brahmākṣara-samudbhavam, tasmāt sarva-gataṁ brahma nityaṁ yajñe pratiṣṭhitam
“know that karma is in accordance with the divine will. then indeed, it covers everything also in yajña, selfless offering or work.”

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3: 16-30

3:16 evaṁ pravartitaṁ cakraṁ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ, aghāyur indriyārāmo moghaṁ pārtha sa jīvati
“thus, the wheel of life continues to turn, with living beings sustaining and sharing each other. One who does not do that is an arjuna, and lives to satisfy his senses only, indeed lives in vain.”

3:17 yas tv ātma-ratir eva syād ātma-tṛptaś ca mānavaḥ, ātmany eva ca santuṣṭas tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate
“(however), one who is happy because of his ‘self’; satisfied with his own ‘self’; and all his consciousness is centered on the true self, is indeed not obliged to do anything.”

3:18 naiva tasya kṛtenārtho nākṛteneha kaścana, na cāsya sarva-bhūteṣu kaścid artha-vyapāśrayaḥ
“for such a person, there is nothing to pursue in this world. There is no gain from any work; there is no loss if he does not work. He does not depend on anyone.”

3:19 tasmād asaktaḥ satataṁ kāryaṁ karma samācara, asakto hy ācaran karma param āpnoti pūruṣaḥ
“therefore, perform your duty, your duty well and without attachment to the result. Thus, one who works without attachment attains perfection, the highest consciousness.”

3:20 karmaṇaiva hi saṁsiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥ, loka-saṅgraham evāpi saṁpaśyan kartum arhasi
“by working without attachment that is how King Janaka achieved self-perfection. You should also act without personal interests, simply to defend the order of the world.”

3:21 yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ, sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate
“whatever the nobles do becomes an example for the common people. the example they set becomes an example and is followed by the general public.”

3:22 na me pārthāsti kartavyaṁ triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana, nanaavāptam avāptavyaṁ varta eva ca karmaṇi
“arjuna, in these three realms there is no duty or obligation for me. nor is there anything that I have not yet acquired and must acquire. however, I continue to work.”

3:23 yadi hy ahaṁ na varteyaṁ jātu karmaṇy atandritaḥ, mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
“if I am not diligent in my work, then surely the order of this world will be disturbed, because people follow my example in everything.”

3:24 utsīdeyur ime lokā na kuryāṁ karma ced aham, saṅkarasya ca kartā syām upahanyām imāḥ prajāḥ
“if I stop working, there will be chaos in this world, everything will perish, and I will be the cause of confusion for all mankind.”

3:25 saktāḥ karmaṇy avidvāṁso yathā kurvanti bhārata, kuryād vidvāṁs tathāsaktaś cikīrṣur loka-saṅgraham
“O Arjuna, just as the unwise act on the basis of attachment, so should the wise act without attachment simply to maintain the order of the world.”

3:30 mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi saṁnyasyādhyātma-cetasā, nirāśīr nirmamo bhūtvā yudhyasva vigatajvaraḥ
“by offering all your actions to me; all consciousness centered on the great soul; free from the ‘diseases’ of attachment, ‘me’ness, and restlessness – fight!”

Bhagawad Gita chapter 3: 31-42 Overcoming the Enemy Within

3:31 ye me matam idaṁ nityam anutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ, śraddhāvanto’nasūyanto mucyante te’pi karmabhiḥ
“those who always act according to my opinion, with full confidence and without doubt, will surely be freed from the shackles of karma.”

3:35 śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣṭhitāt, sva-dharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ
“it is better to practice svadharma even if it is not perfect, than to practice strange paradharma. it is better to fall in practicing svadharma than to engage in paradharma.”

3:37 śrī-bhagavān uvāca: kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ, mahāśano mahā-pāpmā viddhy enam iha vairiṇam
“(those impulses) are desire and anger, springing from the nature of rajas. Both are insatiable and bringers of disaster, they are the main enemies of man.”

3:38 dhūmenāvriyate vanhir yathādarśo malena ca, yatholbenāvṛto garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛtam
“as the fire is covered by smoke, the mirror by dust, and the fetus by the womb – so self-awareness is covered by lust and anger.”

3:41 tasmāt tvam indriyāṇy ādau niyamya bharatarṣabha, pāpmānaṁ prajahi hy enaṁ jñāna-vijñāna-nāśanam
“therefore arjuna, first control your senses. subdue the passions which are the main obstacles to the acquisition of true knowledge.”

3:42 indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasas tu parā buddhir yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ
“the senses are higher than the gross body; the mind is higher than the senses; the intelligence (buddhi) is higher than the mind; and he (the soul) is higher than the intelligence.”

---

← Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga | Chapter 4 Jnana Yoga →