Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 3 · Karma Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 3.36 अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः
श्लोक 3.36
अर्जुन उवाच ।
अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः ।
अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ॥
arjuna uvāca |
atha kena prayukto'yaṃ pāpaṃ carati pūruṣaḥ |
anicchannapi vārṣṇeya balādiva niyojitaḥ ||
हिन्दी अर्थ
अर्जुन ने कहा: हे वार्ष्णेय! तो फिर किसकी प्रेरणा से मनुष्य न चाहते हुए भी, मानो बलपूर्वक धकेला गया हो, पाप का आचरण करता है?
Meaning in English
Arjuna said: Then what drives a person to commit sin, O Varshneya (Krishna, descendant of Vrishni), even against their own will, as if pushed by force?
Bhagavad Gita 3.36 — word by word
| Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अर्जुन उवाच | arjuna uvāca | Arjuna said |
| अथ | atha | then |
| केन | kena | by what |
| प्रयुक्तः | prayuktaḥ | impelled |
| अयम् | ayam | this |
| पापम् | pāpam | sin, wrongdoing |
| चरति | carati | commits |
| पूरुषः | pūruṣaḥ | a person |
| अनिच्छन् | anicchan | not wishing |
| अपि | api | even |
| वार्ष्णेय | vārṣṇeya | O Varshneya (Krishna, of the Vrishni clan) |
| बलात् | balāt | by force |
| इव | iva | as if |
| नियोजितः | niyojitaḥ | compelled |
Explanation
Arjuna said: Then by what is a person impelled to do wrong, even against their own wish, O Varshneya, as if driven by force?
Arjuna raises a universal question: why do we do what we know is wrong, almost against our will? Krishna has just spoken of attraction and aversion; Arjuna wants to know the root force behind them. The question opens the final section of the chapter on desire as the enemy. Commentators compare it with the experience described in many traditions of being pulled by an inner compulsion one does not endorse.
भावार्थ
अर्जुन ने कहा — हे वार्ष्णेय! फिर यह मनुष्य न चाहते हुए भी किससे प्रेरित होकर, मानो बलपूर्वक लगाए हुए की तरह, पाप का आचरण करता है?
Living it today
When you catch yourself repeating a habit you dislike, ask honestly what is driving it. Naming the force is the start of mastering it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita 3.36?
Arjuna said: Then by what is a person impelled to do wrong, even against their own wish, O Varshneya, as if driven by force?
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 3.36?
Arjuna speaks this verse, in Chapter 3 (Karma Yoga) of the Bhagavad Gita.
How can I apply Bhagavad Gita 3.36 in daily life?
When you catch yourself repeating a habit you dislike, ask honestly what is driving it. Naming the force is the start of mastering it.
Reflected on verse 3.36?
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