Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 3 · Karma Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 3.5 न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु
श्लोक 3.5
न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् ।
कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥
na hi kaścitkṣaṇamapi jātu tiṣṭhatyakarmakṛt |
kāryate hyavaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛtijairguṇaiḥ ||
हिन्दी अर्थ
कोई भी मनुष्य एक क्षण भी बिना कर्म किए नहीं रह सकता, क्योंकि प्रकृति से उत्पन्न गुण हर प्राणी को विवश होकर कर्म करने पर बाध्य करते हैं।
Meaning in English
No one can remain even for a moment without doing something. Every being is driven to act, whether it wishes or not, by the qualities (gunas) born of nature.
Bhagavad Gita 3.5 — word by word
| Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| न हि | na hi | indeed not |
| कश्चित् | kaścit | anyone |
| क्षणम् | kṣaṇam | a moment |
| अपि | api | even |
| जातु | jātu | ever |
| तिष्ठति | tiṣṭhati | remains |
| अकर्मकृत् | akarma-kṛt | without doing action |
| कार्यते | kāryate | is made to do |
| हि | hi | for |
| अवशः | avaśaḥ | helplessly |
| कर्म | karma | action |
| सर्वः | sarvaḥ | everyone |
| प्रकृतिजैः | prakṛti-jaiḥ | born of nature |
| गुणैः | guṇaiḥ | by the gunas, the qualities |
Explanation
No one can remain even for a moment without doing some action. Everyone is driven to act, helplessly, by the qualities born of nature.
This is the factual basis of karma yoga: breathing, thinking and digesting are all action, so total inaction is impossible for an embodied being. The three gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas) keep body and mind moving. Shankara adds that this compulsion applies to the one who does not yet know the Self; the knower is not driven in the same way. Gandhi drew from it that since we must act anyway, we should choose to act in service.
भावार्थ
कोई भी मनुष्य किसी भी समय क्षणभर भी कर्म किए बिना नहीं रह सकता, क्योंकि प्रकृति से उत्पन्न गुणों के द्वारा सभी विवश होकर कर्म करते हैं।
Living it today
Since you will be doing something every moment anyway, the real choice is what you do and in what spirit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita 3.5?
No one can remain even for a moment without doing some action. Everyone is driven to act, helplessly, by the qualities born of nature.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 3.5?
Sri Krishna speaks this verse, in Chapter 3 (Karma Yoga) of the Bhagavad Gita.
How can I apply Bhagavad Gita 3.5 in daily life?
Since you will be doing something every moment anyway, the real choice is what you do and in what spirit.
Reflected on verse 3.5?
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