Bhagavad Gita 3.8 · Niyatam Kuru Karma Tvamनियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः।शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः ॥
niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hyakarmaṇaḥ
śharīra-yātrāpi cha te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ
Sanskrit recitation
Why act at all · 3.1–3.9 · Teaching
Translation
Perform your bounden duty, for action is superior to inaction, and even the maintenance of the body would not be possible for you through inaction.
Hindi translation
तू शास्त्रविधिसे नियत किये हुए कर्तव्य-कर्म कर; क्योंकि कर्म न करनेकी अपेक्षा कर्म करना श्रेष्ठ है तथा कर्म न करनेसे तेरा शरीर-निर्वाह भी सिद्ध नहीं होगा।
Meaning
Niyatam Karma is an obligatory duty which one is bound to perform. Thenonperformance of the bounden duties causes demerit. The performance of the obligatory duties is not a means for the attainment of a specific result. The performance does not cause any merit.Living itself involves several natural and unavoidable actions which have to be performed by all. It is ignorance to say, I can live doing nothing.
After Swami Sivananda
Why act at all· 3.1–3.9→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 3.1Arjuna said: If Thou thinkest that knowledge is superior to action, O Krishna, why then, O…
- 3.2With this seemingly perplexing speech, you seem to be confusing my understanding;…
- 3.3The Blessed Lord said, "In this world, there is a twofold path, as I said before, O…
- 3.4Man does not reach actionlessness by not performing actions; nor does he attain perfection…
- 3.5Verily, no one can remain for even a moment without performing action; for everyone is…
- 3.6He who, restraining the organs of action, sits thinking of the sense-objects in his mind,…
- 3.7But whoever, controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, engages himself in Karma Yoga…
3.8Perform your bounden duty, for action is superior to inaction, and even the maintenance of…
- 3.9The world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of sacrifice; do…
Word-by-word→
- hi
- certainly
- te
- your
- api
- even
- cha
- and
- kuru
- perform
- tvam
- you
- karma
- action
- niyatam
- constantly
- yātrā
- maintenance
- jyāyaḥ
- superior
- śharīra
- bodily
- akarmaṇaḥ
- inaction
- na prasiddhyet
- would not be possible
Read this when you feel
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