Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 24 (BG 3.24) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

3.24 उत्सीदेयुः would perish? इमे these? लोकाः worlds? न not? कुर्याम् would do? कर्म action? चेत् if? अहम् I? सङ्करस्य of confusion of castes? च and? कर्ता author? स्याम् would be? उपहन्याम् would destroy? इमाःthese? प्रजाः beings.Commentary If I did not engage in action? people would also be inactive. They would not do their duties according to the Varnasrama Dharma (code of morals governing their own order and stage of life). Hence confusion of castes would arise. I would have to destroy these beings.

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

Modern

If I were to cease governing in My divine form, these worlds would collapse into chaos, and the ordered creation would be destroyed. The universe is not a realm of disorder, but rather a cosmos governed by eternal law. Nowhere in the operations of nature do we see the violation of this sacred order. The movements of celestial bodies, the rhythmic dance of the seasons, and the harmony of creation—all proceed according to a supreme law. This is what we call nature, and the mighty power of the divine that governs it. Should the Lord withdraw from this cosmic function, all these worlds would perish. The words of Sri Krishna are not contrary to reason, nor are they mere superstition for the credulous alone. Even those who approach this through the lens of science cannot dismiss this truth. The Lord is not merely the regulator of the laws that govern the material world, but also the sovereign of the inner realm of emotion and thought. The ancient rishis and sages of Hindu wisdom classified human society into four varnas based upon the mental nature and intellectual capacity of individuals. Should the laws governing the inner world cease to function properly, human conduct and character would fall into confusion and instability, breeding delusion and discord. The varna-sankara prevalent in our time contradicts the teachings of scripture, and thus the educated person of today may criticize the Gita, saying that it endorses the dominance of the higher varnas as sanctioned by God. The matter of varna-sankara has been discussed in the forty-first verse of the first chapter. Even after attaining Self-knowledge, though the wise one has no personal need for action, still must the knower of truth engage in work. How...