Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 5 (BG 3.5)

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कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते

You have the right to act...

Preparing your translation...

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते

You have the right to act...

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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 5 — Meaning & Commentary | Live Gita

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न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् |
कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ||३-५||

na hi kaścitkṣaṇamapi jātu tiṣṭhatyakarmakṛt . kāryate hyavaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛtijairguṇaiḥ ||3-5||

Verily none can ever remain for even a moment without performing action; for everyone is made to act helplessly indeed by the qualities born of Nature.

In simple words

Krishna says: "No one — not even for a single moment — can truly stop acting. Your own nature forces you to do things whether you want to or not."

Word-by-word meanings

नहिnotकश्चित्anyoneक्षणम्a momentअपिevenजातुverilyतिष्ठतिremainsअकर्मकृत्without performing actionकार्यतेis made to doहिforअवशःhelplessकर्मactionसर्वःallप्रकृतिजैःborn of Prakritiगुणैःby the alities

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

Swami Sivananda

3.5 नहि not? कश्चित् anyone? क्षणम् a moment? अपि even? जातु verily? तिष्ठति remains? अकर्मकृत् without performing action? कार्यते is made to do? हि for? अवशः helpless? कर्म action? सर्वः all? प्रकृतिजैः born of Prakriti? गुणैः by the alities.Commentary The Gunas (alities of Nature) are three? viz.? Sattva? Rajas and Tamas. Sattva is harmony or light or purity Rajas is passion or motion Tamas is inertia or darkness. Sattvic actions help a man to attain to Moksha. Rajasic and Tamasic actions bind a man to Samsara.These alities cannot affect a man who has knowledge of the Self. He has crossed over these alities. He has become a Gunatita (one who has transcended the alities of Nature). The ignorant man who has no knowledge of the Self and who is swayed by Avidya or nescience is driven helplessly to action by the Gunas. (Cf.IV.16?XVIII.11).

Swami Chinmayananda

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.

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Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

Swami Sivananda

Swami Chinmayananda

BG 3.5 All beings are perpetually subject to the three gunas of nature—sattva, rajas, and tamas. Not even for a moment can one remain entirely inactive. Inertia is the nature of inert matter. Even when the body refrains from action, the mind and intellect remain engaged in activity. Thought ceases only in the state of sleep. So long as one remains under the influence of these gunas, one is compelled to act. Therefore, the complete renunciation of action is impossible, for it goes against the very laws of nature. Even when one abstains from bodily action, one wastes the mind's energy in futile thoughts. Thus the teaching of the Gita is that one should perform action with the body, but with an attitude of dedication. Through this, not only is there conservation of energy and prevention of its wasteful dissipation, but also the unfoldment of one's personality. For one who does not know the true nature of the Self, the renunciation of duty is not appropriate. The Blessed Lord says:

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.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 5 (BG 3.5) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

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