Diya Scripture guide
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3: The Yoga of Action
Read all 43 verses of Bhagavad Gita chapter 3, The Yoga of Action, in Sanskrit with transliteration and English translation.
The short answer
Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita, traditionally titled The Yoga of Action, has 43 verses.
In Diya's summary: Krishna clarifies why disciplined action is necessary. Below are all 43 verses of chapter 3 in Sanskrit, each with a transliteration and Diya's English translation.
Bhagavad Gita chapter 3 in English
Every verse below comes from Diya's Bhagavad Gita library, in verse order.
| Sanskrit and transliteration | English |
|---|---|
| 3.1 ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन। तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव॥ jyāyasī cetkarmaṇaste matā buddhirjanārdana | tatkiṃ karmaṇi ghore māṃ niyojayasi keśava || | If, O Janardana, according to You, knowledge is superior to action, why then, O Keshava, do You engage me in this terrible action? |
| 3.2 व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे। तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम्॥ vyāmiśreṇeva vākyena buddhiṃ mohayasīva me | tadekaṃ vada niścitya yena śreyo’hamāpnuyām || | With these seemingly conflicting words, You are, as it were, bewildering my understanding;—tell me that one thing for certain, by which I can attain to the highest. |
| 3.3 लोकेऽस्मिन्द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ। ज्ञानयोगेन साङ्ख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम्॥ loke’smindvividhā niṣṭhā purā proktā mayānagha | jñānayogena sāṅkhyānāṃ karmayogena yoginām || | In this world, O sinless one, I formerly taught a twofold discipline: the yoga of knowledge for the contemplative and the yoga of action for yogins. |
| 3.4 न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते। न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति॥ na karmaṇāmanārambhānnaiṣkarmyaṃ puruṣo’śnute | na ca saṃnyasanādeva siddhiṃ samadhigacchati || | By non-performance of work none reaches worklessness. by merely giving up action no one attains to perfection. |
| 3.5 न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत्। कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः॥ na hi kaścitkṣaṇamapi jātu tiṣṭhatyakarmakṛt | kāryate hyavaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛtijairguṇaiḥ || | No one can remain even for a moment without performing action; everyone is helplessly made to act by the qualities born of nature. |
| 3.6 कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन्। इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः स उच्यते॥ karmendriyāṇi saṃyamya ya āste manasā smaran | indriyārthānvimūḍhātmā mithyācāraḥ sa ucyate || | He, who restraining the organs of action, sits revolving in the mind, thoughts regarding objects of senses, he, of deluded understanding, is known as a hypocrite. |
| 3.7 यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन। कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स विशिष्यते॥ yastvindriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate’rjuna | karmendriyaiḥ karmayogamasaktaḥ sa viśiṣyate || | But, who, controlling the senses by the mind, unattached, directs his organs of action to the path of work, he excels. |
| 3.8 नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः। शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः॥ niyataṃ kuru karma tvaṃ karma jyāyo hyakarmaṇaḥ | śarīrayātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyedakarmaṇaḥ || | Perform your prescribed duty, for action is better than inaction. Even the maintenance of your body would not be possible through inaction. |
| 3.9 यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः। तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्गः समाचर॥ yajñārthātkarmaṇo’nyatra loko’yaṃ karmabandhanaḥ | tadarthaṃ karma kaunteya muktasaṅgaḥ samācara || | Except for action performed for sacrifice, this world is bound by action. Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform action for that purpose, free from attachment. |
| 3.10 सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः। अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक्॥ sahayajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purovāca prajāpatiḥ | anena prasaviṣyadhvameṣa vo’stviṣṭakāmadhuk || | The Prajapati, having in the beginning created mankind together with yajna, said: "By this shall ye multiply; this shall be the milch cow of your desires." |
| 3.11 देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः। परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ॥ devānbhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ | parasparaṃ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ paramavāpsyatha || | Cherish the devas with this, and may those devas cherish you: thus cherishing one another, ye shall gain the highest good. |
| 3.12 इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः। तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः॥ iṣṭānbhogānhi vo devā dāsyante yajñabhāvitāḥ | tairdattānapradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ || | "The devas, cherished by yajna, will give you desired-for objects." So, one who enjoys objects given by the devas without offering (in return) to them, is a thief. |
| 3.13 यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः। भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात्॥ yajñaśiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarvakilbiṣaiḥ | bhuñjate te tvaghaṃ pāpā ye pacantyātmakāraṇāt || | The good, eating what remains from yajna, are freed from wrong; those who cook only for themselves eat the fruit of selfishness. |
| 3.14 अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः। यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः॥ annādbhavanti bhūtāni parjanyādannasambhavaḥ | yajñādbhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karmasamudbhavaḥ || | From food come forth beings: from rain food is produced: from yajna arises rain and yajna is born of karma. |
| 3.15 कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम्। तस्मात्सर्वगतं ब्रह्म नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम्॥ karma brahmodbhavaṃ viddhi brahmākṣarasamudbhavam | tasmātsarvagataṃ brahma nityaṃ yajñe pratiṣṭhitam || | Know karma to have risen from the Veda, and the Veda from the Imperishable. Therefore the all-pervading Veda is ever centred in yajna. |
| 3.16 एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः। अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति॥ evaṃ pravartitaṃ cakraṃ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ | aghāyurindriyārāmo moghaṃ pārtha sa jīvati || | He, who here follows not the wheel thus set revolving, living in sin, and satisfied in the senses, O son of Pritha,—he lives in vain. |
| 3.17 यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः। आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते॥ yastvātmaratireva syādātmatṛptaśca mānavaḥ | ātmanyeva ca santuṣṭastasya kāryaṃ na vidyate || | But the person who is devoted to the Self, and is satisfied with the Self, and content in the Self alone, he has no obligatory duty. |
| 3.18 नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन। न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रयः॥ naiva tasya kṛtenārtho nākṛteneha kaścana | na cāsya sarvabhūteṣu kaścidarthavyapāśrayaḥ || | Such a person has nothing to gain from action or inaction, and depends on no being for any selfish purpose. |
| 3.19 तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर। असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुषः॥ tasmādasaktaḥ satataṃ kāryaṃ karma samācara | asakto hyācarankarma paramāpnoti pūruṣaḥ || | Therefore, always perform the work that must be done without attachment; by acting without attachment, a person attains the Highest. |
| 3.20 कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः। लोकसङ्ग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि॥ karmaṇaiva hi saṃsiddhimāsthitā janakādayaḥ | lokasaṅgrahamevāpi sampaśyankartumarhasi || | Truly, Janaka and others attained perfection through action alone. You too should act, keeping in view the welfare and stability of the world. |
| 3.21 यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः। स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते॥ yadyadācarati śreṣṭhastattadevetaro janaḥ | sa yatpramāṇaṃ kurute lokastadanuvartate || | Whatever an exemplary person does, others do as well. Whatever standard that person sets, the world follows. |
| 3.22 न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन। नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि॥ na me pārthāsti kartavyaṃ triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana | nānavāptamavāptavyaṃ varta eva ca karmaṇi || | I have, O son of Pritha, no duty, nothing that I have not gained, and nothing that I have to gain, in the three worlds; yet, I continue in action. |
| 3.23 यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः। मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः॥ yadi hyahaṃ na varteyaṃ jātu karmaṇyatandritaḥ | mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ || | If ever I did not continue in work, without relaxation, people, O son of Pritha, would in every way, follow in My wake. |
| 3.24 उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम्। सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः॥ utsīdeyurime lokā na kuryāṃ karma cedaham | saṅkarasya ca kartā syāmupahanyāmimāḥ prajāḥ || | If I did not act, these worlds would perish. I would cause social disorder and destroy these beings. |
| 3.25 सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत। कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसङ्ग्रहम्॥ saktāḥ karmaṇyavidvāṃso yathā kurvanti bhārata | kuryādvidvāṃstathāsaktaścikīrṣurlokasaṅgraham || | As the unwise act with attachment, O Bharata, so should wise people act without attachment, seeking the welfare and stability of the world. |
| 3.26 न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम्। जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान् युक्तः समाचरन्॥ na buddhibhedaṃ janayedajñānāṃ karmasaṅginām | joṣayetsarvakarmāṇi vidvān yuktaḥ samācaran || | One should not unsettle the understanding of the ignorant, attached to action; wise people, (himself) steadily acting, should engage (the ignorant) in all work. |
| 3.27 प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः। अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते॥ prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ | ahaṅkāravimūḍhātmā kartāhamiti manyate || | The guṇas of prakriti perform all action. With the understanding deluded by egoism, person thinks, "I am the doer." |
| 3.28 तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः। गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सज्जते॥ tattvavittu mahābāho guṇakarmavibhāgayoḥ | guṇā guṇeṣu vartanta iti matvā na sajjate || | But, one, with true insight into the domains of guṇa and karma, knowing that guṇas as senses merely rest on guṇas as objects, does not become attached. |
| 3.29 प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु। तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत्॥ prakṛterguṇasammūḍhāḥ sajjante guṇakarmasu | tānakṛtsnavido mandānkṛtsnavinna vicālayet || | People of perfect knowledge should not unsettle (the understanding of) people of dull wit and imperfect knowledge, who deluded by the guṇas of prakriti attach (themselves) to the functions of the guṇas. |
| 3.30 मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा। निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः॥ mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi saṃnyasyādhyātmacetasā | nirāśīrnirmamo bhūtvā yudhyasva vigatajvaraḥ || | Surrendering all actions to Me, with your mind centered on the Self, free from expectation and possessiveness, and without inner fever, engage in battle. |
| 3.31 ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः। श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभिः॥ ye me matamidaṃ nityamanutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ | śraddhāvanto’nasūyanto mucyante te’pi karmabhiḥ || | People who constantly follow this teaching of Mine with faith and without fault-finding are also freed from the bondage of actions. |
| 3.32 ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम्। सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतसः॥ ye tvetadabhyasūyanto nānutiṣṭhanti me matam | sarvajñānavimūḍhāṃstānviddhi naṣṭānacetasaḥ || | Those who reject this teaching and fail to practice it are deluded in knowledge and lose discernment. |
| 3.33 सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि। प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति॥ sadṛśaṃ ceṣṭate svasyāḥ prakṛterjñānavānapi | prakṛtiṃ yānti bhūtāni nigrahaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati || | Even a wise person acts in accordance with his own nature: beings follow nature: what can restraint do? |
| 3.34 इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ। तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ॥ indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāgadveṣau vyavasthitau | tayorna vaśamāgacchettau hyasya paripanthinau || | Attachment and aversion naturally arise between the senses and their objects; do not come under their sway, for they are obstacles. |
| 3.35 श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्। स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः॥ śreyānsvadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmātsvanuṣṭhitāt | svadharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ || | One’s own dharma, though imperfectly performed, is better than another’s dharma well performed. Better is death in one’s own dharma; another’s dharma is fraught with danger. |
| 3.36 अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः। अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः॥ atha kena prayukto’yaṃ pāpaṃ carati pūruṣaḥ | anicchannapi vārṣṇeya balādiva niyojitaḥ || | But by what impelled does person commit sin, though against his wishes, O Varshneya, constrained as it were, by force? |
| 3.37 काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः। महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम्॥ kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇasamudbhavaḥ | mahāśano mahāpāpmā viddhyenamiha vairiṇam || | It is truly desire—it is anger—born of rajas, all-devouring and greatly sinful. Know this as the enemy here. |
| 3.38 धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च। यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम्॥ dhūmenāvriyate vahniryathādarśo malena ca | yatholbenāvṛto garbhastathā tenedamāvṛtam || | As fire is truly covered by smoke, a mirror by dust, and an embryo by the womb, so knowledge is covered by desire. |
| 3.39 आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा। कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च॥ āvṛtaṃ jñānametena jñānino nityavairiṇā | kāmarūpeṇa kaunteya duṣpūreṇānalena ca || | Knowledge is covered by this, the constant foe of wise people, O son of Kunti, the unappeasable fire of desire. |
| 3.40 इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते। एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम्॥ indriyāṇi mano buddhirasyādhiṣṭhānamucyate | etairvimohayatyeṣa jñānamāvṛtya dehinam || | The senses, mind, and intellect are said to be desire’s dwelling places; through them it veils wisdom and deludes the embodied one. |
| 3.41 तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ। पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम्॥ tasmāttvamindriyāṇyādau niyamya bharatarṣabha | pāpmānaṃ prajahi hyenaṃ jñānavijñānanāśanam || | So, O Bull of the Bharata race, controlling the senses at the outset, kill it,—the sinful, the destroyer of knowledge and realisation. |
| 3.42 इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः। मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः॥ indriyāṇi parāṇyāhurindriyebhyaḥ paraṃ manaḥ | manasastu parā buddhiryo buddheḥ paratastu saḥ || | The senses are said to be superior (to the body); the mind is superior to the senses; the intellect is superior to the mind; and that which is superior to the intellect is He (the Self). |
| 3.43 एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना। जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम्॥ evaṃ buddheḥ paraṃ buddhvā saṃstabhyātmānamātmanā | jahi śatruṃ mahābāho kāmarūpaṃ durāsadam || | Knowing the Self beyond the intellect, steady the lower self by the higher Self and overcome the difficult enemy called desire. |
You can read all 18 chapters in Diya. To see where chapter 3 sits in the whole text, start with the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, or read how to start the Bhagavad Gita as a beginner.
Previous chapter: Chapter 2: The Teaching Begins. Next chapter: Chapter 4: Wisdom in Action.
For more, see Karma Meaning: What Karma Is in Hinduism and the Gita.
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Questions people ask
How many verses are in Bhagavad Gita chapter 3?
Chapter 3 has 43 verses.
What is chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita called?
Its traditional title is The Yoga of Action. Diya calls it The Yoga of Action.
What is Bhagavad Gita chapter 3 about?
In Diya's summary: Krishna clarifies why disciplined action is necessary.
Research notes
Sources
Follow the reading behind this article through the references below. Each source represents its own author, institution, or tradition.
- Bhagavad Gita chapter 3 (Diya Gita library)
DiyaPublished by Houdini Apps, LLC
- Bhagavad Gita chapter titles (Diya Gita library)
DiyaPublished by Houdini Apps, LLC
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