Karma Meaning: What Karma Is in Hinduism and the Gita

What karma means in Hinduism

Karma is the Sanskrit word for action or deed. In Hindu thought, karma can mean both a person's actions and their consequences. Hindu teachings speak of karma in thought, word, and deed. Hindu teachings connect karma with samsara, the cycle of birth and rebirth. The Bhagavad Gita presents karma yoga as a spiritual path of action in the world. The Gita teaches acting virtuously without clinging to the results or claiming them for oneself.

Karma in the Bhagavad Gita

Diya's Bhagavad Gita tags 38 verses as karma yoga, the path of action. These are the 5 that Diya's daily verses and affirmations return to.

Sanskrit and transliteration	English
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥ karmaṇyevādhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana | mā karmaphalaheturbhūrmā te saṅgo’stvakarmaṇi ||	Your authority is over action alone, never over its fruits. Do not make the fruits of action your motive, and do not be attached to inaction.

Sanskrit and transliteration	English
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.

Sanskrit and transliteration	English
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.

Sanskrit and transliteration	English
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."

Sanskrit and transliteration	English
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.

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Related reading

• Meaning of Dharma: What Dharma Is in Hinduism and the Gita
• Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3: The Yoga of Action
• About the Diya app