Chapter3 Shloka5 - Shrimad Bhagvad Gita

Shrimad Bhagvad Gita

Chapter 3 : Karma Yoga - The Yoga of action

Ch 03 : Sh 05

न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत्‌ ।
कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥

Transliteration

na hi kascit ksanam api jatu tisthaty akarma-krt
karyate hy avasah karma sarvah prakrti-jair gunaih

Translation

Verily none can ever remain even for a moment without performing action; for everyone is made to act by the Gunas or qualities born of prakriti (nature), in spite of himself.

Purport

Replying to Arjuna's confusion about the Path of Karma and Knowledge, Bhgvan Shri Krishna in earlier shloka explained that one cannot be free from the bonds of actions merely by abstaining from actions nor can one attain enlightenment by renouncing the actions.

In this Shloka, Bhagvan Shri Krishna explained yet bigger secret about the Karma. Bhagvan said that Karma is the essence of this universe. All movement, all processes are nothing but the karma. No living being can exist even for a moment without doing something. Everything happens is under Karma, so much so that even thinking, breathing, digestion, etc are nothing but some kind of karma.

So any human who thinks that he can leave karma is wrong. No matter what paths one follows, either Jnana Yoga, Sankhya Yoga or Bhakti Yoga goes through karma. There is no other option.