Chapter - 3

Karma Yoga

The third chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is "Karma Yoga" or the "Path of Selfless Service". Here Lord Krishna emphasizes the importance of karma in life. He reveals that it is important for every human being to engage in some sort of activity in this material world. Further, he describes the kinds of actions that lead to bondage and the kinds that lead to liberation. Those persons who continue to perform their respective duties externally for the pleasure of the Supreme, without attachment to its rewards get liberation at the end.

43 Verses
Verse 1
arjuna uvācha jyāyasī chet karmaṇas te matā buddhir janārdana tat kiṁ karmaṇi ghore māṁ niyojayasi keśhava
Verse 2
vyāmiśhreṇeva vākyena buddhiṁ mohayasīva me tad ekaṁ vada niśhchitya yena śhreyo ’ham āpnuyām
Verse 3
śhrī bhagavān uvācha loke’smin dvi-vidhā niṣhṭhā purā proktā mayānagha jñāna-yogena sāṅkhyānāṁ karma-yogena yoginām
Verse 4
na karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣhkarmyaṁ puruṣho ’śhnute na cha sannyasanād eva siddhiṁ samadhigachchhati
Verse 5
na hi kaśhchit kṣhaṇam api jātu tiṣhṭhatyakarma-kṛit kāryate hyavaśhaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛiti-jair guṇaiḥ
Verse 6
karmendriyāṇi sanyamya ya āste manasā smaran indriyārthān vimūḍhātmā mithyāchāraḥ sa uchyate
Verse 7
yas tvindriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate ’rjuna karmendriyaiḥ karma-yogam asaktaḥ sa viśhiṣhyate
Verse 8
niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hyakarmaṇaḥ śharīra-yātrāpi cha te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ
Verse 9
yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ tad-arthaṁ karma kaunteya mukta-saṅgaḥ samāchara
Verse 10
saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛiṣhṭvā purovācha prajāpatiḥ anena prasaviṣhyadhvam eṣha vo ’stviṣhṭa-kāma-dhuk
Verse 11
devān bhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ śhreyaḥ param avāpsyatha
Verse 12
iṣhṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajña-bhāvitāḥ tair dattān apradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ
Verse 13
yajña-śhiṣhṭāśhinaḥ santo muchyante sarva-kilbiṣhaiḥ bhuñjate te tvaghaṁ pāpā ye pachantyātma-kāraṇāt
Verse 14
annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
Verse 15
karma brahmodbhavaṁ viddhi brahmākṣhara-samudbhavam tasmāt sarva-gataṁ brahma nityaṁ yajñe pratiṣhṭhitam
Verse 16
evaṁ pravartitaṁ chakraṁ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ aghāyur indriyārāmo moghaṁ pārtha sa jīvati
Verse 17
yas tvātma-ratir eva syād ātma-tṛiptaśh cha mānavaḥ ātmanyeva cha santuṣhṭas tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate
Verse 18
naiva tasya kṛitenārtho nākṛiteneha kaśhchana na chāsya sarva-bhūteṣhu kaśhchid artha-vyapāśhrayaḥ
Verse 19
tasmād asaktaḥ satataṁ kāryaṁ karma samāchara asakto hyācharan karma param āpnoti pūruṣhaḥ
Verse 20
karmaṇaiva hi sansiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥ loka-saṅgraham evāpi sampaśhyan kartum arhasi
Verse 21
yad yad ācharati śhreṣhṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate
Verse 22
na me pārthāsti kartavyaṁ triṣhu lokeṣhu kiñchana nānavāptam avāptavyaṁ varta eva cha karmaṇi
Verse 23
yadi hyahaṁ na varteyaṁ jātu karmaṇyatandritaḥ mama vartmānuvartante manuṣhyāḥ pārtha sarvaśhaḥ
Verse 24
utsīdeyur ime lokā na kuryāṁ karma ched aham sankarasya cha kartā syām upahanyām imāḥ prajāḥ
Verse 25
saktāḥ karmaṇyavidvānso yathā kurvanti bhārata kuryād vidvāns tathāsaktaśh chikīrṣhur loka-saṅgraham
Verse 26
na buddhi-bhedaṁ janayed ajñānāṁ karma-saṅginām joṣhayet sarva-karmāṇi vidvān yuktaḥ samācharan
Verse 27
prakṛiteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśhaḥ ahankāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate
Verse 28
tattva-vit tu mahā-bāho guṇa-karma-vibhāgayoḥ guṇā guṇeṣhu vartanta iti matvā na sajjate
Verse 29
prakṛiter guṇa-sammūḍhāḥ sajjante guṇa-karmasu tān akṛitsna-vido mandān kṛitsna-vin na vichālayet
Verse 30
mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi sannyasyādhyātma-chetasā nirāśhīr nirmamo bhūtvā yudhyasva vigata-jvaraḥ
Verse 31
ye me matam idaṁ nityam anutiṣhṭhanti mānavāḥ śhraddhāvanto ’nasūyanto muchyante te ’pi karmabhiḥ
Verse 32
ye tvetad abhyasūyanto nānutiṣhṭhanti me matam sarva-jñāna-vimūḍhāns tān viddhi naṣhṭān achetasaḥ
Verse 33
sadṛiśhaṁ cheṣhṭate svasyāḥ prakṛiter jñānavān api prakṛitiṁ yānti bhūtāni nigrahaḥ kiṁ kariṣhyati
Verse 34
indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāga-dveṣhau vyavasthitau tayor na vaśham āgachchhet tau hyasya paripanthinau
Verse 35
śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt swa-dharme nidhanaṁ śhreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ
Verse 36
arjuna uvācha atha kena prayukto ’yaṁ pāpaṁ charati pūruṣhaḥ anichchhann api vārṣhṇeya balād iva niyojitaḥ
Verse 37
śhrī bhagavān uvācha kāma eṣha krodha eṣha rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ mahāśhano mahā-pāpmā viddhyenam iha vairiṇam
Verse 38
dhūmenāvriyate vahnir yathādarśho malena cha yatholbenāvṛito garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛitam
Verse 39
āvṛitaṁ jñānam etena jñānino nitya-vairiṇā kāma-rūpeṇa kaunteya duṣhpūreṇānalena cha
Verse 40
indriyāṇi mano buddhir asyādhiṣhṭhānam uchyate etair vimohayatyeṣha jñānam āvṛitya dehinam
Verse 41
tasmāt tvam indriyāṇyādau niyamya bharatarṣhabha pāpmānaṁ prajahi hyenaṁ jñāna-vijñāna-nāśhanam
Verse 42
indriyāṇi parāṇyāhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ manasas tu parā buddhir yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ
Verse 43
evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā sanstabhyātmānam ātmanā jahi śhatruṁ mahā-bāho kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam