Chapter 3 –Karma Yoga
The third chapter of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, known as Karma Yoga, is one of the most inspiring chapters that explains the importance of action, duty, and selfless service in human life. In this chapter, Lord Krishna teaches Arjuna the path of Karma Yoga, explaining that a person should perform their duties without attachment to the results. Such selfless action is the key to spiritual growth and inner peace.
Lord Krishna explains that no human being can remain without performing actions even for a moment. Therefore, the true path of yoga is to carry out one’s responsibilities with dedication while remaining free from selfish desires and ego. This chapter deeply discusses the concepts of selfless action, sacrifice, control of the senses, and working for the welfare of society. Karma Yoga teaches us that dedicating all actions to God and performing our duties with sincerity and detachment is the true way to live a meaningful and righteous life.
Shloka 1
Arjuna Uvācha:
Jyāyasī chet karmaṇas te matā buddhir Janārdana ।
Tat kiṁ karmaṇi ghore māṁ niyojayasi Keśava ॥1॥
Shloka 2
Vyāmiśhreṇeva vākyena buddhiṁ mohayasīva me ।
Tad ekaṁ vada niśchitya yena śhreyo ’ham āpnuyām ॥2॥
Shloka 3
Śhrī Bhagavān Uvācha:
Loke ’smin dvi-vidhā niṣhṭhā purā proktā mayānagha ।
Jñāna-yogena sāṅkhyānāṁ karma-yogena yoginām ॥3॥
Shloka 4
Na karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣhkarmyaṁ puruṣho ’śhnute ।
Na cha sannyasanād eva siddhiṁ samadhigachchhati ॥4॥
Shloka 5
Na hi kaśhchit kṣhaṇam api jātu tiṣhṭhaty akarma-kṛit ।
Kāryate hy avaśhaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛiti-jair guṇaiḥ ॥5॥
Shloka 6
Karmendriyāṇi sanyamya ya āste manasā smaran ।
Indriyārthān vimūḍhātmā mithyāchāraḥ sa uchyate ॥6॥
Shloka 7
Yas tv indriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate ’rjuna ।
Karmendriyaiḥ karma-yogam asaktaḥ sa viśhiṣhyate ॥7॥
Shloka 8
Niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ ।
Śharīra-yātrāpi cha te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ ॥8॥
Shloka 9
Yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ।
Tad-arthaṁ karma Kaunteya mukta-saṅgaḥ samāchara ॥9॥
Shloka 10
Saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛiṣhṭvā purovācha Prajāpatiḥ ।
Anena prasaviṣhyadhvam eṣha vo ’stv iṣhṭa-kāma-dhuk ॥10॥
Shloka 11
Devān bhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ ।
Parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ śhreyaḥ param avāpsyatha ॥11॥
Shloka 12
Iṣhṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajña-bhāvitāḥ ।
Tair dattān apradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ ॥12॥
Shloka 13
Yajña-śhiṣhṭāśhinaḥ santo muchyante sarva-kilbiṣhaiḥ ।
Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pachanty ātma-kāraṇāt ॥13॥
Shloka 14
Annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ ।
Yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ ॥14॥
Shloka 15
Karma brahmodbhavaṁ viddhi brahmākṣhara-samudbhavam ।
Tasmāt sarva-gataṁ brahma nityaṁ yajñe pratiṣhṭhitam ॥15॥
Shloka 16
Evaṁ pravartitaṁ chakraṁ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ ।
Aghāyur indriyārāmo moghaṁ Pārtha sa jīvati ॥16॥
Shloka 17
Yas tv ātma-ratir eva syād ātma-tṛiptaśh cha mānavaḥ ।
Ātmany eva cha santuṣhṭas tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate ॥17॥
Shloka 18
Naiva tasya kṛitenārtho nākṛiteneha kaśhchana ।
Na chāsya sarva-bhūteṣhu kaśhchid artha-vyapāśhrayaḥ ॥18॥
Shloka 19
Tasmād asaktaḥ satataṁ kāryaṁ karma samāchara ।
Asakto hy ācharan karma param āpnoti pūruṣhaḥ ॥19॥
Shloka 20
Karmaṇaiva hi sansiddhim āsthitā Janakādayaḥ ।
Loka-saṅgraham evāpi sampaśhyan kartum arhasi ॥20॥
Shloka 21
Yad yad ācharati śhreṣhṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ ।
Sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate ॥21॥
Shloka 22
Na me Pārthāsti kartavyaṁ triṣhu lokeṣhu kiñchana ।
Nānavāptam avāptavyaṁ varta eva cha karmaṇi ॥22॥
Shloka 23
Yadi hy ahaṁ na varteyaṁ jātu karmaṇy atandritaḥ ।
Mama vartmānuvartante manuṣhyāḥ Pārtha sarvaśhaḥ ॥23॥
Shloka 24
Utsīdeyur ime lokā na kuryāṁ karma ched aham ।
Saṅkarasya cha kartā syām upahanyām imāḥ prajāḥ ॥24॥
Shloka 25
Saktāḥ karmaṇy avidvāṁso yathā kurvanti Bhārata ।
Kuryād vidvāṁs tathāsaktaśh chikīrṣhur loka-saṅgraham ॥25॥
Shloka 26
Na buddhi-bhedaṁ janayed ajñānāṁ karma-saṅginām ।
Joṣhayet sarva-karmāṇi vidvān yuktaḥ samācharan ॥26॥
Shloka 27
Prakṛiteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśhaḥ ।
Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate ॥27॥
Shloka 28
Tattva-vit tu mahā-bāho guṇa-karma-vibhāgayoḥ ।
Guṇā guṇeṣhu vartanta iti matvā na sajjate ॥28॥
Shloka 29
Prakṛiter guṇa-sammūḍhāḥ sajjante guṇa-karmasu ।
Tān akṛitsna-vido mandān kṛitsna-vin na vichālayet ॥29॥
Shloka 30
Mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi sannyasyādhyātma-chetasā ।
Nirāśhīr nirmamo bhūtvā yudhyasva vigata-jvaraḥ ॥30॥
Shloka 31
Ye me matam idaṁ nityam anutiṣhṭhanti mānavāḥ ।
Śhraddhāvanto ’nasūyanto muchyante te ’pi karmabhiḥ ॥31॥
Shloka 32
Ye tv etad abhyasūyanto nānutiṣhṭhanti me matam ।
Sarva-jñāna-vimūḍhāns tān viddhi naṣhṭān achetasaḥ ॥32॥
Shloka 33
Sadṛiśhaṁ cheṣhṭate svasyāḥ prakṛiter jñānavān api ।
Prakṛitiṁ yānti bhūtāni nigrahaḥ kiṁ kariṣhyati ॥33॥
Shloka 34
Indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāga-dveṣhau vyavasthitau ।
Tayor na vaśham āgachchhet tau hy asya paripanthinau ॥34॥
Shloka 35
Śhreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt ।
Sva-dharme nidhanaṁ śhreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ ॥35॥
Shloka 36
Arjuna Uvācha:
Atha kena prayukto ’yaṁ pāpaṁ charati pūruṣhaḥ ।
Anichchhann api Vārṣhṇeya balād iva niyojitaḥ ॥36॥
Shloka 37
Śhrī Bhagavān Uvācha:
Kāma eṣha krodha eṣha rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ ।
Mahāśhano mahā-pāpmā viddhy enam iha vairiṇam ॥37॥
Shloka 38
Dhūmenāvriyate vahnir yathādarśho malena cha ।
Yatholbenāvṛito garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛitam ॥38॥
Shloka 39
Āvṛitaṁ jñānam etena jñānino nitya-vairiṇā ।
Kāma-rūpeṇa Kaunteya duṣhpūreṇānalena cha ॥39॥
Shloka 40
Indriyāṇi mano buddhir asyādhiṣhṭhānam uchyate ।
Etair vimohayatyeṣha jñānam āvṛitya dehinam ॥40॥
Shloka 41
Tasmāt tvam indriyāṇy ādau niyamya Bharatarṣhabha ।
Pāpmānaṁ prajahi hy enaṁ jñāna-vijñāna-nāśhanam ॥41॥
Shloka 42
Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ ।
Manasas tu parā buddhir yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ ॥42॥
Shloka 43
Evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā sanstabhyātmānam ātmanā ।
Jahi śhatruṁ mahā-bāho kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam ॥43॥
