Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3/Verse 9

Chapter 3/Verse 9

यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः ।
तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्गः समाचर ॥३- ९॥

yajñārthātkarmaṇo'nyatra loko'yaṃ karmabandhanaḥ ।
tadarthaṃ karma kaunteya muktasaṅgaḥ samācara ॥3- 9॥

Aside from the action done for the means devotion, this world is bound by action. Free from attachment, you must accomplish action based on that means, O Son of Kunti.


Word-for-word translations

yajñārthāt (yajña + arthāt) (compound) (adjective) (masculine, ablative, singular) = the means of devotion

karmaṇas (neuter, ablative, singular) = from action

anyatra (adverb) (indeclinable) = aside from

lokas (masculine, nominative, singular) = world

ayam (demonstrative pronoun) (masculine, nominative, singular) = this

karmabandhanas (karma + bandhanas) (compound) (masculine, nominative, singular) = bound by action

tat (neuter, accusative, singular) = that

artham (masculine, accusative, singular) = means

karma (neuter, accusative, singular) = action

kaunteya (masculine, vocative, singular) = Son of Kunti (epithet of Arjuna)

muktasaṅgas (masculine, nominative, singular) = free from attachment

samācara (imperative, 2nd person, singular) = you must accomplish