Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3/Verse 33

Chapter 3/Verse 33

सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि ।
प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति ॥३- ३३॥

sadṛśaṃ ceṣṭate svasyāḥ prakṛterjñānavānapi ।
prakṛtiṃ yānti bhūtāni nigrahaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati ॥3- 33॥

One acts accordingly from one's own nature, even for one endowed with knowledge. Beings follow nature. What will restraint accomplish?


Word-for-word translations

sadṛśam (preposition) (indeclinable) = accordingly 

ceṣṭate (present indicative, 3rd person, singular) = one acts

svasyās (feminine, ablative, singular) = from one's own

prakṛtes (feminine, ablative, singular) = from nature

jñānavān (masculine, nominative, singular) = one endowed with knowledge

api (adverb) (indeclinable) = even for

prakṛtim (feminine, accusative, singular) = nature

yānti (present indicative, 3rd person, plural) = they follow

bhūtāni (neuter, nominative, plural) = beings 

nigrahas (masculine, nominative, singular) = restraint 

kim (interrogative) (indeclinable) = what?

kariṣyati (future tense, 3rd person, singular) =it will accomplish