Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3/Verse 5

Chapter 3/Verse 5

न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् ।
कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥३- ५॥

na hi kaścitkṣaṇamapi jātu tiṣṭhatyakarmakṛt ।
kāryate hyavaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛtijairguṇaiḥ ॥3- 5॥

Indeed, no one, even for an instant, ever stands not participating in karma. Indeed, all are caused to perform action, irregardless of one's will, by the innate guṇas. 

Word-for-word translations

na (adverb) (indeclinable) = not 

hi (adverb) (indeclinable) = indeed

kaścit (indefinite construction) (indeclinable) = anyone

kṣaṇam (neuter, nominative, singular) = an instant

api (adverb) (indeclinable) = even

jātu (adverb) (indeclinable) = ever

tiṣṭhati (present indicative, 3rd person, singular) = one stands

akarmakṛt (masculine, nominative, singular) = not participating in karma

kāryate (present indicative, causative, passive, 3rd person, singular) = one is caused to perform 

hi (adverb) (indeclinable) = indeed

avaśas (masculine, nominative, singular) = irregardless of one's will

karma (neuter, accusative, singular) = action

sarvas (adjective) (masculine, nominative, singular) = all

prakṛtijais (adjective) (masculine, instrumental, plural) = by the innate

guṇais (masculine, instrumental, plural) = by the guṇas

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3/Verse 4

न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते ।
न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ॥३- ४॥

na karmaṇāmanārambhānnaiṣkarmyaṃ puruṣo'śnute ।
na ca saṃnyasanādeva siddhiṃ samadhigacchati ॥3- 4॥

Not from abstention of actions does a person attain freedom from karma and not from renunciation, indeed, does one approach perfection. 


Word-for-word translations 

na (adverb) (indeclinable) = not 

karmaṇām (neuter, genitive, plural) = of actions

anārambhāt (masculine, ablative, singular) = from abstention

naiṣkarmyam (neuter, accusative, singular) = freedom from karma 

puruṣas (masculine, nominative, singular) = a person

aśnute (present indicative, 3rd person, singular) = one attain

na (adverb) (indeclinable) = not 

ca (conjugation) (indeclinable) = and

saṃnyasanāt (neuter, ablative, singular) = from renunciation 

eva (adverb) (indeclinable) = indeed

siddhim (feminine, accusative, singular) = perfection 

samadhigacchati (present indicative, 3rd person, singular) = one approach

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3/Verse 3

श्रीभगवानुवाच

लोकेऽस्मिन्द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ ।
ज्ञानयोगेन सांख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम् ॥३- ३॥

śrībhagavānuvāca

loke'smindvividhā niṣṭhā purā proktā mayānagha ।
jñānayogena sāṃkhyānāṃ karmayogena yoginām ॥3- 3॥

The Blessed One said, in this world the method [is] two-fold, as previously declared by me, Blameless One.  By the yoga of knowledge of the Sāṃkhyas [and] by the yoga of action of the yogins


Word-for-word translation

śrībhagavān (masculine, nominative, singular) = the Blessed One (epithet of Krishna)

uvāca (past tense, 3rd person, singular) = said

loke  (masculine, locative, singular) = in the world

asmin (demonstrative pronoun) (masculine, locative, singular) = in this

dvividhā (feminine, nominative, singular) = two-fold

niṣṭhā (feminine, nominative, singular) = method

purā (adverb) (indeclinable) = previously

proktā (past passive participle) (masculine, nominative, singular) = declared

mayā (instrumental, singular) = by me

anagha (masculine, vocative, singular) = Blameless One (epithet of Arjuna)

jñānayogena (masculine, instrumental, singular) = by the yoga of knowledge

sāṃkhyānām (masculine, genitive, plural) = of the Sāṃkhyas

karmayogena (masculine, instrumental, singular) = by the yoga of action

yoginām (masculine, genitive, plural) =of the yogins

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3/Verse 2

व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे ।
तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ॥३- २॥

vyāmiśreṇeva vākyena buddhiṃ mohayasīva me ।
tadekaṃ vada niścitya yena śreyo'hamāpnuyām ॥3- 2॥

With words that seem equivocal, just so you cause confusion in my understanding. Without a doubt tell that one [way] by which I should attain the better. 

Word-for-word translation

vyāmiśreṇa (adjective) (neuter, instrumental, singular) = with equivocal  

iva (adverb) (indeclinable) = that seem

vākyena (neuter, instrumental, singular) = with words

buddhim (feminine, accusative, singular) = understanding

mohayasi (causative, 2nd person, singular) = you cause confusion

iva (adverb) (indeclinable) = just so

me (pronoun, genitive, singular) = of me

tad (neuter, accusative, singular) = that

ekam (neuter, accusative, singular) = one

vada (imperative, 2nd person, singular) = tell

niścitya (gerund) (indeclinable) = without a doubt 

yena (neuter, instrumental, singular) = by which

śreyas (comparative) (neuter, accusative, singular) = the better

aham (pronoun, 1st person, nominative, singular) = I

āpnuyām (optative, 1st person, singular) = I should attain

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3/Verse 1

अर्जुन उवाच

ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन ।
तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव ॥३- १॥

arjuna uvāca

jyāyasī cetkarmaṇaste matā buddhirjanārdana ।
tatkiṃ karmaṇi ghore māṃ niyojayasi keśava ॥3- 1॥

Arjuna said, O Agitator of Men, if your opinion [is that] wisdom [is] better than action; then why do you cause me to engage in this terrible action, O Handsome Haired One?


Word-for-word translations

arjunas (masculine, nominative, singular) = Arjuna

uvāca (past tense verb, 3rd person, singular) = said 

jyāyasī (comparative) (feminine, nominative, singular) = better

ced (conjunction) (indeclinable) = if 

karmaṇas (ablative of comparison) (neuter, ablative, singular) = than action

te (pronoun, 2rd person, genitive, singular) = your

matā (feminine, nominative, singular) = opinion

buddhis (feminine, nominative, singular) = wisdom

janārdana (masculine, vocative, singular) = Agitator of Men (epithet of Krishna) 

tad (neuter, nominative, singular) = then 

kim (interrogative) (neuter nominative, singular) = why?

karmaṇi (neuter, locative, singular) = in action

ghore (neuter, locative, singular) = terrible 

mām (pronoun, 1st person, accusative, singular) = me

niyojayasi (present indicative, causative, 2nd person, singular) = you cause to engage

keśava = O Handsome Haired One (epithet of Krishna) 

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2/Verse 72

एषा ब्राह्मी स्थितिः पार्थ नैनां प्राप्य विमुह्यति ।
स्थित्वास्यामन्तकालेऽपि ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृच्छति ॥२- ७२॥

eṣā brāhmī sthitiḥ pārtha naināṃ prāpya vimuhyati ।
sthitvāsyāmantakāle'pi brahmanirvāṇamṛcchati ॥2- 72॥

O Son of Pṛthā, this is the Brāhmī state. Not having attained this, one is confused. Standing firm in it even at the time of the end, one attains the nirvana of Brahma. 

Word-for-word translations

eṣā (demonstrative pronoun) (feminine, nominative, singular) = this

brāhmī (adjective) (feminine, nominative, singular) =  Brāhmī (feminine energy of Brāhma)

sthitis (feminine, nominative, singular) = a state

pārtha (masculine, vocative, singular) = O Son of Pṛthā

na (adverb) (indeclinable) = not 

enām (demonstrative pronoun, feminine, accusative, singular) = this

prāpya (gerund) (indeclinable) = having attained 

vimuhyati (present indicative, 3rd person, singular) = one is confused

sthitvā (gerund) (indeclinable) = standing firm

asyām (feminine, locative, singular) = in it

antakāle (masculine, locative, singular) = at the time of the end 

api (adverb) (indeclinable) = even 

brahmanirvāṇam (neuter, accusative, singular) = the nirvana of Brahma

ṛcchati (present indicative, 3rd person, singular) = one attains


Commentary

This verse can be very bewildering if one does not understand the concepts of Brahma and nirvana. Brahma is the energy of creation and Brāhmī is the feminine energy of that energy of creation. The feminine energy is always the receiving and enjoying principle of something. Much can be said about the state of Brāhmī, besides what has been written in this chapter. Nirvana is often roughly translated as bliss, but is it more correct to say that one snuffs out all in the state of nirvana. In this context with the word "brahmanirvāṇam", one would achieve a state snuffing out the state of Brahma even "at the time of the end." 

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2/Verse 71

विहाय कामान्यः सर्वान् पुमांश्चरति निःस्पृहः ।
निर्ममो निरहंकारः स शान्तिमधिगच्छति ॥२- ७१॥

vihāya kāmānyaḥ sarvān pumāṃścarati niḥspṛhaḥ ।
nirmamo nirahaṃkāraḥ sa śāntimadhigacchati ॥2- 71॥

The person who having abandoned all desires; lives free from lust, indifferent to self-interest, free from egotism. That person attains peace.


Word-for-word translations

vihāya (gerund) (indeclinable) = having abandoned 

kāmān (masculine, accusative, plural) = desires

yas (relative pronoun, masculine, nominative, singular) = who

sarvān (adjective) (masculine, accusative, plural) = all 

pumān (masculine, nominative, singular) = a person

carati (present indicative, 3rd person, = one lives

niḥspṛhas (masculine, nominative, singular) = free from lust

nirmamas (masculine, nominative, singular) = indifferent to self-interest

nirahaṃkāras (masculine, nominative, singular) = free from egotism

sas (pronoun, 3rd person, masculine, nominative, singular) = that one

śāntim (feminine, accusative, singular) = peace

adhigacchati (present indicative, 3rd person, singular) = one attains