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 

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3/Verse 32

Chapter 3/Verse 32

ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् ।
सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतसः ॥३- ३२॥

ye tvetadabhyasūyanto nānutiṣṭhanti me matam ।
sarvajñānavimūḍhāṃstānviddhi naṣṭānacetasaḥ ॥3- 32॥

But the indignant ones who do not practice this doctrine of mine, you must know them, lost, senseless, and confusing all knowledge.


Word-for-word translations

ye (pronoun, 3rd person, masculine, nominative, plural) = who 

tu (conjunction) (indeclinable) = but

etad (neuter, accusative, singular) = this

abhyasūyantas (present participle, masculine, nominative, plural) = indignant 

na (adverb) (indeclinable) = not

ānutiṣṭhanti (present tense, 3rd person, plural) = they practice

me (pronoun, 1st person, genitive, singular) = of mine

matam (neuter, accusative, singular) = doctrine


sarvajñānavimūḍhān (past passive participle, masculine, accusative, plural) = confusing all knowledge

tān (masculine, accusative, plural) = them 

viddhi (imperative, 2nd person, singular) = you must know

naṣṭān (past passive participle, masculine, accusative, plural) = lost 

acetasas (masculine, accusative, plural) = senseless 

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3/Verse 31

ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः ।
श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभिः ॥३- ३१॥

ye me matamidaṃ nityamanutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ ।

śraddhāvanto'nasūyanto mucyante te'pi karmabhiḥ ॥3- 31॥

Faithful, non-spiteful humans who constantly practice this doctrine of mine, they are liberated, even by actions.

Word-for-word translations

ye (pronoun, 3rd person, masculine, nominative, plural) = who 

me (pronoun, genitive, singular) = of mine

matam (neuter, accusative, singular) = doctrine

idaṃ (adjective) (neuter, accusative, singular) = this 

nityam (adverb) (indeclinable) = constantly

anutiṣṭhanti (present tense, 3rd person, plural) = they practice

mānavās (masculine, nominative, plural) = humans



śraddhāvantas (adjective) (masculine, nominative, plural) = faithful

anasūyantas  (adjective) (masculine, nominative, plural) = not spiteful 

mucyante (present, 3rd person, plural) = they are liberated 

te (pronoun, 3rd person, masculine, nominative, plural) = they

api (adverb) (indeclinable)  = even 

karmabhis (neuter, instrumental, plural) = by actions 

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3/Verse 30

Chapter 3/Verse 30

मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा ।
निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः ॥३- ३०॥

mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi saṃnyasyādhyātmacetasā ।
nirāśīrnirmamo bhūtvā yudhyasva vigatajvaraḥ ॥3- 30॥

Having renounced all actions in me with the mind on the supreme spirit, having become free from desires, one is without the "mine." Freed from distress of the mind, you must fight! 


Word-for-word translations

mayi (pronoun, 1st person, locative, singular) = in me

sarvāṇi (adjective) (neuter, accusative, plural) = all

karmāṇi (neuter, accusative, plural) = actions

saṃnyasya (gerund) (indeclinable) = having renounced 

adhyātmacetasā (neuter, instrumental, singular) = with the mind on the supreme spirit 

nirāśīs (feminine, accusative, plural) = free from desires

nirmamas (masculine, nominative, singular) = one is without the "mine"

bhūtvā (gerund) (indeclinable) = having become

yudhyasva (imperative, 2nd person, singular) = you must fight!

vigatajvaras (vigata + jvaras) (compound) (masculine, nominative, singular) = freed from distress of the mind

Commentary

All translations agree on the first dependent clause of this verse: "Having renounced all actions in me with the mind on the supreme spirit,...." 

I believe there is a grammatical error made in previous translations with the word "nirāśīs". Most previous translations treat "nirāśīs" as a subject with singular number, which is incorrect with the dependent clause of "having become". A direct object is always the recipient of the action of a gerund. The proper grammar designation of "nirāśīs" is a feminine, accusative, plural. Most translations designate it as a masculine, nominative, singular. This is incorrect. Previous translations also incorrectly make the word "nirmamas" an indirect object, which is also incorrect. "Nirmamas" is clearly in subjective and not direct object case, per its declension. "Nirmamas" is the independent clause of the dependent clause "bhūtvā nirāśīs". 

Most translations then agree on the last part of the verse minus the different interpretations. 

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3/Verse 29

Chapter 3/Verse 29

प्रकृतेर्गुणसंमूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु ।
तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् ॥३- २९॥

prakṛterguṇasaṃmūḍhāḥ sajjante guṇakarmasu ।

tānakṛtsnavido mandānkṛtsnavinna vicālayet ॥3- 29॥

Those who are bewildered by the guṇas of nature are attached in action by the guṇas. The knower of the whole should not cause disturbance in them, the fools, not knowing the whole.

Word-for-word translations

prakṛtes (feminine, genitive, singular) = of nature 

guṇasaṃmūḍhās (past passive participle, masculine, nominative, plural) = those who are bewildered by the guṇas

sajjante (present tense, 3rd person, plural)= they are attached 

guṇakarmasu (neuter, locative, plural) = in action by the guṇas



tān (masculine, accusative, plural) = them

akṛtsnavidas (masculine, accusative, plural) = not knowing the whole 

mandān (masculine, accusative, plural) = fools 

kṛtsnavid (masculine, nominative, singular) = the knower of the whole

na (adverb) (indeclinable) = not

vicālayet (causative, optative, 3rd singular) = he should cause disturbance 

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3/Verse 28

Chapter 3/Verse 28

तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः ।
गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सज्जते ॥३- २८॥

tattvavittu mahābāho guṇakarmavibhāgayoḥ ।
guṇā guṇeṣu vartanta iti matvā na sajjate ॥3- 28॥

But of knowing the truth of the two roles of guṇa and action, O Might Armed One. Having thought, "the guṇas work in the guṇas." One is not attached. 

Word-for-word translations

tattvavid (masculine, genitive, singular) = of knowing the truth

tu (conjunction) (indeclinable) = but

mahābāhas (masculine, vocative, singular) = O Mighty Armed One (epithet of Arjuna) 

guṇakarmavibhāgayos (masculine, genitive, dual) = of the two roles of guṇa and action


guṇās (masculine, nominative, plural) = guṇas

guṇeṣu (masculine, locative, plural) = in the guṇas

vartante (present tense, 3rd person, plural) = they work

iti (punctuation) (indeclinable) = (quotation marks)

matvā (gerund) (indeclinable) = having thought 

na (adverb) (indeclinable) = not

sajjate (present tense, 3rd person, singular) = he is attached 

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3/Verse 27

Chapter 3/Verse 27

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः ।
अहंकारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ॥३- २७॥

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ ।
ahaṃkāravimūḍhātmā kartāhamiti manyate ॥3- 27॥

Everywhere actions are being preformed by the guṇas of nature. The self confused by the ego, thinks, "I am the doer."


Word-for-word translations

prakṛtes (feminine, genitive, singular) = of nature

kriyamāṇāni (participle, neuter, nominative, plural) = being performed 

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

karmāṇi (neuter, nominative, plural) = actions

sarvaśas (adverb) (indeclinable) = everywhere

ahaṃkāravimūḍhātmā (ahaṃkāra + vimūḍha + ātmā) (masculine, nominative, singular) = the self confused by the ego

kartā (masculine, nominative, singular) = doer

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

iti (punctuation) (indeclinable) = (quotation marks) 

manyate (present tense, 3rd person, singular) = one thinks