The Yoga of the Works

Karma-yoga

The world is woven of giving and receiving; offer your work into that weaving, and the One for whom all sacrifice is made will receive it. — The Delight of Krishna

The soul enters in

brāhmī sthiti — the firm standing in the Brahman, where desire falls silent like the filled and motionless sea

and is led towards

yajña — every work laid upon the altar as an offering to the Lord of works

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Swami Sarvagananda ji0:00
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In this chapter

43 verses

Summary of chapter 3

I. Works and Sacrifice (1-28)

Arjuna, the pragmatic man. is perplexed by meta-physical thought and asks for a simple rule of action. The Gita begins to develop more clearly its positive and imperative doctrine of work,. - of works done as a sacrifice to the Divine.

II. The Determinism of Nature (27-43)

Arjuna is told that he must act always by the law of his nature.

Chapter 3 illustration, titled कर्मयोगः — Illustration · Sushanto Nath, Sri Aurobindo Society

Chapter outline

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The verses

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Arjuna uvācaअर्जुन उवाच

3·3लोकेऽस्मिन् द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ । ज्ञानयोगेन सांख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम् ॥ ३ ॥loke’smin dvividhā niṣṭhā purā proktā mayānagha, jñānayogena sāṅkhyānāṁ karmayogena yoginām.In this world twofold is the self-application of the soul (by which it enters into the Brahmic condition), as…
3·4न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते । न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ॥ ४ ॥na karmaṇāmanārambhānnaiṣkarmyaṁ puruṣo’śnute, na ca saṁnyasanādeva siddhiṁ samadhigacchati.Not by abstention from works does a man enjoy actionlessness, nor by mere renunciation (of works) does he…
3·5, a key verseन हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् । कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥ ५ ॥na hi kaścitkṣaṇamapi jātu tiṣṭhatyakarmakṛt, kāryate hyavaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛtijairguṇaiḥ.For none stands even for a moment not doing work, everyone is made to do action helplessly by the modes born…
3·6कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् । इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः स उच्यते ॥ ६ ॥karmendriyāṇi saṁyamya ya āste manasā smaran, indriyārthānvimūḍhātmā mithyācāraḥ sa ucyate.Who controls the organs of action, but continues in his mind to remember and dwell upon the objects of sense…
3·7यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन । कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स विशिष्यते ॥ ७ ॥yastvindriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate’rjuna, karmendriyaiḥ karmayogamasaktaḥ sa viśiṣyate.He who controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, without attachment engages with the organs of action in…
3·8नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः । शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः ॥ ८ ॥niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hyakarmaṇaḥ, śarīrayātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyedakarmaṇaḥ.Do thou do controlled action, for action is greater than inaction…
3·9, a key verseयज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः । तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्गः समाचर ॥ ९ ॥yajñārthātkarmaṇo’nyatra loko’yaṁ karmabandhanaḥ, tadarthaṁ karma kaunteya muktasaṅgaḥ samācara.By doing works otherwise than for sacrifice, this world of men is in bondage to works…
3·10सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः । अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ॥ १० ॥sahayajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purovāca prajāpatiḥ, anena prasaviṣyadhvameṣa vo’stviṣṭakāmadhuk.With sacrifice the Lord of creatures of old created creatures and said…
3·11देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः । परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ ॥ ११ ॥devānbhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ, parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ paramavāpsyatha.Foster by this the gods and let the gods foster you; fostering each other, you shall attain to the supreme…
3·12इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः । तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः ॥ १२ ॥iṣṭānbhogānhi vo devā dāsyante yajñabhāvitāḥ, tairdattānapradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ.Fostered by sacrifice the gods shall give you desired enjoyments…
3·13यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः । भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् ॥ १३ ॥yajñaśiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarvakilbiṣaiḥ, bhuñjate te tvaghaṁ pāpā ye pacantyātmakāraṇāt.The good who eat what is left from the sacrifice, are released from all sin…
3·14अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसंभवः । यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः ॥ १४ ॥annādbhavanti bhūtāni parjanyādannasaṁbhavaḥ, yajñādbhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karmasamudbhavaḥ.From food creatures come into being, from rain is the birth of food, from sacrifice comes into being the rain…
3·15कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम् । तस्मात्सर्वगतं ब्रह्म नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥ १५ ॥karma brahmodbhavaṁ viddhi brahmākṣarasamudbhavam, tasmātsarvagataṁ brahma nityaṁ yajñe pratiṣṭhitam.Work know to be born of Brahman, Brahman is born of the Immutable…
3·16एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः । अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति ॥ १६ ॥evaṁ pravartitaṁ cakraṁ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ, aghāyurindriyārāmo moghaṁ pārtha sa jīvati.He who follows not here the wheel thus set in movement, evil is his being, sensual is his delight, in vain, O…
3·17यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः । आत्मन्येव च संतुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ॥ १७ ॥yastvātmaratireva syādātmatṛptaśca mānavaḥ, ātmanyeva ca saṁtuṣṭastasya kāryaṁ na vidyate.But the man whose delight is in the Self and who is satisfied with the enjoyment of the Self and in the Self…
3·18नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन । न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रयः ॥ १८ ॥naiva tasya kṛtenārtho nākṛteneha kaścana, na cāsya sarvabhūteṣu kaścidarthavyapāśrayaḥ.He has no object here to be gained by action done and none to be gained by action undone…
3·19तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर । असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुषः ॥ १९ ॥tasmādasaktaḥ satataṁ kāryaṁ karma samācara, asakto hyācarankarma paramāpnoti pūruṣaḥ.Therefore without attachment perform ever the work that is to be done (done for the sake of the world…
3·20कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः । लोकसंग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ २० ॥karmaṇaiva hi saṁsiddhimāsthitā janakādayaḥ, lokasaṁgrahamevāpi saṁpaśyankartumarhasi.It was even by works that Janaka and the rest attained to perfection.
3·21यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः । स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥ २१ ॥yadyadācarati śreṣṭhastattadevetaro janaḥ, sa yatpramāṇaṁ kurute lokastadanuvartate.Whatsoever the Best doeth, that the lower kind of man puts into practice…
3·22, a key verseन मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन । नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥ २२ ॥na me pārthāsti kartavyaṁ triṣu lokeṣu kiṁcana, nānavāptamavāptavyaṁ varta eva ca karmaṇi.O Son of Pritha, I have no work that I need to do in all the three worlds, I have nothing that I have not…
3·23यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः । मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥ २३ ॥yadi hyahaṁ na varteyaṁ jātu karmaṇyatandritaḥ, mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ.Men follow in every way my path. For if I did not abide sleeplessly in the paths of action, these peoples…
3·24उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् । सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः ॥ २४ ॥utsīdeyurime lokā na kuryāṁ karma cedaham, saṅkarasya ca kartā syāmupahanyāmimāḥ prajāḥ.These peoples would sink to destruction if I did not work and I should be the creator of confusion and slay…
3·25सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत । कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथाऽसक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम् ॥ २५ ॥saktāḥ karmaṇyavidvāṁso yathā kurvanti bhārata, kuryādvidvāṁstathā’saktaścikīrṣurlokasaṁgraham.As those who know not act with attachment to the action, he who knows should act without attachment, having…
3·26न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम्‌ । जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान्युक्तः समाचरन् ॥ २६ ॥na buddhibhedaṁ janayedajñānāṁ karmasaṅginām, joṣayetsarvakarmāṇi vidvānyuktaḥ samācaran.He should not create a division of their understanding in the ignorant who are attached to their works…
3·27, a key verseप्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः । अहंकारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ॥ २७ ॥prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāravimūḍhātmā kartāhamiti manyate.While the actions are being entirely done by the modes of Nature, he whose self is bewildered by egoism thinks…
3·28तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः । गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सज्जते ॥ २८ ॥tattvavittu mahābāho guṇakarmavibhāgayoḥ, guṇā guṇeṣu vartanta iti matvā na sajjate.But one, O mighty-armed, who knows the true principles of the divisions of the modes and of works, realises…
3·29प्रकृतेर्गुणसंमूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु । तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् ॥ २९ ॥prakṛterguṇasaṁmūḍhāḥ sajjante guṇakarmasu, tānakṛtsnavido mandānkṛtsnavinna vicālayet.Those who are bewildered by the modes and attached to the actions of the modes, not knowers of the whole, let…
3·30, a key verseमयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा । निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः ॥ ३० ॥mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi saṁnyasyādhyātmacetasā, nirāśīrnirmamo bhūtvā yudhyasva vigatajvaraḥ.Giving up thy works to Me, with thy consciousness founded in the Self, free from desire and egoism, fight…
3·31ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः । श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभिः ॥ ३१ ॥ye me matamidaṁ nityamanutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ, śraddhāvanto’nasūyanto mucyante te’pi karmabhiḥ.Who, having faith and not trusting to the critical intelligence, constantly follow this teaching of mine, they…
3·32ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् । सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतसः ॥ ३२ ॥ye tvetadabhyasūyanto nānutiṣṭhanti me matam, sarvajñānavimūḍhāṁstānviddhi naṣṭānacetasaḥ.But those who find fault with my teaching and act not thereon, know them to be of unripe mind, bewildered in…
3·33सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि । प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति ॥ ३३ ॥sadṛśaṁ ceṣṭate svasyāḥ prakṛterjñānavānapi, prakṛtiṁ yānti bhūtāni nigrahaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati.All existences follow their nature and what shall coercing it avail?
3·34इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ । तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ॥ ३४ ॥indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāgadveṣau vyavasthitau, tayorna vaśamāgacchettau hyasya paripanthinau.In the object of this or that sense liking and disliking are set in ambush…
3·35श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् । स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥ ३५ ॥śreyānsvadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmātsvanuṣṭhitāt, svadharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ.Better is one’s own law of works, svadharma, though in itself faulty, than an alien law well wrought out…

3·37, a key verseकाम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः । महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥ ३७ ॥kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇasamudbhavaḥ, mahāśano mahāpāpmā viddhyenamiha vairiṇam.This is desire and its companion wrath, children of rajas, all-devouring, all-polluting, know thou this as the…
3·38धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च । यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥ ३८ ॥dhūmenāvriyate vahniryathādarśo malena ca, yatholbenāvṛto garbhastathā tenedamāvṛtam.As a fire is covered over by smoke, as a mirror by dust, as an embryo is wrapped by the amnion, so this…
3·39आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा । कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ॥ ३९ ॥āvṛtaṁ jñānametena jñānino nityavairiṇā, kāmarūpeṇa kaunteya duṣpūreṇānalena ca.Enveloped is knowledge, O Kaunteya, by this eternal enemy of knowledge in the form of desire which is an…
3·40इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते । एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् ॥ ४० ॥indriyāṇi mano buddhirasyādhiṣṭhānamucyate, etairvimohayatyeṣa jñānamāvṛtya dehinam.The senses, mind and intellect are its seat; enveloping knowledge by these it bewilders the embodied soul.
3·41तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ । पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ॥ ४१ ॥tasmāttvamindriyāṇyādau niyamya bharatarṣabha, pāpmānaṁ prajahi hyenaṁ jñānavijñānanāśanam.Therefore, O Best of the Bharatas, controlling first the senses, do thou slay this thing of sin destructive of…
3·42इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः । मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः ॥ ४२ ॥indriyāṇi parāṇyāhurindriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasastu parā buddhiryo buddheḥ paratastu saḥ.Supreme, they say, (beyond their objects) are the senses, supreme over the senses the mind, supreme over the…
3·43एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना । जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥ ४३ ॥evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā saṁstabhyātmānamātmanā, jahi śatruṁ mahābāho kāmarūpaṁ durāsadam.Thus awakening by the understanding to the Highest which is beyond even the discerning mind, putting force on…

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End of the chapter

ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सुब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादेकर्मयोगो नाम तृतीयोऽध्यायः ॥ ३॥

om tatsaditi śrīmadbhagavadgītāsūpaniṣatsubrahmavidyāyāṁ yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjunasaṁvādekarmayogo nāma tṛtīyo’dhyāyaḥ

Thus, in the Upanishad sung by the Lord, the science of Brahman, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the third chapter entitled “The Yoga of Works”

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