Bhagavad Gita 3.5
न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत्। कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः॥
na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api jātu tiṣṭhaty akarma-kṛt | kāryate hy avaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛti-jair guṇaiḥ ||
“No one can remain even for a moment without performing action; everyone is helplessly driven to action by the qualities born of nature.”- action
- duty
- avoidance
- inertia
What this verse is about
This verse speaks to action, and what separates doing from being, duty and what the moment quietly asks of us, and the weight of the things we are not doing.
✦ Contemplation
Avoiding something is also doing something. What you are not doing is still shaping your life.
✦ A small practice
Name one thing you have been avoiding. Do five minutes of it today.
Chapter 3
The Yoga of ActionKarma Yoga
Why one cannot simply opt out of action, and how to act in the world without being bound by what one does.
Dilemmas this verse speaks to
Questions real people carry that this verse has something to say about.
Should I cut off a toxic family member?
You love them. You are also hurt by them. Both things are true.
Read reflection ›
What should I do when I feel confused about my career?
You’re not stuck, you’re just unclear.
Read reflection ›
Why do I keep procrastinating even on things I care about?
You want to do it. You just cannot seem to start.
Read reflection ›
Sit with this verse a little longer.
Ask Dharma how this verse might land in your own life, and receive a calm, verse-grounded reflection.
Ask Dharma about 3.5