Bhagavad Gita 3.22 meaningWhy action matters
In simple wordsSo simple a child gets it
“I don’t need anything — and still I keep working.”
What it means
“Arjuna, there's nothing in the universe I need to do and nothing I don't already have — and still I keep acting.”
The original Sanskrit
न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन । नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥
na me pārthāsti kartavyaṃ triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana nānavāptamavāptavyaṃ varta eva ca karmaṇi
Translations
Literal translation
In all the three worlds, O Partha, there is no duty whatsoever for Me (to fulfil); nothing remains unachieved or to be achieved. (Still) do I continue in action.
Swami Gambhirananda
हिंदी अनुवाद
यद्यपि मुझे त्रैलोक्य में कुछ भी कर्तव्य नहीं हैं तथा किंचित भी प्राप्त होने योग्य (अवाप्तव्यम्) वस्तु अप्रा प्त नहीं है, तो भी मैं कर्म में ही बर्तता हूँ।
Swami Tejomayananda
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Commentaries
How great teachers across 1,200 years have explained this verse.
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Keep reading · 3.23“If I ever stopped working, people everywhere would follow my example.”