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न हि कश्िचत्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत्। कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः।।3.5।।

na hi kaśhchit kṣhaṇam api jātu tiṣhṭhatyakarma-kṛit kāryate hyavaśhaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛiti-jair guṇaiḥ

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 3, Verse 5
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
Verily, no one can remain for even a moment without performing action; for everyone is made to act helplessly, indeed, by the qualities born of Nature.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: no one can remain without acting even for a moment, because nature itself compels action in everyone, willing or not.

In life: the fantasy of total stillness or total escape from responsibility is never actually available to anyone.

Teaching: stop chasing an imagined state of zero obligation, and instead choose your actions deliberately, since some action is happening regardless.

nanot
hicertainly
kaśhchitanyone
kṣhaṇama moment
apieven
jātuever
tiṣhṭhatican remain
akarma-kṛitwithout action
kāryateare performed
hicertainly
avaśhaḥhelpless
karmawork
sarvaḥall
prakṛiti-jaiḥborn of material nature
guṇaiḥby the qualities

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
3.5 नहि not? कश्चित् anyone? क्षणम् a moment? अपि even? जातु verily? तिष्ठति remains? अकर्मकृत् without performing action? कार्यते is made to do? हि for? अवशः helpless? कर्म action? सर्वः all? प्रकृतिजैः born of Prakriti? गुणैः by the alities.Commentary The Gunas (alities of Nature) are three? viz.? Sattva? Rajas and Tamas. Sattva is harmony or light or purity Rajas is passion or motion Tamas is inertia or darkness. Sattvic actions help a man to attain to Moksha. Rajasic and Tamasic actions bind a man to Samsara.These alities cannot affect a man who has knowledge of the Self. He has crossed over these alities. He has become a Gunatita (one who has transcended the alities of Nature). The ignorant man who has no knowledge of the Self and who is swayed by Avidya or nescience is driven helplessly to action by the Gunas. (Cf.IV.16?XVIII.11).