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Bhagavad-gītā 3.22

न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन । नानवाप्त‍मवाप्त‍व्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥ २२ ॥
na me pārthāsti kartavyaṁ
[na me paarthaasti kartavyam]
triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana
[trishu lokeshu kinchana]
nānavāptam avāptavyaṁ
[naanavaaptam avaaptavyam]
varta eva ca karmaṇi
[varta eva cha karmani]
Word-for-word
na — not me — Mine pārtha — O son of Pṛthā asti — there is kartavyam — prescribed duty triṣu — in the three lokeṣu — planetary systems kiñcana — any na — nothing anavāptam — wanted avāptavyam — to be gained varte — I am engaged eva — certainly ca — also karmaṇi — in prescribed duty .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na me pārthāsti kartavyaṁ
na
not
me
Mine
pārtha
O son of Pṛthā
asti
there is
kartavyam
prescribed duty
triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana
triṣu
in the three
lokeṣu
planetary systems
kiñcana
any
nānavāptam avāptavyaṁ
na
nothing
anavāptam
wanted
avāptavyam
to be gained
varta eva ca karmaṇi
varte
I am engaged
eva
certainly
ca
also
karmaṇi
in prescribed duty .
Important Words
  • kartavyam — prescribed duty
    Gerundive of √kṛ — *what is to be done*. The same word that bound the realized soul to nothing in 3.17–18. Kṛṣṇa applies it to Himself with even sharper force: no kartavyam in *any* world.
  • lokeṣu — planetary systems
    Locative plural of loka. Paired with triṣu — *in the three worlds*. The exhaustive cosmic geography (upper, middle, lower). Kṛṣṇa rules out duty *everywhere*, not just on Kurukṣetra.
  • anavāptam — wanted, unobtained
    Negative past participle: nothing that has not been obtained. The word names completeness — Kṛṣṇa has obtained everything by simply being who He is.
  • avāptavyam — to be gained
    Gerundive of ava-√āp, *what is to be obtained*. Nothing remains future-tense for the Supreme. Yet — and this is the wonder — He still acts.
  • varte — I am engaged
    First-person singular of √vṛt, to turn. The same root as anuvartate, vartmanā etc. — Kṛṣṇa is the rotating one; the cosmos turns *because He turns*.
O son of Pṛthā, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I a need to obtain anything – and yet I am engaged in prescribed duties.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa applies verse 21's principle to Himself. As Bhagavān He needs nothing in any of the three worlds — yet He acts. Why? To set the pramāṇa. His action is pedagogical, not personal.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
An audacious self-disclosure. The Lord's avatāra is itself loka-saṅgraha: He acts because not acting would mislead. Compare BG 4.7–8 (incarnation for dharma's restoration) and BG 10.7 (knowing this vibhūti is yoga). For Arjuna, the argument from authority is unanswerable.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे पार्थ! त्रिषु लोकेषु मे किञ्चन कर्तव्यम् न अस्ति; अनवाप्तम् अवाप्तव्यम् न; तथापि कर्मणि एव वर्ते।
he pārtha! triṣu lokeṣu me kiñcana kartavyam na asti; anavāptam avāptavyam na; tathāpi karmaṇi eva varte|
O Pārtha, there is nothing whatever in the three worlds that I have to do; nothing unattained that I need to attain — yet I am engaged in action.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
न मे पार्थ अस्ति कर्तव्यम् त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन । न अनवाप्तम् अवाप्तव्यम् वर्ते एव च कर्मणि ॥
na me pārtha asti kartavyam triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana | na anavāptam avāptavyam varte eva ca karmaṇi ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
न na ind. (indeclinable), negative not
मे me अस्मद् pron. (pronoun) gen.sg. (genitive singular) enclitic for Me
पार्थ pārtha पार्थ (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular) O Pārtha
अस्ति asti √अस् pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) is, exists
कर्तव्यम् kartavyam √कृ p.f.p. nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. what is to be done
त्रिषु triṣu त्रि (num.) loc.pl. (locative plural)m. in the three
लोकेषु lokeṣu लोक (m.) loc.pl. (locative plural) worlds
किञ्चन kiñcana indef. pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. anything whatever
अनवाप्तम् anavāptam अन् + अव+√आप् p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. unattained
अवाप्तव्यम् avāptavyam अव+√आप् p.f.p. nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. to be attained
वर्ते varte √वृत् pres. (present) 1sg.ātm. (ātmanepada / middle voice) I am engaged
एव eva ind. (indeclinable), emphatic yet, indeed
च ca ind. (indeclinable), conj. and
कर्मणि karmaṇi कर्मन् (n.) loc.sg. (locative singular) in action
Purport

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is described in the Vedic literatures as follows: tam īśvarāṇāṁ paramaṁ maheśvaraṁ taṁ devatānāṁ paramaṁ ca daivatam patiṁ patīnāṁ paramaṁ parastād vidāma devaṁ bhuvaneśam īḍyam na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca “The Supreme Lord is the controller of all other controllers, and He is the greatest of all the diverse planetary leaders. Everyone is under His control. All entities are delegated with particular power only by the Supreme Lord; they are not supreme themselves. He is also worshipable by all demigods and is the supreme director of all directors. Therefore, He is transcendental to all kinds of material leaders and controllers and is worshipable by all. There is no one greater than Him, and He is the supreme cause of all causes. “He does not possess a bodily form like that of an ordinary living entity. There is no difference between His body and His soul. He is absolute. All His senses are transcendental. Any one of His senses can perform the action of any other sense. Therefore, no one is greater than Him or equal to Him. His potencies are multifarious, and thus His deeds are automatically performed as a natural sequence.” ( Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.7–8) Since everything is in full opulence in the Personality of Godhead and is existing in full truth, there is no duty for the Supreme Personality of Godhead to perform. One who must receive the results of work has some designated duty, but one who has nothing to achieve within the three planetary systems certainly has no duty. And yet Lord Kṛṣṇa is engaged on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra as the leader of the kṣatriyas because the kṣatriyas are duty-bound to give protection to the distressed. Although He is above all the regulations of the revealed scriptures, He does not do anything that violates the revealed scriptures.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
22. For Me, O son of Pṛthā, there is nothing in the three worlds that has to be done, that has not been attained, or which must be attained. But I also perform duties.
Commentary

In three verses the Lord uses Himself as an example.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
22. For me, O son of Pṛthā, there is nothing in the three worlds that has to be done. What results are to be obtained are not already not attained by Me. But I also perform duties.
Commentary

Though the superior person is indifferent to the results of action, he should perform actions prescribed by scripture to teach the populace. Making himself an example of this, the Lord speaks in three verses. I, the Lord of all, dedicated to truth, whose every wish is automatically fulfilled, who is filled with bliss, have no duties to perform. Actions must be performed by those desiring results. I, who am the basis of all results, the embodiment of the highest result, am not dependent on action. The Lord then illustrates this: in all the three worlds, whatever result is to be obtained by action is not already not attained by Me, since everything is actually Mine. Still, I also perform prescribed actions.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Krsna gives two examples here: first He says Janaka Maharaja attained perfection by performing prescribed duties ( that was the example that one makes spiritual advancement by performance of prescribed duties) and then gives His own example by saying:"I am certainly not in need of performing prescribed duties because I am God, all the Vedas with their prescribed duties come from My breathing, so I am the source of these things, I am not under them, I am not in need of performing prescribed duties to get anything, but yet I doing them."

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

COMMON THEME: Second example of performing duties as a leader – “Krishna also performs prescribed

duties” although He has no material desires

PLEASE NOTE: Points of the purports for Texts 3.22 – 3.33 are included as some of the sub-points below; as such

there is no individual Focus of Learning section for these texts; This is however, a separate Focus of Learning section

for Text 3.24

Why He has no prescribed duties (Bg. 3.22)
There is no work prescribed for Me within all three planetary systems
Nor am I in want of anything; Nor have I the need to obtain anything
Srila Prabhupada gives a supporting reference – Ref Svetasvatara Upanisad Bg. 6.7-6.8 –Describes Krishna as Supreme self-sufficient, beyond all the prescribed duties
Conclusion – Since everything is in full opulence in the Personality of Godhead and is existing in full truth, there is no duty for the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Why He still carefully performs prescribed duties (Bg. 3.23)
To set example
To keep social tranquility for progress in spiritual life (Bg. 3.23)
To establish religion (purpose of descent) (Bg. 3.23)
What if He does not follow (Bg. 3.24)
All the worlds would be put into ruination, because all would follow My path
Unwanted population (Varna-sankara) will be created
“I would thereby destroy the peace of all living beings”

Focus of Learning

(a) This verse shows ‘varna-sankara’ is caused by ‘not fighting’ and not by ‘fighting’ (refutes Bg. 1.40)

This refutes Arjuna’s argument based on “Destruction of family” as given in Text 1.37 – 1.43

(b) ‘Imitating’ and ‘following’ are not on the same level. The examples are

We cannot imitate Krishna’s Rasa Lila or lifting Govardhana Hill, but one should follow the instructions
Many pseudo devotees of Lord Shiva indulge in smoking ganja and other drugs, but one cannot imitate Lord Shiva’s drinking the ocean of poison

(c) Suggestion to prevent us from imitating – One should consider the position of the Ishvaras

(controllers) who can actually control the movements of the sun and moon; therefore we cannot

imitate the Ishvaras who are super powerful; one should simply follow their instructions

(e) Examples of ‘Natural leaders’ and their ‘responsibility’

Natural leaders – The King or the executive head, the father and the school teacher
Responsibility – They have great responsibility to their dependents to help them progress on the spiritual path

(f) Srimad Bhagavatam’s recommendation for progress – Follow in the footsteps of great devotees

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
3.22 O Partha, na asti, there is no; kartavyam, duty; kincana, whatsoever; me, for Me (to fulfill); even trisu lokesu, in all the three worlds. Why? There is na anavaptam, nothing (that remains) unachieved; or avaptavyam, to be achieved. Still varte eva, do I continue; karmani, in action.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
3.22 For Me, who is the Lord of all, who has all desires fulfilled, who is omniscient, whose will is always true, and who, at My own will, remains in the three worlds in the forms of gods, men and such other beings, there is nothing whatever to achieve. Therefore though there is for Me nothing 'unacired', i.e., nothing yet to be acired by work, I go on working for the protection of the world.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
3.21-22 Yad yad acarati etc. Na me etc. The Bhagavat cities Himself as an example to illustrate the idea that to favour the world is the [only] purpose for such a person to exert in action, eventhough he has already attained whatever is to be attained, and is fully satisfied in his mind.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
3.22 There is nothing in the three worlds, O Arjuna, that should be done by Me, nor is there anything unattained that should be attained; yet I engage Myself in action.
Commentary

3.22 न not? मे my? पार्थ O Partha? अस्ति is? कर्तव्यम् to be done (duty)? त्रिषु in the three? लोकेषु worlds? किञ्चन anything? न not? अनवाप्तम् unattained? अवाप्तव्यम् to be attained? वर्ते am? एव also? च and? कर्मणि in action.Commentary I am the Lord of the universe and therefore I have no personal grounds to engage. Myself in action. I have nothing to achieve as I have all divine wealth? as the wealth of the universe is Mine? and yet I engage Myself in action.Why do you not follow My example Why do you not endeavour to prevent the masses from following the wrong path by setting an example yourself If you set an example? people will follow you as you are a leader with noble alities.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
3.22 In all the three worlds, O Partha, there is no duty whatsoever for Me (to fulfil); nothing remains unachieved or to be achieved. [According to S. the translation of this portion is: There is nothing unattained that should be attained.-Tr.] (Still) do I continue in action.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
3.22 There is nothing in this universe, O Arjuna, that I am compelled to do, nor anything for Me to attain; yet I am persistently active.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 3.23 BG 4.14 BG 9.9 SB 3.2.15 SB 10.29.15 SB 1.7.10 CC Ādi 4.15 CC Madhya 20.153 CC Ādi 3.13 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8Īśa Upaniṣad 8
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
I have no duty to perform in all the three worlds, nor anything to attain — yet I engage in action.
Practical Applications
  • Look at Kṛṣṇa's own example — He acts not because He must but because He chooses to set an example.
  • Refuse the lazy excuse 'why bother' — Kṛṣṇa Himself bothers.
  • Act with the dignity of someone who doesn't need to act but chooses to.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is my 'why bother?' really self-pity?
  • How does Kṛṣṇa's example change my view of obligation?
Analogy

A teacher who has long since mastered the alphabet still writes A-B-C on the board so the children learn the strokes. Kṛṣṇa, who has nothing to learn, writes karma on the board of the worlds.

Stories
Kṛṣṇa Tending Cows in Vraja

The Lord of all worlds spent His boyhood waking before dawn to herd cows, eating modest meals with cowherd friends, sleeping on grass. He had no need of milk, no need of butter, no need of sport. Every act was free play — and yet every act was performed.

The verse names this exact mystery. *Na me pārthāsti kartavyam* — Kṛṣṇa has no duty in any of the three worlds. *Varta eva ca karmaṇi* — and yet He is engaged in action. The boy with the flute is the cosmic teacher: action without obligation, performance without need.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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