FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 3.5

न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् । कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥ ५ ॥
na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api
[na hi kashchit kshanam api]
jātu tiṣṭhaty akarma-kṛt
[jaatu tishthaty akarma-krit]
kāryate hy avaśaḥ karma
[kaaryate hy avashah karma]
sarvaḥ prakṛti-jair guṇaiḥ
[sarvah prakriti-jair gunaih]
Word-for-word
na — nor hi — certainly kaścit — anyone kṣaṇam — a moment api — also jātu — at any time tiṣṭhati — remains akarma - kṛt — without doing something kāryate — is forced to do hi — certainly avaśaḥ — helplessly karma — work sarvaḥ — all prakṛti - jaiḥ — born of the modes of material nature guṇaiḥ — by the qualities .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api
na
nor
hi
certainly
kaścit
anyone
kṣaṇam
a moment
api
also
jātu tiṣṭhaty akarma-kṛt
jātu
at any time
tiṣṭhati
remains
akarma - kṛt
without doing something
kāryate hy avaśaḥ karma
kāryate
is forced to do
hi
certainly
avaśaḥ
helplessly
karma
work
sarvaḥ prakṛti-jair guṇaiḥ
sarvaḥ
all
prakṛti - jaiḥ
born of the modes of material nature
guṇaiḥ
by the qualities .
Important Words
  • kṣaṇam — a moment
    Accusative of duration. Kṛṣṇa closes even the smallest gap — not even one kṣaṇa of pure non-action is available to the embodied. The very breath, heartbeat, and thought are karma.
  • akarma - kṛt — without doing something
    Compound. A doer-of-non-doing is a contradiction in terms; Kṛṣṇa coins the phrase to mark its impossibility.
  • avaśaḥ — helplessly
    Without (a) control (vaśa). Until one is fixed in Kṛṣṇa, one is moved by the guṇas without consent. The verse is sober: you are already being acted *through*.
  • prakṛti - jaiḥ — born of the modes of material nature
    Compound. The qualities driving action are prakṛti's offspring, not the soul's. Identifying with them is the first error; the rest of the chapter walks the disentanglement.
  • guṇaiḥ — by the qualities
    Instrumental plural. The threefold sattva-rajas-tamas are the actual instruments of every embodied act. Until you know this, you will keep crediting and blaming the wrong agent.
Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.
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)
The argument against quietism: embodied beings cannot truly stop acting. Even sitting still, breathing and thinking are activities driven by the three guṇas. So the question is never 'act or not?' but 'act bound or act free?'
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
This verse anchors karma-yoga in a metaphysical fact: prakṛti's guṇas are the actual agents of all bodily and mental movement (see BG 3.27, 14.5–18). The 'avaśa' (helpless) is striking — it admits compulsion at the prakṛti level but leaves room for inner freedom through right disposition, which is precisely what karma-yoga supplies.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हि कश्चित् जातु क्षणम् अपि अकर्म-कृत् न तिष्ठति; हि सर्वः अवशः प्रकृति-जैः गुणैः कर्म कार्यते।
hi kaścit jātu kṣaṇam api akarma-kṛt na tiṣṭhati; hi sarvaḥ avaśaḥ prakṛti-jaiḥ guṇaiḥ karma kāryate|
Indeed no one ever, even for a moment, remains without performing action; for everyone is compelled, helpless, to act by the guṇas born of prakṛti.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
न हि कश्चित् क्षणम् अपि जातु तिष्ठति अकर्म-कृत् । कार्यते हि अवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृति-जैः गुणैः ॥
na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api jātu tiṣṭhati akarma-kṛt | kāryate hi avaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛti-jaiḥ guṇaiḥ ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
न na ind. (indeclinable), negative not
हि hi ind. (indeclinable), emphatic / causal indeed, for
कश्चित् kaścit indef. pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. anyone
क्षणम् kṣaṇam क्षण (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular), adverbial for a moment
अपि api ind. (indeclinable), even even
जातु jātu ind. (indeclinable), adv. ever, at any time
तिष्ठति tiṣṭhati √स्था pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) remains, stays
अकर्म-कृत् akarma-kṛt अकर्मन् + √कृ → अकर्म-कृत् (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., upapada tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) non-doer of action
कार्यते kāryate √कृ caus. (causative) pass. (passive) pres. (present) 3sg. is made to act
अवशः avaśaḥ अवश (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) helpless, without control
कर्म karma कर्मन् (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) action
सर्वः sarvaḥ सर्व (pron. (pronoun) adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. everyone
प्रकृति-जैः prakṛti-jaiḥ प्रकृति (f.) + ज (adj.) ins.pl. (instrumental plural)m., tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) born of prakṛti
गुणैः guṇaiḥ गुण (m.) ins.pl. (instrumental plural) by the guṇas
Purport

It is not a question of embodied life, but it is the nature of the soul to be always active. Without the presence of the spirit soul, the material body cannot move. The body is only a dead vehicle to be worked by the spirit soul, which is always active and cannot stop even for a moment. As such, the spirit soul has to be engaged in the good work of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, otherwise it will be engaged in occupations dictated by the illusory energy. In contact with material energy, the spirit soul acquires material modes, and to purify the soul from such affinities it is necessary to engage in the prescribed duties enjoined in the śāstras. But if the soul is engaged in his natural function of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whatever he is able to do is good for him. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.17) affirms this: tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo ’tha patet tato yadi yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ ko vārtha āpto ’bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ “If someone takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even though he may not follow the prescribed duties in the śāstras or execute the devotional service properly, and even though he may fall down from the standard, there is no loss or evil for him. But if he carries out all the injunctions for purification in the śāstras, what does it avail him if he is not Kṛṣṇa conscious?” So the purificatory process is necessary for reaching this point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, sannyāsa, or any purificatory process, is to help reach the ultimate goal of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, without which everything is considered a failure.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
5. No one can remain without doing activity even for a moment. All are forced to engage in action by the guṇas arising from prakṛti.
Commentary

Rather, the person of impure heart who gives up scriptural activities becomes engrossed in material actions. That is explained in this verse. “But sannyāsa, renunciation of activities, means a negation of all tendencies for both Vedic and material activities, does it not?” “Beyond one’s will (avaśaḥ), one will engage in action anyway.”

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
5. No one can remain without doing activity even for a moment. All are forced to engage in action by the guṇas arising from prakṛti.
Commentary

If a person with impure heart renounces prescribed activities, taking vedic karma saṁnyāsa, he reverts to material action, for such a person cannot remain inactive. He cannot remain for even a moment being inactive. “But saṁnyāsa is opposed to all activities.” The next line answers. “By the qualities such as desire and repulsion (guṇaiḥ) arising from his nature (prakṛti jaiḥ), [Note: Later it is explained that nature or svabhāva means the impressions fixed in the jīva from experiences in successive bodies.] all action will be done, beyond his will (avaśaḥ).”

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Srila Prabhupada says in his Purport: "It is not a question of embodied life, but it is the nature of the soul to be always active. Without the presence of the spirit soul, the material body cannot move. The body is only a dead vehicle to be worked by the spirit soul, which is always active and cannot stop even for a moment. As such, the spirit soul has to be engaged in the good work of Krsna consciousness, otherwise it will be engaged in occupations dictated by illusory energy.". The idea is that the soul is active by nature, he must act." Krsna has told Arjuna in the 2nd Chapter, "karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana", that means "your adhikary, your eligibility on the yoga ladder is to act. Your eligibility is karma or work". Krsna has explained that there is a stage of sannyasi where one gives up his prescribed duty. The nature of the soul is active, therefore the Vedas prescribe "prescribed duties" that one can act and his activities won't drag him down but actually will elevate one. And what elevation means? It means purification of the heart, it means getting transcendental knowledge and then when one's heart is pure one is on the jnana platform. Karma, working after one is pure, one is actually free from material nature by adding jnana, one will be above the modes of material nature and he understands that he is not his body. If one's heart is not clean yet, is not beyond the modes of material nature and he accepts the externals of the jnana platform which is described for sannyasis (the giving up of prescribed duties), then he will find himself in a very difficult situation. His nature is to act, he cannot act on the transcendental platform because his heart is not yet clean, but he has to act and he has desires to act and now he is not allowed to act because of renouncing his prescribed dut therefore Krsna describes what happens to such a person

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

COMMON THEME: This section describes the defects in the desire to renounce prescribed duty and thus

focuses on the following points which summarize Texts 3.3 – 3.9:

The “Active Nature of Soul”
Inactivity is not an option available
So it is advised to perform our activities in a way that they are directed towards self – purification and self–realization
Self-purification and self–realization are the purposes of performing prescribed duties

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION II

Liberation or bondage is not determined by one’s activities, but by ones consciousness in performing those activities. Thus, renunciation is not giving up of activities, but is the giving up of attachment to the fruit of activity
Renunciation of activity without the necessary training, knowledge and purification will lead to destruction on the path of spiritual advancement. Without prescribed duties, an unfulfilled desire for activity will lead the premature renunciate to sinful action
Focus of Learning

(a) Krishna consciousness often misused as an excuse to avoid duty or misunderstood to be inertia

(3.1). Correct understanding is

Without being trained in the philosophy of Krishna consciousness it is not advisable to chant the holy names in a secluded place
It only acquires cheap adoration from the innocent public

(b) Practical Application: Sign of a sincere student – Sincere student places the doubt before master

to elicit best course of action (3.1). In response Krishna explained karma-yoga (work in Krishna

consciousness)

(c) Arjuna clears apparently confusing path of Chapter 2 for sincere students of Bhagavad-gita

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
3.5 Hi, because; na kascit, no one; jatu, ever; tisthati, remains; api, even; for so much time as a ksanam, moment; akarma-krt, without doing work. Why? Hi, for; sarvah, all creatures; karyate karma, are made to work; verily avasah, under compulsion; gunaih, by the gunas-sattva (goodness); rajas (activity), and tamas (mental darkness); prakrti-jaih, born of Nature. The word 'unenlightened' has to be added to the sentence, since the men of realzation have been spoken of separately in, 'who is not distracted by the three gunas (alities)' (14.23). For Karma-yoga is meant only for the unenlightened, nor for the men of Knowledge. Karma-yoga, on the other hand, is not pertinent for the men of Knowledge who, because of their not moving away from their own Self, are not shaken by the gunas. This has been explained similarly in, 'he who has known this One as indestructible' (2.21). But, if one who is not a knower of the self does not perform prescribed action, then this is certainly bad. Hence the Lord says:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
3.5 In this world, no man can rest without doing work; for every person, even though he may have determined, 'I will not do anything,' is caused to act, i.e., is compelled to act according to the Gunas born of Prakrti. The Gunas are Sattva, Rajas and Tamas which increase in accordance with his old Karma. Conseently, Jnana Yoga can be attained only by means of a purified inner organ after annulling the old accumulation of sins by means of Karma Yoga of the aforesaid characteristics and bringing Sattva and other Gunas under control. Otherwise, one who engages oneself in Jnana Yoga becomes a hypocrite:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
3.4-5 Na karmanam etc Na hi etc. Knowledge, deserted by action, does not exist; and the action, combined with dexterity does not exist, [if it is] deserted by knowledge. Therefore knowledge and action constitute one and the same thing. Hence it has been delclared : 'Knowledge is not deserted by action and action is not deserted by knowledge. [Hence] a teacher who is well accomplished in knowledge and action, is the cutter of the fetters of the fettered'. Therefore the action that is included within the knowledge cannot be avoided. For, the body, the organ of speech and the mind are, by nature, in a perpetual motion; and hence an individual, being simply under the control of other than himself, necessarily performs one action or the other. For, the body, the speech-organ and the mind are of the nature of throbing.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
3.5 Verily none can ever remain for even a moment without performing action; for everyone is made to act helplessly indeed by the alities born of Nature.
Commentary

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).

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
3.5 Because, no one ever remains even for a moment without doing work. For all are made to work under compulsion by the gunas born of Nature.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
3.5 He cannot even for a moment remain really inactive, for the Qualities of Nature will compel him to act whether he will or no.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Nishkama Karma (Selfless Action)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Yajña (Sacrifice / Spirit of Offering)
Related verses
BG 3.27 BG 18.40 BG 3.33 SB 11.22.37 SB 3.26.7 SB 11.13.1 CC Madhya 24.137 CC Madhya 19.146 CC Madhya 20.117 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.5Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.1
Stories
apaishunam_sb_college
Concepts
ChitYajna
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
No embodied being can avoid action even for a moment — the modes of nature compel everyone to act constantly.
Practical Applications
  • Accept that you're always acting; the question is for whom.
  • Notice your micro-actions over the day (scrolling, choosing, reacting) and consciously offer them.
  • Stop expecting yourself to be perfectly still; instead expect yourself to be perfectly directed.
Reflection Questions
  • What invisible 'doings' of mine deserve more conscious offering?
  • What modes are most often driving my action right now?
Analogy

A river cannot decide to not flow; while the slope exists, water moves. The body is on a slope of guṇas and time — the only real choice is which channel to dig.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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