FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 3.30

మయి సర్వాణి కర్మాణి సన్న్యస్యాధ్యాత్మచేతసా । నిరాశీర్నిర్మమో భూత్వా యుధ్యస్వ విగతజ్వరః ॥ ౩౦ ॥
mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi
[mayi sarvaani karmaani]
sannyasyādhyātma-cetasā
[sannyasyaadhyaatma-chetasaa]
nirāśīr nirmamo bhūtvā
[niraasheer nirmamo bhootvaa]
yudhyasva vigata-jvaraḥ
[yudhyasva vigata-jvarah]
Word-for-word
mayi — unto Me sarvāṇi — all sorts of karmāṇi — activities sannyasya — giving up completely adhyātma — with full knowledge of the self cetasā — by consciousness nirāśīḥ — without desire for profit nirmamaḥ — without ownership bhūtvā — so being yudhyasva — fight vigata - jvaraḥ — without being lethargic .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi
mayi
unto Me
sarvāṇi
all sorts of
karmāṇi
activities
sannyasyādhyātma-cetasā
sannyasya
giving up completely
adhyātma
with full knowledge of the self
cetasā
by consciousness
nirāśīr nirmamo bhūtvā
nirāśīḥ
without desire for profit
nirmamaḥ
without ownership
bhūtvā
so being
yudhyasva vigata-jvaraḥ
yudhyasva
fight
vigata - jvaraḥ
without being lethargic .
Important Words
  • mayi — unto Me
    Locative of *aham*. The very first word of the instruction. Kṛṣṇa locates the destination of every act *in Himself* before naming what to do. The grammar enacts the surrender.
  • sannyasya — giving up completely
    Gerund of sam-ni-√as, fully setting down. Same root as sannyāsa in 3.4 — but here the renunciation is not of work but of the *ownership* of work. True sannyāsa is internal.
  • adhyātma — with full knowledge of the self
    Adhi (upon) + ātma (self). Paired in this verse with cetasā — *with consciousness directed upon the self*. The action is performed not absent-mindedly but with the soul-awareness alive throughout.
  • nirāśīḥ — without desire for profit
    Without (nis) hope/expectation (āśīs). The same emancipation as in 2.47 — phaleṣu mā kadācana — here re-stated in one compound.
  • nirmamaḥ — without ownership
    Without (nis) my-ness (mama). The companion of nirāśīḥ. The two negations together — no future grasping, no present claiming — strip the soldier down to clean action.
  • vigata - jvaraḥ — without being lethargic
    Compound: vi-gata (gone-away) + jvara (fever). Literally *fever-departed*. A medical metaphor — the inner heat of anxiety, doubt, grief is the *jvara* the verse wants gone. Cool soul, hot battle.
Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.
Purport

This verse clearly indicates the purpose of the Bhagavad-gītā. The Lord instructs that one has to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious to discharge duties, as if in military discipline. Such an injunction may make things a little difficult; nevertheless duties must be carried out, with dependence on Kṛṣṇa, because that is the constitutional position of the living entity. The living entity cannot be happy independent of the cooperation of the Supreme Lord, because the eternal constitutional position of the living entity is to become subordinate to the desires of the Lord. Arjuna was therefore ordered by Śrī Kṛṣṇa to fight as if the Lord were his military commander. One has to sacrifice everything for the good will of the Supreme Lord, and at the same time discharge prescribed duties without claiming proprietorship. Arjuna did not have to consider the order of the Lord; he had only to execute His order. The Supreme Lord is the soul of all souls; therefore, one who depends solely and wholly on the Supreme Soul without personal consideration, or in other words, one who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, is called adhyātma-cetās. Nirāśīḥ means that one has to act on the order of the master but should not expect fruitive results. The cashier may count millions of dollars for his employer, but he does not claim a cent for himself. Similarly, one has to realize that nothing in the world belongs to any individual person, but that everything belongs to the Supreme Lord. That is the real purport of mayi, or “unto Me.” And when one acts in such Kṛṣṇa consciousness, certainly he does not claim proprietorship over anything. This consciousness is called nirmama, or “nothing is mine.” And if there is any reluctance to execute such a stern order, which is without consideration of so-called kinsmen in the bodily relationship, that reluctance should be thrown off; in this way one may become vigata-jvara, or without feverish mentality or lethargy. Everyone, according to his quality and position, has a particular type of work to discharge, and all such duties may be discharged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as described above. That will lead one to the path of liberation.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
30. Offering all activities to Me, being fixed in the soul, being without possessiveness or desire, devoid of fever, fight.
Commentary

The word adhyātma is here taken as an avyayībhāva compound, meaning “in (adhi) the ātmā.” The phrase adhyātmam-cetasā therefore means “with consciousness fixed in the ātmā.” Therefore, offering (sannyasya) all works to Me, by consciousness fixed in the ātmā rather than in material objects, being without desires for the results, being niṣkāma (nirāśih), devoid of possessiveness in all respects (nirmamaḥ), fight.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
30. Offering all activities to Me, fixed in the soul, being without desire for results, without possessiveness, devoid of suffering, fight.
Commentary

Because of this, you, a pariniṣṭhita bhakta, with knowledge concerning your nature as ātmā (adhyātma cetasā), offering (saṁnyasya) all actions to Me, the Supreme Lord, just as a servant offers everything to a king, fight. You should be devoid of the concept of being the doer: as a servant dependent on the king performs actions according to the king’s order, you should perform your actions according to My order, with a desire to teach the people. Adhyātma is here taken as an avyayībhāvaḥ an indeclinable compound meaning “in (adhi) the ātmā.” It is made into a declinable form by compouning it with cetas : adhyātma-cetas, meaning consciousness in the ātmā. This compound can be declined into adhyātma-cetasā, with consciousnes in the ātmā. Devoid of desires for personal results, thinking that you do this only by the order of your master (nirāśīḥ), devoid of possessiveness (nirmamaḥ) such as “the results of my actions are for me ,” having given up the anguish arising from thoughts of killing friends (vigata jvāraḥ), Arjuna should fight, because that is his duty as a kṣatriya. This means that those desiring liberation should follow the actions prescribed for them according to their āśrama. [Note: This means that the varṇa duties are performed, but subject to āśrama rules. Ajruna could claim he was a kṣatriya vanaprastha and renounce fighting. But he is a gṛhastha, and therefore must perform his occupational duty of fighting.]

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

This indicates the mode of goodness and beyond. Srila Prabhupada explains in his Purport:"This verse clearly indicates the purpose of the Bhagavad‑gita. The Lord instructs that one has to become fully Krsna conscious to discharge duties, as if in military discipline. Such an injunction may make things a little difficult; nevertheless duties must be carried out, with dependence on Krsna, because that is the constitutional position of the living entity. The living entity cannot be happy independent of the cooperation of the Su Lord, because the eternal constitutional position of the living entity is to become subordinate to the desires of the Arjuna was therefore ordered by Sri Krsna to fight as if the Lord were his military commander. One has to sacrifice everything for the good will of the Supreme Lord, and at the same time discharge prescribed duties without claiming proprietorship. Arjuna did not have to consider the order of the Lord; he had only to execute His order." So this platform of duty that Arjuna has been requested to act upon by Krsna, free from lethargy and attachments and false proprietorship, this is the platform where bhakti is built. No one can become Krsna conscious without coming first to the mode of goodness by acting dutifully and submissively.

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

Kṛṣṇa orders Arjuna to fight, but He also describes the consciousness in which Arjuna should per-

form that duty. “Without desires for profit” and “with no claims to proprietorship” indicate free-

dom from the mode of passion. “Freed from lethargy” hints at freedom from ignorance.

Knowledge of the difference between the soul and the body is simply born of the mode of good-

ness (sattvāt sañjāyate jñānaā—Bg. 14.17). But “full knowledge” is beyond goodness and is tran-

scendental, as it indicates knowledge of the soul’s eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. When

“surrendering all your works unto Me” (mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi) is added to the other above-

mentioned requirements, Arjuna’s niṣkāma-karma, fighting in goodness, becomes bhakti-yoga, de-

tached work done in devotion for Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure. Although Kṛṣṇa has often requested Arjuna to

act on the platform of detachment and duty, He now reveals His actual desire that Arjuna fight

with devotion.

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
3.30 Vigata-jvarah, devoid of the fever of the soul, i.e. being free from repentance, without remorse; yuddhyasva, engage in battle; sannyasya, by dedicating; sarvani, all; karmani, actions; mayi, to Me, who am Vasudeva, the omniscient supreme Lord, the Self of all; adhyatma-cetasa, with (your) mind intent on the Self-with discriminating wisdom, with this idea, 'I am an agent, and I work for God as a servant'; and further, bhutva, becoming; nirasih, free from expectations ['Free from expectations of results for yourself']; and nirmamah, free from egoism. You from whom has vanished the idea, '(this is) mine', are nirmamah.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
3.30 Do all prescribed acts such as war etc., (here a duty) free from desire or selfishness and devoid of fear, with a mind focussed on the self. Surrender all acts to Me, the Lord of all, who constitutes the inner pervading Self of all beings. 'Adhyatma-cetas' is that mind which is focussed on the self by knowledge of the essential nature of the self as declared in hundreds of Vedic texts. That this individual self constitutes the body of the Supreme Self and is actuated by Him, is taught by Sruti texts like: 'He who has entered within, is the ruler of all beings and is the Self of all' (Tai. Ar., 3.11), 'Him who has entered inside and is the doer' (Ibid., 3.23), 'He who, dwelling in the self, is within the self, whom the Self does not know, whose body is the self, who controls the self from within - He is your internal ruler and Immortal Self' (Br. U., 3.7.22). Smrti texts also speak in the same manner: 'Him who is the ruler of all' (Manu, 12.122). Sri Krsna will say later on: 'And I am seated in the hearts of all; from Me are memory, knowledge and the faculty of reason' (15.15); 'The Lord, O Arjuna, lives in the heart of everything causing them to spin round and round by His power, as if set on a wheel' (18.61). Hence, dedicate to Me, the Supreme Person, all actions considering them as done by Me, by contemplating on the self as actuated by Me by reason of Its constituting My body. And do every thing, considering the actions as My worship only; becoming free from desire for fruits and therefore free from selfishness as regards actions, engage in acts like war etc., devoid of 'fever', i.e., the excitement caused by passions like anger. Contemplate that the Supreme Person, Lord of all, Principal of all, gets done His own works only for the purpose of getting Himself worshipped with His own instruments, namely, the individual selves which belong to Him and are His agents. Become free from selfish attachment to action. Also be free from the feverish concern originating from such thoughts as 'What will become of me with an ancient, endless accumulation of evil arising from beginningless time?' Perform Karma Yoga with ease, for the Supreme Person Himself, worshipped by acts, will free you from bondage. His Lordship and Principalship over all are settled by Sruti texts like: 'Him who is the supreme and great Lord of lords, Him the Supreme Divinity of divinities' (Sve. U., 6.7), 'The Lord of the Universe' (Tai. Na., 11.3), 'The Supreme Ruler of rulers' (Sve. U., 6.6-7). Isvaratva is the same as Sesitva, which means controllership. Sri Krsna declares that this alone is the essential meaning of the Upanisads:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
3.30 Mayi etc. You should perform the worldly act of fighting a war, being desirous of doing favour for the world; renouncing all actions in Me with the thought 'I am not the doer [of any act]'; and being convinced 'None but the Sovereign Supreme Lord is the doer of all acts, and I am nobody'.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
3.30 Renouncing all actions in Me, with the mind centred in the Self, free from hope and egoism, and from (mental) fever, do thou fight.
Commentary

3.30 मयि in Me? सर्वाणि all? कर्माणि actions? संन्यस्य renouncing? अध्यात्मचेतसा with the mind centred in the Self? निराशीः free from hope? निर्ममः free from egoism? भूत्वा having become युध्यस्व fight (thou)? विगतज्वरः free from (mental) fever.Commentary Surrender all the actions to Me with the thought? I perform all actions for the sake of the Lord.Fever means grief? sorrow. (Cf.V.10XVIII.66).

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
3.30 Devoid of the fever of the soul, engage in battle by dedicating all actions to Me, with (your) mind intent on the Self, and becoming free from expectations and egoism.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
3.30 Therefore, surrendering thy actions unto Me, thy thoughts concentrated on the Absolute, free from selfishness and without anticipation of reward, with mind devoid of excitement, begin thou to fight.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 18.66 BG 9.27 BG 12.6 SB 11.29.34 SB 1.7.23 SB 7.9.50 CC Madhya 22.100 CC Madhya 22.94 CC Ādi 1.58 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.18BRS 1.2.100
Stories
ishvara_pranidhana_epic_senior
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Renouncing all works to Me, with consciousness fixed on the Self, free from desire and proprietorship — fight, free from fever.
Practical Applications
  • Each morning, mentally surrender the day's actions to Kṛṣṇa.
  • Replace anxious 'fever' over results with quiet trust.
  • Engage your duty with calm, not with panic.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'fever' is currently driving my action?
  • Where could surrender to Kṛṣṇa cool the heat?
Analogy

A soldier fights better without fever. Heat the body and the aim wavers; cool the heart and the shot lands. Kṛṣṇa is teaching battlefield medicine here — cool the soul-fever first, then fight.

Stories
Arjuna at the End of the War

By the close of Kurukṣetra, Arjuna had killed teachers, cousins, the grandfather who had held him as a child. And yet — because at this verse he received the instruction *mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi sannyasya* — the slaughter did not bind him. He acted with knowledge fixed on Kṛṣṇa, without desire for profit, without claim of ownership, without lethargy.

Later in the Anugītā and at the end of the Mahābhārata, Arjuna mourns nothing of his battle conduct; he mourns Kṛṣṇa's departure. The verse worked. The action that would have crushed any other soul passed through him like water through a clean pipe.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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