Bhagavad Gita
Karma-yoga (The Yoga of Action)3.23-24
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Bhagavad Gita · 3.23-24
Devanāgarī

यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः ।
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥
उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् ।
सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

yadi hy ahaṁ na varteyaṁ jātu karmaṇy atandritaḥ |
mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ ||
utsīdeyur ime lokā na kuryāṁ karma ced aham |
saṅkarasya ca kartā syām upahanyām imāḥ prajāḥ ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यदि हिyadi hifor if.
अहम्ahamI.
न वर्तेयम्na varteyamI were not to act, I were not engaged.
जातुjātuever.
कर्मणिkarmaṇiin action.
अतन्द्रितःatandritaḥtirelessly, without weariness, attentively.
ममmamaMy.
वर्त्मvartmapath.
अनुवर्तन्तेanuvartantethey follow.
मनुष्याःmanuṣyāḥpeople.
पार्थpārthaO Pārtha!
सर्वशःsarvaśaḥin every way, entirely.
उत्सीदेयुःutsīdeyuḥwould fall to ruin, would be destroyed.
इमे लोकाःime lokāḥthese worlds.
न कुर्याम्na kuryāmI were not to perform.
कर्मkarmaaction.
चेत्cetif.
अहम्ahamI.
सङ्करस्यsaṅkarasyaof confusion, of disorder.
caand.
कर्ताkartāthe cause, the maker.
स्याम्syāmI would become.
उपहन्याम्upahanyāmI would destroy, I would ruin.
इमाः प्रजाःimāḥ prajāḥthese living beings.
Translation

“For if I ever ceased to act tirelessly, O Pārtha, all people would surely follow My path. (23) If I did not perform My actions, all these worlds would fall to ruin. I would become the cause of unwanted confusion and thereby destroy all these living beings. (24)”

Version

37aa5772004f · published Jul 2, 2026, 12:00:00 PM UTC

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