Chapter 3 · Verse 18 · Karma Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 3.18
Sanskrit
नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन। न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्िचदर्थव्यपाश्रयः।।3.18।।
Transliteration
naiva tasya kṛitenārtho nākṛiteneha kaśhchana na chāsya sarva-bhūteṣhu kaśhchid artha-vyapāśhrayaḥ
In plain words
You are exhausted from trying to control what you cannot control—the outcome of your marriage, the return of your lover, the healing of your child, the recovery of your debt, the job that's waiting for you. Krishna says: your only job is to show up and do what is right; the results belong to life itself, not to you. When you stop strangling the outcome, you can finally breathe and act with clarity.
Word by Word
A liberated soul acts without grasping for results because they have recognized that the Self is complete and independent—needing nothing from action or inaction. The wise person understands that their true nature depends on no external being or circumstance for its wholeness.
In our modern striving, this verse invites us to release the invisible chains of outcome-dependency and act with authentic integrity simply because the action is right, not because we are fishing for benefit.
Listen
Bhagavad Gita 3.18 — BG 3.18
Your Mantra Prescription
This mantra is prescribed for clarity and purpose. Is that what you're going through?
2.2M people trust Mahakatha