Chapter 3 · Verse 36 · Karma Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 3.36
Sanskrit
अर्जुन उवाच अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः। अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः।।3.36।।
Transliteration
arjuna uvācha atha kena prayukto ’yaṁ pāpaṁ charati pūruṣhaḥ anichchhann api vārṣhṇeya balād iva niyojitaḥ
In plain words
You feel trapped by your own actions—doing things you hate, saying words you regret, unable to stop even when you desperately want to. The lesson for you: you are not possessed or helpless, but caught in patterns so old and familiar they feel like chains. The first step to freedom is seeing clearly that the chains are yours to unwind, not external forces punishing you—and that awareness itself is the key.
Word by Word
Arjuna's question strikes at the heart of human struggle: why do we commit harmful acts even against our own will? The Gita teaches that we are bound not by external force, but by the subtle chains of desire and conditioning that cloud our true nature.
When we feel helplessly driven toward actions we know are wrong, we are witnessing the power of vasana—deep mental impressions—not true compulsion. In modern life, recognizing this distinction frees us: you are not a victim of circumstances, but a consciousness temporarily identified with habitual patterns that can be dissolved through awareness and right practice.
Listen
Bhagavad Gita 3.36 — BG 3.36
Your Mantra Prescription
This mantra is prescribed for clarity and purpose. Is that what you're going through?
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