Chapter 3 · Verse 4 · Karma Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 3.4
Sanskrit
न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते। न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति।।3.4।।
Transliteration
na karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣhkarmyaṁ puruṣho ’śhnute na cha sannyasanād eva siddhiṁ samadhigachchhati
In plain words
You may feel paralyzed right now—wondering if stepping forward will only make things worse, or if stepping back will somehow protect you. Krishna says: neither hiding nor obsessing over the results will free you. What frees you is showing up to what's in front of you—your marriage, your work, your health, your calling—with your whole heart, and then releasing your white-knuckled grip on how it all turns out. Do the next right thing. Let go of controlling the ending.
Word by Word
Krishna dissolves a common illusion here—that you can escape karma by doing nothing, or that renunciation means merely laying down your tools and walking away. The path to freedom is neither inaction nor hollow renunciation, but right action performed with a surrendered heart.
When you act without claiming ownership of the results, when you serve the moment with full presence rather than personal grasping, that very engagement becomes your liberation. In modern life, this means you need not flee your responsibilities or career—instead, bring consciousness and selflessness to whatever your hands touch.
Listen
Bhagavad Gita 3.4 — BG 3.4
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