Chapter 3 · Verse 9 · Karma Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 3.9
Sanskrit
यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः। तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसंगः समाचर।।3.9।।
Transliteration
yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ tad-arthaṁ karma kaunteya mukta-saṅgaḥ samāchara
In plain words
You're exhausted because you're carrying the weight of outcomes that aren't yours to carry — the marriage that might not heal, the debt that might not return, the exam you can't control, the child you can't protect from all harm. Krishna says: stop trying to own the results. Do the work, do the prayer, do the care, do the study — but pour it into something larger than your fear, larger than your need to win. This shift from grasping to offering is what frees you while you're still in the fight.
Word by Word
Lord Krishna reveals the sacred secret: action performed as an offering to the divine (yajña) liberates us, while all other action binds us to the wheel of karma and rebirth. The world exists in this tension — those who work without attachment to results, dedicating their labor to something greater than themselves, move through life with freedom even while acting.
For us today, this means transforming every task — from our work to our relationships to our daily struggles — into an act of service, releasing the grip of ego that demands recognition and reward.
Listen
Bhagavad Gita 3.9 — BG 3.9
Your Mantra Prescription
This mantra is prescribed for clarity and purpose. Is that what you're going through?
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