🔁 You Can’t Stop Acting—Even for a Moment! | Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Shloka 5 Explained

📜 श्लोक (Sanskrit)

न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् ।
कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥ 5 ॥

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🔤 IAST Transliteration

na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api jātu tiṣṭhaty akarma-kṛt
kāryate hy avaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛti-jair guṇaiḥ ॥ 5 ॥

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🇮🇳 हिन्दी अनुवाद (Hindi Translation)

कोई भी व्यक्ति क्षणमात्र भी कर्म किए बिना नहीं रह सकता, क्योंकि प्रकृति से उत्पन्न गुणों द्वारा वह अनायास ही कर्म करने के लिए बाध्य होता है।

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🌐 English Translation

Indeed, no one can remain inactive even for a moment. Everyone is compelled to act, helplessly, by the qualities born of nature (prakriti).

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🧠 व्याख्या (Detailed Explanation in Hindi)

इस श्लोक में श्रीकृष्ण यह बताते हैं कि मानव स्वभावतः कर्मशील है। कोई भी प्राणी चाहे जितना भी प्रयास करे, वह एक क्षण के लिए भी निष्क्रिय नहीं रह सकता। कारण यह है कि हम सभी में प्रकृति के तीन गुण—सत्त्व, रजस और तमस—सक्रिय हैं, और ये हमें लगातार कुछ न कुछ करने के लिए प्रेरित करते हैं।

यह श्लोक उन लोगों को संबोधित करता है जो सोचते हैं कि निष्क्रिय रहकर या सब कुछ त्याग कर वे मोक्ष पा सकते हैं। श्रीकृष्ण स्पष्ट करते हैं कि कर्म से भागना संभव ही नहीं है, क्योंकि हमारी प्रकृति हमें लगातार क्रिया की ओर धकेलती है।

असल में, हम शारीरिक रूप से भले ही शांत बैठे हों, लेकिन मानसिक स्तर पर विचार, निर्णय, भावना आदि की गतिविधियाँ लगातार चल रही होती हैं। इसलिए निष्क्रियता एक मिथ्या धारणा है।

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📖 Detailed Explanation in English

Krishna here states a universal truth: no one can be truly inactive. Even if one attempts to abstain from all actions, the mind continues to think, feel, and react.

This verse addresses those who believe that spiritual progress means sitting still or withdrawing from the world. Krishna firmly denies this notion. He says, everyone acts, even involuntarily, because action is driven by the three modes (gunas) of material nature—sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance).

Even breathing, digesting, blinking, or thinking are actions. Whether we like it or not, nature keeps us moving.

Therefore, rather than avoiding action, the right path is to perform one’s duties with awareness and detachment—this is the heart of Karma Yoga.

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💡 Life Lessons / Practical Takeaways

• 🔄 Inaction is impossible. Even when we think we are "doing nothing," our body and mind are still active.

• 🧠 Your nature compels you to act. Instead of fighting it, align it with purpose and awareness.

• 💡 Spiritual progress isn’t about withdrawal, but conscious action.

• 🔥 Don’t suppress your nature—transform it. Channel your energy into dharmic (righteous) action.

• 🛑 Avoiding responsibility doesn't make you spiritual. True spirituality is found in how you act, not in avoiding action.

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🔚 Conclusion

Krishna's message is clear: You are constantly in motion, whether you acknowledge it or not. The goal is not to become motionless, but to act wisely, without attachment, and in harmony with your inner nature.

This shloka lays the groundwork for understanding why Karma Yoga is not only practical but essential. The secret isn’t to escape action, but to master it with wisdom.

Stay tuned—Krishna is about to expose the dangers of false renunciation and hypocrisy in the next verses.