Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 3, verse 4 · Krishna
Bhagavad Gita 3.4 · Na Purushoshnute
न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते ।
न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ॥
na karmaṇāmanārambhānnaiṣkarmyaṃ puruṣo’śnute |
na ca saṃnyasanādeva siddhiṃ samadhigacchati ||
Translation
A person does not reach freedom from action simply by not beginning actions, nor attain perfection by renunciation alone.
Context
Spoken by Krishna in chapter 3, Karma Yoga — “The Yoga of Action”, which has 43 verses.
Frequently asked questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 3.4 mean?
A person does not reach freedom from action simply by not beginning actions, nor attain perfection by renunciation alone.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 3.4?
Krishna, speaking to Arjuna, in chapter 3, Karma Yoga (The Yoga of Action).
Sanskrit text: traditional, public domain. Translation and explanation are our own.