Bhagavad Gita 3.20

Sanskrit

कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः । लोकसङ्ग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ॥3.20॥

Transliteration

karmaṇaiva hi saṃsiddhimāsthitā janakādayaḥ | lokasaṅgrahamevāpi sampaśyankartumarhasi ‖3.20‖

Meaning

“By action alone Janaka and others attained perfection. Also, simply for the welfare of the world, you should act.”

Key learning

People have reached deep peace and wisdom through active work and family life, not by running away from it. There's also a second reason to work well: the world needs good work done. So work both for your own growth and for the good of everyone around you.

How to apply this today

On days you don't feel motivated, lean on the thought, "This needs to be done well for others." A teacher who shows up fully for the students, not just the paycheck, is living this. Keep a list of people you admire who grew while staying busy with life. Do this: when personal motivation runs dry, work for the sake of who it helps.

Theme: The Yoga of Action

This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3: Karma Yoga , read all verses in this chapter.

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