Bhagavad Gita 4.18 Meaning: Karmanyakarma yah

Bhagavad Gita 4.18

कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः ।स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ॥

Karmanyakarma yah pashyedakarmani cha karma yahSa buddhimanmanushyeshu sa yuktah kritsnakarmakrit

karmaṇyakarma yaḥ paśyedakarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ |sa buddhimānmanuṣyeṣu sa yuktaḥ kṛtsnakarmakṛt ||

How to read these English letters (IAST)

Our explanation Krishna says that the one who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is wise among people. Such a person is steady in yoga (yukta) while doing all their work. Commentators explain this paradox in different ways.

हिंदी अर्थ कृष्ण कहते हैं कि जो कर्म में अकर्म और अकर्म में कर्म देखता है, वही मनुष्यों में बुद्धिमान है। वह सब कर्म करते हुए भी योग में स्थित (युक्त) रहता है। टीकाकार इस विरोधाभास को अलग-अलग ढंग से समझाते हैं।

Word by word

Every word, with its dictionary page

Word by word

कर्मणि karmaṇi · in action (noun (neuter), locative singular) Dictionary: karman, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 258, col. 2 “act, action, performance, business”
अकर्म akarma · inaction (noun (neuter), accusative singular) Dictionary: a-karman, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 2, col. 1 “absence of work”
यः yaḥ · who (pronoun (masculine), nominative singular) Dictionary: yad, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 844, col. 2 “who, which, what, whichever, whatever, that”
पश्येत् paśyet · sees (optative, 3rd person singular) Dictionary: 1. paś, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 611, col. 2 “behold, look at, observe, perceive, notice”
अकर्मणि akarmaṇi · in inaction (noun (neuter), locative singular) Dictionary: a-karman, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 2, col. 1 “absence of work”
च ca · and (indeclinable) Dictionary: 2. ca, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 380, col. 1 “and, both, also, moreover, as well as”
कर्म karma · action (noun (neuter), accusative singular) Dictionary: karman, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 258, col. 2 “act, action, performance, business”
यः yaḥ · who (pronoun (masculine), nominative singular) Dictionary: yad, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 844, col. 2 “who, which, what, whichever, whatever, that”
सः saḥ · he (pronoun (masculine), nominative singular) Dictionary: tad, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 434, col. 1 “m. he, f. she, n. it, that, this”
बुद्धिमान् buddhimān · wise (adjective (masculine), nominative singular) Dictionary: buddhi-mat, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 734, col. 1 “endowed with understanding, intelligent, learned, wise”
मनुष्येषु manuṣyeṣu · among people (noun (masculine), locative plural) Dictionary: manuṣya, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 784, col. 3 “a man, human being”
सः saḥ · he (pronoun (masculine), nominative singular) Dictionary: tad, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 434, col. 1 “m. he, f. she, n. it, that, this”
युक्तः yuktaḥ · steady in yoga (past participle (masculine), nominative singular) Dictionary: yukta, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 853, col. 2 “yoked or joined or fastened or attached or harnessed”
कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् kṛtsnakarmakṛt · doer of all actions (compound (masculine), nominative singular) Dictionary: kṛtsna, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 304, col. 3 “all, whole, entire”; karman, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 258, col. 2 “act, action, performance, business”; 1. kṛt, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 301, col. 3 “making, doing, performing, accomplishing, effecting”

Bhagavad Gita 4.18: meaning and translation

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