Bhagavad Gita · 3.26 · Path of Selfless Service·26 of 43
न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम्।जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान् युक्तः समाचरन् ॥
na buddhi-bhedaṁ janayed ajñānāṁ karma-saṅginām
joṣhayet sarva-karmāṇi vidvān yuktaḥ samācharan
Sanskrit recitation
Lead by how you live · 3.17–3.29 · Teaching
Translation
Let no wise man unsettle the minds of ignorant people who are attached to action; he should engage them in all actions, himself fulfilling them with devotion.
Meaning
An ignorant may says to himelf, I shall do this action and thery enjoy its fruit. A wise man should not unsettle his belief. On the contrary he himself should set an example by performing his duties diligently but without attachment. The wise man should also persuade the ignorant never to neglect their duties. If need be, he should place before them in vivid colours the happiness they would enjoy here and hereafter by discharging such duties. When their hearts get purified in course of time, the wise man could sow the seeds of Karma Yoga (selfless service without deire) in them.
After Swami Sivananda
Lead by how you live· 3.17–3.29→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 3.17But for that man who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied with the Self and is content in the Self alone, indeed there is nothing to do.
- 3.18For him, there is no interest whatsoever in what is done or not done; nor does he depend on any being for any purpose.
- 3.19Therefore, without attachment, always perform the actions that should be done; for by performing actions without attachment, one reaches the Supreme.
- 3.20Janaka and others attained perfection indeed through action alone; even with the intention of protecting the masses, you should perform action.
- 3.21Whatever a great man does, others also do; whatever he establishes as the standard, the world follows.
- 3.22There is nothing in the three worlds, O Arjuna, that needs to be done by Me, nor is there anything unattained that needs to be attained; yet I engage Myself in action.
- 3.23For, should I not ever engage myself in action, unwearied, people would in every way follow my path, O Arjuna.
- 3.24These worlds would perish if I did not perform action; I would be the author of confusion of castes and destruction of these beings.
- 3.25As the ignorant act out of attachment to action, O Bharata, so should the wise act without attachment, wishing for the welfare of the world.
3.26Let no wise man unsettle the minds of ignorant people who are attached to action; he should engage them in all actions, himself fulfilling them with devotion.
- 3.27All actions are wrought in all cases by the qualities of Nature alone. He whose mind is deluded by egoism thinks, "I am the doer."
- 3.28But he who knows the Truth, O mighty-armed Arjuna, about the divisions of the qualities and their functions, knowing that the Gunas, as senses, move amidst the Gunas, as the sense-objects, is not attached.
- 3.29Those deluded by the qualities of Nature are attached to the functions of the qualities. The man of perfect knowledge should not unsettle the foolish one who is of imperfect knowledge.
Word-by-word→
- na
- not
- sarva
- all
- janayet
- should create
- vidvān
- the wise
- yuktaḥ
- enlightened
- ajñānām
- of the ignorant
- joṣhayet
- should inspire (them) to perform
- karmāṇi
- prescribed
- samācharan
- performing properly
- buddhi-bhedam
- discord in the intellects
- karma-saṅginām
- who are attached to fruitive actions
Related verses
- 2.7My heart is overpowered by the taint of pity; my mind is confused as to my duty. I ask…
- 3.6He who, restraining the organs of action, sits thinking of the sense-objects in his mind,…
- 3.7But whoever, controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, engages himself in Karma Yoga…
- 3.16He who does not follow the wheel thus set in motion, who is of sinful life, rejoicing in…