Indian stream·Bhagavad Gita·Discourse 3: The Yoga of Action (Karma Yoga)

Source context

Theme

desireless action and duty performed without attachment to fruits (nishkama karma)

Soul-faculty

Consciousness Soul

Steiner

• GA 146, 1913-06-05Steiner treats the three gunas (sattwa, rajas, tamas) in relation to the Bhagavad Gita's teaching on action, indicating that Krishna's instruction addresses how the soul's activity can be oriented beyond personal desire toward higher selfhood.
• GA 142, 1912-12-28Steiner identifies the Bhagavad Gita as a harmonious interpenetration of Vedic philosophical streams, situating its karma-yoga teaching within the broader Indian spiritual inheritance rather than as an isolated doctrine.

Cross-tradition

• Stoic philosophy (Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius)The Stoic distinction between what is 'up to us' (prohairesis) and external outcomes structurally parallels Discourse 3's injunction to act without attachment to results, both locating ethical worth in intention and effort rather than consequence.
• Advaita Vedanta (Shankara)Shankara's commentary on the Gita interprets karma-yoga as a preparatory discipline that purifies the intellect for jnana, offering a cross-tradition congruence with the chapter's insistence that disciplined action is indispensable before renunciation is possible.
• Sufi ethics (al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din)Al-Ghazali's concept of ikhlas (sincerity of intention purged of self-regard) presents a cross-tradition congruence with the Gita's call to act solely for divine duty, both traditions identifying hidden self-interest as the primary obstacle to spiritual action.

Discourse 3: The Yoga of Action (Karma Yoga)

3:1Arjuna said: If it be thought by Thee that knowledge is superior to action, O
Janardana, why dost Thou, O Keshava, enjoin on me this terrible action?

3:2With these perplexing words Thou only confusest my understanding; therefore
tell me with certainty the one way by which I may reach bliss.

3:3The blessed Lord said: In this world there is a twofold path, as I before said, O
sinless one that of yoga by knowledge, of the Sankhyas; and that of yoga by action, of the Yogis.

3:4Man winneth not freedom from action by abstaining from activity, nor by mere
renunciation doth he rise to perfection.

3:5Nor can anyone, even for an instant, remain really actionless; for helplessly is
everyone driven to action by the qualities born of nature.

3:6Who sitteth, controlling the organs of action, but dwelling in his mind on the
objects of the senses, that bewildered man is called a hypocrite.

3:7But who, controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, with the organs of action
without attachment, performeth yoga by action, he is worthy.

3:8Perform thou right action for action is superior to inaction, and, inactive, even the
maintenance of thy body would not be possible.

3:9The world is bound by action, unless performed for the sake of sacrifice; for that
sake, free from attachment, O son of Kunti, perform thou action.

3:10Having in ancient times emanated mankind together with sacrifice, the Lord of
emanation said: "By this shall ye propagate; be this to you the giver of desires;

3:11"With this nourish ye the Shining Ones, and may the Shining Ones nourish you;
thus nourishing one another ye shall reap the supremest good.

3:12"For, nourished by sacrifice, the Shining Ones shall bestow on you the
enjoyments you desire." A thief verily is he who enjoyeth what is given by Them without returning Them aught.

3:13The righteous, who eat the remains of the sacrifice, are freed from all sins; but
the impious, who dress food for their own sakes, they verily eat sin.

3:14From food creatures become; from rain is the production of food; rain
proceedeth from sacrifice; sacrifice ariseth out of action.

3:15Know thou that from Brahma action groweth, and Brahma from the
Imperishable cometh. Therefore the ETERNAL, the all-permeating, is ever present in sacrifice.

3:16He who on earth doth not follow the wheel thus revolving, sinful of life and
rejoicing in the senses, he, O son of Pritha, liveth in vain.

3:17But the man who rejoiceth in the SELF, with the SELF is satisfied, and is
content in the SELF, for him verily there is nothing to do;

3:18For him there is no interest in things done, in this world, nor any in things not
done, nor doth any object of his depend on any being.

3:19Therefore, without attachment, constantly perform action which is duty, for, by
performing action without attachment, man verily reacheth the Supreme.

3:20Janaka and others indeed attained to perfection by action: then having an eye to
the welfare of the world also, thou shouldst perform action.

3:21Whatsoever a great man doeth, that other men also do; the standard he setteth
up, by that the people go.

3:22There is nothing in the three worlds, O Partha, that should be done by Me, nor
anything unattained that might be attained; yet I mingle in action.

3:23For if I mingled not ever in action unwearied, men all around would follow My
path, O son of Pritha.

3:24These worlds would fall into ruin, if I did not perform action; I should be the
author of confusion of castes, and should destroy these creatures.

3:25As the ignorant act from attachment to action, O Bharata, so should the wise act
without attachment, desiring the welfare of the world.

3:26Let no wise man unsettle the mind of ignorant people attached to action; but
acting in harmony with Me let him render all action attractive.

3:27All actions are wrought by the qualities of nature only. The self, deluded by
egoism, thinketh: "I am the doer."

3:28But he, O mighty-armed, who knoweth the essence of the divisions of the
qualities and functions, holding that "the qualities move amid the qualities," 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 whose knowledge is imperfect.

3:30Surrendering all actions to Me, with thy thoughts resting on the supreme SELF,
from hope and egoism freed, and of mental fever cured, engage in battle.

3:31Who abide ever in this teaching of Mine full of faith and free from caviling,
they too are released from actions.

3:32Who carp at My teaching and act not thereon, senseless, deluded in all
knowledge, know thou these mindless ones as fated to be destroyed.

3:33Even the man of knowledge behaves in conformity with his own nature; beings
follow nature; what shall restraint avail?

3:34Affection and aversion for the objects of sense abide in the senses; let none
come under the dominion of these two; they are obstructors of the path.

3:35Better one's own duty though destitute of merit, than the duty of another, well
discharged. Better death in the discharge of one' own duty; the duty of another is full of danger.

3:36Arjuna said: But dragged on by what does a man commit sin, reluctantly indeed,
O Varshneya, as it were by force constrained?

3:37The Blessed Lord said: It is desire, it is wrath, begotten by the quality of
motion; all consuming, all-polluting, know thou this as our foe here on earth.

3:38As a flame is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror by dust, as an embryo is wrapped
by the amnion, so This is enveloped by it.

3:39Enveloped is wisdom by this constant enemy of the wise in the form of desire,
which is insatiable as a flame.

3:40The senses, the mind and the Reason are said to be its seat; by these enveloping
wisdom, it bewilders the dweller in the body.

3:41Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, mastering first the senses, do thou slay this
thing of sin, destructive of wisdom and knowledge.

3:42It is said that the senses are great; greater than the senses is the mind: greater
than the mind is the Reason; but what is greater than the Reason, is He.

3:43Thus understanding Him as greater than the Reason, restraining the self by the
SELF, slay thou, O mighty-armed, the enemy in the form of desire, difficult to overcome.

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