Bhagavad Gita — Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Shloka 46
Moksha Sannyasa Yoga
यतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम् । स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः ॥ १८.४६ ॥
yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānāṃ yena sarvam idaṃ tatam | sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṃ vindati mānavaḥ || 18.46 ||
From whom arises the activity of all beings, and by whom all this is pervaded—worshipping Him through one’s own work, a person attains perfection.
जिससे समस्त प्राणियों की प्रवृत्ति होती है और जिससे यह सब व्याप्त है, उस परमेश्वर की अपने कर्म द्वारा पूजा करके मनुष्य सिद्धि प्राप्त करता है।
From whom the activity of beings proceeds and by whom all this is pervaded—worshipping (honoring) Him through one’s own work, a human being finds perfection.
‘Abhyarcya’ can be translated as ‘worship,’ ‘honor,’ or ‘revere.’ Academic renderings often stress sacralizing ordinary work as offering, aligning karma-yoga with a theistic or panentheistic worldview.
FAQs
Treating work as an offering can reduce ego-driven anxiety and increase meaning, shifting attention from self-image to service and excellence.
The verse articulates a view of ultimate reality as both source of activity and all-pervading presence; action becomes a mode of relating to that reality.
It answers the prior promise—how perfection is attained through one’s own work—by prescribing a devotional orientation within action.
It can be applied as an ethic of purpose: perform one’s role responsibly while connecting it to a larger good (community, truth, or the divine), depending on one’s worldview.