Shloka 23

Karma-Saṃnyāsa–Karma-Yoga Saṃvāda

Renunciation and the Discipline of Action

Devanagari script

यदि हाहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रित: । मम वर्त्मनिवर्तन्ते मनुष्या: पार्थ सर्वश:

Transliteration

yadi hy ahaṁ na varteyaṁ jātu karmaṇy atandritaḥ | mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ ||

Translation

ഹേ പാർഥാ! ഞാൻ ഒരിക്കലെങ്കിലും ജാഗ്രതയോടെ കർമ്മത്തിൽ പ്രവൃത്തനിരതനായി നിലകൊള്ളാതിരുന്നാൽ മഹാനാശം സംഭവിക്കും; കാരണം മനുഷ്യർ എല്ലാതരത്തിലും എന്റെ വഴിയേ പിന്തുടരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• हा: alas! (interjection)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हा

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• वर्तेयम्: should act / should engage (in)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (वर्तते)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), First, Singular, Atmanepada

• जातु: ever, at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु

• कर्मणि: in action / in duty
• कर्मणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अतन्द्रितः: unwearied, vigilant
• अतन्द्रितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतन्द्रित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मम: of me / my
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• वर्त्मनि: on the path / in the way
• वर्त्मनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्त्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• निवर्तन्ते: follow / turn (themselves) toward; proceed along
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वृत् (निवर्तते)
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• मनुष्याः: people, men
• मनुष्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पार्थ: O Partha (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सर्वशः: in every way, entirely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशस्

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna (Pārtha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Those in positions of influence must act diligently in accordance with dharma, because society imitates their conduct; negligence by a leader becomes a cause of widespread moral and practical decline.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Gītā discourse on the battlefield, Kṛṣṇa explains to Arjuna why he himself continues to act without negligence: not out of personal need, but to uphold order and set an example that others will follow.