कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि
Your responsibility is to action alone, never to its fruits. Do your work fully, without becoming trapped by the result.
Bhagavad Gītā · a reading shelfWords for
Words for
the difficult moment.
The Gita begins in moral confusion, not certainty. These selections are plain-language guides, offered as invitations to read further with a trusted commentary and the dialogue’s full context.
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः
The self is not born and does not die. It is not produced, nor does it cease to be.
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम्
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम्
Whenever dharma declines and harm rises, the divine manifests to protect the good and restore balance.
उद्धरेदात्मनाऽऽत्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः
Lift yourself by yourself; do not let yourself fall. The self can be a friend to oneself, or an enemy.
अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम्
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम्
For those who hold the divine in single-hearted remembrance, what they need is carried and protected.
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां
मैत्रः करुण एव च
मैत्रः करुण एव च
Dear is the person who has no hatred for any being, and who is friendly and compassionate.
Translations vary. The most useful next step is to choose a complete translation that includes the Sanskrit, notes its interpretive tradition, and lets you follow Arjuna and Krishna’s entire conversation.