Bhagavad-gītā 3.20
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः। लोकसंग्रहमेवापि संपश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि।।3.20।।
karmaṇaiva hi sansiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥ loka-saṅgraham evāpi sampaśhyan kartum arhasi
Verily by action alone, Janaka and others attained perfection;:also, simply with the view for the guidance of men, thou shouldst perform action.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| karmaṇā | by the performance of prescribed duties |
| eva | only |
| hi | certainly |
| sansiddhim | perfection |
| āsthitāḥ | attained |
| janaka-ādayaḥ | King Janak and other kings |
| loka-saṅgraham | for the welfare of the masses |
| eva api | only |
| sampaśhyan | considering |
| kartum | to perform |
| arhasi | you should |
Keep the verse in view while connecting karmaṇā (by the performance of prescribed duties), janaka-ādayaḥ (King Janak and other kings), and arhasi (you should). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to work offered without possessiveness. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 3.20.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Distinguish action, duty, sacrifice, example, desire and attachment without treating karma-yoga as inactivity.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Verily by action alone, Janaka and others attained perfection
- 2
also, simply with the view for the guidance of men, thou shouldst perform action
- 3
karmaṇā: by the performance of prescribed duties
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Cover
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 3.20, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 3.20 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 3.20 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 3.20 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 3.20, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition