Bhagavad-gītā 3.23
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः। मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः।।3.23।।
yadi hyahaṁ na varteyaṁ jātu karmaṇyatandritaḥ mama vartmānuvartante manuṣhyāḥ pārtha sarvaśhaḥ
If ever I did not continue in work, without relaxation, men, O son of Prithâ, would in every way, follow in My wake.
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 |
|---|---|
| yadi | if |
| hi | certainly |
| aham | I |
| na | not |
| varteyam | thus engage |
| jātu | ever |
| karmaṇi | in the performance of prescribed duties |
| atandritaḥ | carefully |
| mama | my |
| vartma | path |
| anuvartante | follow |
| manuṣhyāḥ | all men |
| pārtha | Arjun, the son of Pritha |
| sarvaśhaḥ | in all respects |
Use the word map to follow the relation among yadi (if), atandritaḥ (carefully), and sarvaśhaḥ (in all respects). 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 3.23.
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
If ever I did not continue in work, without relaxation, men, O son of Prithâ, would in every way, follow in My wake
- 2
yadi: if
- 3
atandritaḥ: carefully
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
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Link
Use the line starts: yadi hyahaṁ / mama vartmānuvartante.
Cover
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Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 3.23, 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 3.23 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 3.23 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 3.23 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 3.23, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition