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Chapter 3

Chapter 3 · Verse 27

Karma Yoga

कर्मयोग

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः | अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ||३-२७||

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ . ahaṅkāravimūḍhātmā kartāhamiti manyate ||3-27||

In plain words

You need to let go of the false pride that makes you feel like the sole author of your achievements. In reality, nature's forces carry out all activities. When you are blinded by maya, the illusion of separation, you mistakenly believe your ego is the doer. True jnana, or spiritual wisdom, lies in realizing that your true self is beyond these physical actions.

Translation

3.27 Actions are being performed in every way by the Gunas of Prakrti. He whose nature is deluded by egoism, thinks, 'I am the doer.'

Meaning

Prakriti or Pradhana or Nature is that state in which the three Gunas viz.. Sattva. Rajas and Tamas exist in a state of eilibrium. When this eilibrium is disturbed creation begins body senses mind etc. are formed. The man who is deluded by egoism identifies the Self with the body mind the life force and the senses and ascribes to the Self all the attributes of the body and the senses. He therefore thinks through ignorance. I am the doer. In reality the Gunas of Nature perform all actions. (Cf. III.29V.9IX.9 10XIII.21 24 30 32XVIII.13 14).

Word by word

प्रकृतेः of nature क्रियमाणानि are performed गुणैः by the alities कर्माणि actions सर्वशः in all cases अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा one whose mind is deluded by egosim कर्ता doer अहम् I इति thus मन्यते thinks.