नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः | शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः ||३-८||
niyataṃ kuru karma tvaṃ karma jyāyo hyakarmaṇaḥ . śarīrayātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyedakarmaṇaḥ ||3-8||
Chapter 3 · Verse 8
Karma Yoga
कर्मयोग
In plain words
You must perform your prescribed duties because taking action is always better than doing nothing. Even keeping your physical body alive requires constant action. By fulfilling your dharma, which is your righteous duty, you turn ordinary karma, or daily action, into a path of spiritual growth rather than a burden.
Translation
3.8 You must perform your obligatory action; for action is superior to non-action (Jnana Yoga). For a person following non-action not even the sustentation of the body is possible.
Meaning
Niyatam Karma is an obligatory duty which one is bound to perform. Thenonperformance of the bounden duties causes demerit. The performance of the obligatory duties is not a means for the attainment of a specific result. The performance does not cause any merit. Living itself involves several natural and unavoidable actions which have to be performed by all. It is ignorance to say. I can live doing nothing.
Word by word
नियतम् bounden (prescribed or obligatory) कुरु perform कर्म action त्वम् thou कर्म action ज्यायः superior हि for अकर्मणः than inaction शरीरयात्रा maintenance of the body अपि even च and ते thy न not प्रसिद्ध्येत् would be possible अकर्मणः by inaction.