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Adhyāyas / Karma Yogaḥ / verse 16

Mūla — the verse

Gita Press numbering
एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः। अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति
evaṁ pravartitaṁ chakraṁ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ aghāyur indriyārāmo moghaṁ pārtha sa jīvati
Anuṣṭubh

Translation

Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣya

O Partha, he who does not follow the wheel thus set in motion lives in vain, their life is sinful, and they indulge in the senses.

हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda

जो पुरुष यहाँ इस प्रकार प्रवर्तित हुए चक्र का अनुवर्तन नहीं करता हे पार्थ इंन्द्रियों में रमने वाला वह पाप आयु पुरुष व्यर्थ ही जीता है।।

Pronunciation — Vaamshii

from Vaamshii
एवम् प्रवर् तितञ् चक्रम्
नानु वर्त यतीह यः
अघायु रिन्द्रिया रामः
मोघम् पार्थ स जीवति
॥ १६ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →

Word by word

padārtha
evamthus
pravartitamset into motion
chakramcycle
nanot
anuvartayatifollow
ihain this life
yaḥwho
agha-āyuḥsinful living
indriya-ārāmaḥfor the delight of their senses
moghamvainly
pārthaArjun, the son of Pritha
saḥthey
jīvatilive

Themes

from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad Gītā

Meaning — Questions & Solutions

from Q&A with KnA
3.16One who does not turn this wheel lives in vain.

The wheel is the turning of yajña, drawing down both spiritual and material good. Through yajña the forces of nature — rain, earth, sun and the rest — are pleased, and they in turn support us with food and other pleasures. One who takes to sheer inaction, or to an excessively self-indulgent life, cuts the chain; society loses its balance, and he leads a worthless life. The chain runs: Brahman the Absolute → Veda → action → yajña → rain and sun → food → beings — and back again.