Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingन हि कश्िचत्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत्।
कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः
na hi kaśhchit kṣhaṇam api jātu tiṣhṭhatyakarma-kṛit
kāryate hyavaśhaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛiti-jair guṇaiḥ
Anuṣṭubh(!!) irregular in source
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaFor no one ever remains even for a moment without doing work, for all are made to work under compulsion by the gunas born of Nature.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
कोई भी पुरुष कभी क्षणमात्र भी बिना कर्म किए नहीं रह सकता क्योंकि प्रकृति से उत्पन्न गुणों के द्वारा अवश हुए सब (पुरुषों) से कर्म करवा लिया जाता है।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiन हि कश् चित् क्षण मपि(!!)
जातु तिष् ठत्य कर्म कृत्
कार्यतेह् यवश% कर्म
सर्व# प्रकृति जैर् गुणैः
॥ ५ ॥
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
padārthananot
hicertainly
kaśhchitanyone
kṣhaṇama moment
apieven
jātuever
tiṣhṭhatican remain
akarma-kṛitwithout action
kāryateare performed
hicertainly
avaśhaḥhelpless
karmawork
sarvaḥall
prakṛiti-jaiḥborn of material nature
guṇaiḥby the qualities
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA3.5Can anyone actually remain without acting, even for a moment?
For no one ever remains even for a moment without doing work, for all are made to work under compulsion by the gunas born of Nature.
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.