Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 3, verse 8 · Krishna
Bhagavad Gita 3.8 · Niyatam Kuru Karma
नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः ।
शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः ॥
niyataṃ kuru karma tvaṃ karma jyāyo hyakarmaṇaḥ |
śarīrayātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyedakarmaṇaḥ ||
Translation
Do the work that is yours to do, for action is better than inaction. Without action you could not even keep your body alive.
Context
Spoken by Krishna in chapter 3, Karma Yoga — “The Yoga of Action”, which has 43 verses.
Frequently asked questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 3.8 mean?
Do the work that is yours to do, for action is better than inaction. Without action you could not even keep your body alive.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 3.8?
Krishna, speaking to Arjuna, in chapter 3, Karma Yoga (The Yoga of Action).
Sanskrit text: traditional, public domain. Translation and explanation are our own.