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Bhagavad Gita 3.29

Chapter 3, Verse 29

Part of 3: Karm Yogकर्मयोग

प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु। तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत्॥

Transliteration

prakṛiter guṇa-sammūḍhāḥ sajjante guṇa-karmasu tān akṛitsna-vido mandān kṛitsna-vin na vichālayet

Meaning

Those deluded by the qualities of Nature are attached to the functions of the qualities. The man of perfect knowledge should not unsettle the foolish one who is of imperfect knowledge.

Word-by-word meaning
prakṛiteḥof material natureguṇaby the modes of material naturesammūḍhāḥdeludedsajjantebecome attachedguṇa-karmasuto results of actionstānthoseakṛitsna-vidaḥpersons without knowledgemandānthe ignorantkṛitsna-vitpersons with knowledgena vichālayetshould not unsettle
Commentary

The ignorant people do action with the expectation of fruits. The wise people who have the knowledge of the Self should not distract the faith or conviction or belief of such ignorant persons. If they unsettle their minds they will give up actions and become victims of inertia. They will lead an idle life. They should be encouraged by the wise to do actions of the Sakama type (actions for the sake of their fruits) in the beginning. The wise ones should turn the minds of the ignorant by giving them gradual instructions on Karma Yoga (Yoga of selfless, desireless action) and its benefits, viz., purification of the heart that leads to the attainment of Selfrealisation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 29?
Those deluded by the qualities of Nature are attached to the functions of the qualities. The man of perfect knowledge should not unsettle the foolish one who is of imperfect knowledge.
Which chapter and verse of the Bhagavad Gita is this?
This is verse 29 of Chapter 3 (Karm Yog — Path of Selfless Service) of the Bhagavad Gita, a scripture of 18 chapters and 700 verses spoken by Lord Krishna to Arjuna.