Bhagavad Gita: Understanding One Shloka at a time. (Chp. 3, Verse 5) — HBR Patel

Trying to understand Bhagavad Gita, one Shloka at a time…

न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् |
कार्यते ह्यवश: कर्म सर्व: प्रकृतिजैर्गुणै: || 5||

One cannot remain without engaging in the activity at any time, even for a moment. All beings, helplessly, are compelled to act by the gunaas(qualities) born of prakriti(nature).

Bhagwan Shri Krishna highlights the fact that no one can completely remain free from the action. As we are compelled by our prakriti to perform actions. If we think that by renunciating the material world and going deep into the forest, we will become free from the action. But, even when we sit we are performing action even though we think that we are performing no physical action.

Even when we sleep, we dream and that count as an action. The heart is constantly working even in deep sleep and that amounts to an action. No one, no human being is free from engaging in action at any given moment. Every now and then we are always engaged in performing one or another actions, even if we knew it or not.

So, Bhagwan Shri Krishna says that it is impossible to disengage from the action as we are constantly compelled to act based on our qualities (gunas) that is due to our nature(prakriti).

There are three gunas: sattva or goodness, rajas or passion and tamas or ignorance. Our actions are based on this gunas and we can never cease to act.