Chapter 3, Verse 17
"But the man who rejoices only in the Self, is satisfied with the Self, and is content in the Self alone, has no duty to perform"
But the man who rejoices only in the Self, is satisfied with the Self, and is content in the Self alone, has no duty to perform— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 17
About This Verse
This verse appears in the middle section of Chapter 3 — The Yoga of Action (कर्मयोगः), which explores selfless action (Karma Yoga). This chapter contains 43 verses and focuses on why action is superior to inaction, and how to act without creating bondage. In this particular verse, the teaching centers on the idea that but the man who rejoices only in the self, is satisfied with the self, and is content in the self alone, has no duty to perform. The Bhagavad Gita is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic Mahabharata, consisting of a conversation between Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
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What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 17 mean?
Chapter 3, Verse 17 of the Bhagavad Gita teaches that but the man who rejoices only in the self, is satisfied with the self, and is content in the self alone, has no duty to perform. This verse is part of The Yoga of Action (कर्मयोगः), which contains 43 verses.
Who spoke Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 17?
This verse is part of the dialogue in Chapter 3 — The Yoga of Action. The Bhagavad Gita is primarily a conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, narrated by Sanjaya to King Dhritarashtra.
What is the context of Chapter 3, Verse 17 in the Bhagavad Gita?
This verse appears in Chapter 3 — "The Yoga of Action" (कर्मयोगः), which is verse 17 of 43 in this chapter. The Yoga of Action The Bhagavad Gita has 18 chapters and 700 verses in total.
How can I read this verse in other languages?
This verse is available in 22 languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, and more. Download the free Bhagavad Gita app on iOS or Android to read the full translation, detailed meaning, word-by-word breakdown, and listen to Sanskrit audio recitation — all completely free.