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The Yoga of Action · कर्मयोगः

Chapter 3, Verse 20

"Indeed, Janaka and others attained perfection through action alone"

Sanskrit
कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः।
लोकसंग्रहमेवापि संपश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि
karmaṇaiva hi sansiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥ
loka-saṅgraham evāpi sampaśhyan kartum arhasi
कर्मणैवkarmaṇaivaby action alone
हिhiindeed
संसिद्धिम्saṃsiddhimperfection
आस्थिताःāsthitāḥattained
जनकादयःjanakādayaḥJanaka and others
लोकसंग्रहम्loka-saṅgrahamwelfare of the world
एवevaeven
अपिapialso
संपश्यन्saṃpaśyanconsidering
कर्तुम्kartumto perform
अर्हसिarhasiyou should
Indeed, Janaka and others attained perfection through action alone
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 20

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 indeed, janaka and others attained perfection through action alone. 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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The Yoga of Action

कर्मयोगः · 43 verses
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What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 20 mean?

Chapter 3, Verse 20 of the Bhagavad Gita teaches that indeed, janaka and others attained perfection through action alone. This verse is part of The Yoga of Action (कर्मयोगः), which contains 43 verses.

Who spoke Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 20?

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 20 in the Bhagavad Gita?

This verse appears in Chapter 3 — "The Yoga of Action" (कर्मयोगः), which is verse 20 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.

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