Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 3, Verse 18
नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन।
न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रयः।।
न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रयः।।
naiva tasya kṛtenārtho nākṛteneha kaścana
na cāsya sarva-bhūteṣu kaścid artha-vyapāśrayaḥ
also searched as "naiva tasya kritenartho nakriteneha kaschana"
Translation
He has no purpose to gain from work done or left undone, nor does he have to rely on any end.
Vāṇi's rendering
Such a one gains nothing by acting, loses nothing by not acting, and leans on no one for anything.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नna | not |
| एवeva | at all, indeed (na + eva joins as naiva) |
| तस्यtasya | for him, for such a one |
| कृतेनkṛtena | by work done |
| अर्थःarthaḥ | gain, purpose served (appears as artho before the next word) |
| नna | nor |
| अकृतेनakṛtena | by work left undone |
| इहiha | here, in this world (akṛtena + iha joins as akṛteneha) |
| कश्चनkaścana | any whatever |
| नna | not |
| चca | and |
| अस्यasya | of this one (ca + asya joins as cāsya) |
| सर्व-भूतेषुsarva-bhūteṣu | among all beings |
| कश्चित्kaścid | any |
| अर्थ-व्यपाश्रयःartha-vyapāśrayaḥ | leaning on someone for an end, dependence for something wanted |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 18 mean?
It describes one who is settled in the self. Action adds nothing to such a person and inaction takes nothing away, and no being anywhere holds something he must have. He is not withdrawn from work — he is simply not bargaining with it. The work continues; the wanting behind it has gone quiet.
What is the meaning of naiva tasya kritenartho?
Kṛtena means by what is done, arthaḥ means gain or purpose served. Together: nothing is added to him by doing. Krishna is not banning action, he is removing the profit motive from it. When the doing no longer buys you anything you lack, you can finally do it well.
If I gain nothing from my work, why should I work at all?
Because the very next verse says so: act, unattached. Krishna removes the leverage, not the labour. You work because the work is yours to do — the field needs ploughing, the child needs feeding, Arjuna's army waits. What ends is the silent trade where every act is payment for something you hope to receive.
What does it mean to depend on no being for anything?
It means no one in your life is holding a piece of you hostage. Their approval, their apology, their changing — none of it is required for you to stand. You may still love them, work with them, need their help in small practical ways. But your steadiness is no longer stored in someone else's hands.
Themes in this verse
Read every verse this way, held — inside Vāṇi.
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Commentary
Read this too fast and it sounds like indifference. It is not. Krishna is describing someone who still acts — the next verse tells Arjuna to keep working — but who has nothing riding on it. Most of what we call motivation is leverage: the outcome we need, the person who can give it. Take that away and there is nothing left to move you. Krishna says something remains, and it acts more cleanly than need ever did. Notice how much of today you spend leaning. On approval, on a result, on someone changing. Set one of them down before evening.