Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 3, Verse 9
यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः।
तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसंगः समाचर।।
तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसंगः समाचर।।
yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ
tad-arthaṁ karma kaunteya mukta-saṅgaḥ samācara
also searched as "yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma bandhanah"
Translation
This world is held in the bondage of work only when work is not performed as a sacrifice. O Arjuna, you must perform work for this purpose, free from attachment.
Vāṇi's rendering
Work binds the world — except work done as offering. So act as offering, free of attachment.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| यज्ञार्थात्yajña-arthāt | for the sake of offering; done as sacrifice |
| कर्मणःkarmaṇaḥ | than action (karmaṇo before the following vowel) |
| अन्यत्रanyatra | otherwise; apart from that |
| लोकःlokaḥ | the world, people (loko by sandhi) |
| अयम्ayam | this (’yaṁ, the initial a elided after loko) |
| कर्मबन्धनःkarma-bandhanaḥ | bound by action; action is its fetter |
| तदर्थम्tad-arthaṁ | for that sake; as offering |
| कर्मkarma | action, work |
| कौन्तेयkaunteya | son of Kunti — Arjuna |
| मुक्तसंगःmukta-saṅgaḥ | one who has let go of clinging |
| समाचरsamācara | carry it out fully; do it well |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 9 mean?
It means action itself is not the problem — possession of action is. Work claimed as mine, for my result, fastens itself to me. The same work released as offering leaves no thread behind. Krishna tells Arjuna to keep acting, and to act thoroughly, but to hand over the ownership.
What does yajnarthat karmano nyatra loko yam karma bandhanah mean?
This world is bound by its own doing — except where the doing is offered. Yajña here is not a fire rite alone. It is any act performed without gripping its outcome, given the way a gift is given. That giving is what keeps the act from becoming a chain.
Does this verse mean I should stop working to avoid karma?
No. Krishna's word is samācara — do it fully, do it well. Withdrawal is not offered as an escape anywhere in this chapter. The instruction touches the grip, not the labour. You may work harder than before and be lighter than before, because the finishing no longer has your name on it.
How do I make ordinary work into an offering?
Nothing changes in the doing. What changes is where you set the result down. Before the task, notice whom it is for. During it, give it your whole attention. Afterwards, do not go back to collect. The work leaves your hands and keeps going; you are not required to follow it.
Themes in this verse
Read every verse this way, held — inside Vāṇi.
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Commentary
Every act ties a knot. That is the world's condition — you do something, and it leaves a thread attached to you, wanting its result, wanting to be repeated. Krishna names one exception. Work done as offering, yajña, does not bind, because the doer is not holding the far end of the rope. Notice what he does not say: he does not say stop working, or work less, or work in a temple. Same work, same hands, different ownership. Arjuna will still fight. The change asked of you is not in the task on your desk but in whom the finishing belongs to.