BG 3.22
Bhagavad Gītā · Karma YogaAnuṣṭubh (śloka)न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन | नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ||३-२२||
na me pārthāsti kartavyaṃ triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana . nānavāptamavāptavyaṃ varta eva ca karmaṇi ||3-22||
Linguistic facts
Anuṣṭubh (śloka) · 16+16 syllables
scansion (laghu/guru)
17 words analyzed
- नna← नnominal · vocative singular neuter
- मेme← माnominal · locative singular neuter
- पार्थpārtha← पार्थnominal · vocative singular masculine
- अस्तिasti← अस्verb · present third singular active (√as)
- कर्तव्यम्kartavyam← कृnominal · accusative singular masculine
- त्रिषुtriṣu← त्रिnominal · locative plural masculine
- लोकloka← लोक्verb · imperative second singular active (√lok)
- इषुiṣu← इnominal · locative plural masculine
- किञ्चनkiñcanaunknown
- नान्nān← नnominal · accusative plural masculine
- अवाप्तम्avāptam← वप्verb · aorist second dual active (√vap)
- अवava← उnominal · vocative singular masculine
- आप्तव्यम्āptavyam← आप्nominal · accusative singular masculine
- वर्तvarta← वृत्verb · imperative second singular active (√vṛt)
- एवeva← एवnominal · vocative singular neuter
- चca← चnominal · vocative singular masculine
- कर्मणिkarmaṇi← कर्मन्nominal · locative singular neuter
Facts come from Vidyut (deterministic), never the model. Automated segmentation isn’t hand-verified — gaps are shown, not guessed.
Translations
3.22 There is nothing in the three worlds, O Arjuna, that should be done by Me, nor is there anything unattained that should be attained; yet I engage Myself in action.
source ↗8 more attributed translations
O son of Pṛthā, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I a need to obtain anything – and yet I am engaged in prescribed duties.
3.22. O son of Prtha ! For Me, in the three worlds there is nothing that must be done; nor is there any thing unattained [so far] to be attained; and yet I exert in action.
3.22 There is nothing in this universe, O Arjuna, that I am compelled to do, nor anything for Me to attain; yet I am persistently active.
3.21-22 Yad yad acarati etc. Na me etc. The Bhagavat cities Himself as an example to illustrate the idea that to favour the world is the [only] purpose for such a person to exert in action, eventhough he has already attained whatever is to be attained, and is fully satisfied in his mind.
3.22 For Me, who is the Lord of all, who has all desires fulfilled, who is omniscient, whose will is always true, and who, at My own will, remains in the three worlds in the forms of gods, men and such other beings, there is nothing whatever to achieve. Therefore though there is for Me nothing 'unacired', i.e., nothing yet to be acired by work, I go on working for the protection of the world.
3.22 O Partha, na asti, there is no; kartavyam, duty; kincana, whatsoever; me, for Me (to fulfill); even trisu lokesu, in all the three worlds. Why? There is na anavaptam, nothing (that remains) unachieved; or avaptavyam, to be achieved. Still varte eva, do I continue; karmani, in action.
3.22 For me, Arjuna, there is nothing in all the three worlds which ought to be done, nor is there anything unacired that ought to be acired. Yet I go on working.
3.22 In all the three worlds, O Partha, there is no duty whatsoever for Me (to fulfil); nothing remains unachieved or to be achieved. [According to S. the translation of this portion is: There is nothing unattained that should be attained.-Tr.] (Still) do I continue in action.
A cited synthesis that reconciles these translations and speaks to your situation — grounded in the broader corpus. Coming soon. Sign in to be first.