BG 3.33
Bhagavad Gītā · Karma YogaAnuṣṭubh (śloka)सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि | प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति ||३-३३||
sadṛśaṃ ceṣṭate svasyāḥ prakṛterjñānavānapi . prakṛtiṃ yānti bhūtāni nigrahaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati ||3-33||
Linguistic facts
Anuṣṭubh (śloka) · 16+16 syllables
scansion (laghu/guru)
12 words analyzed
- सदृशम्sadṛśam← सदृशnominal · accusative singular masculine
- चेष्टतेceṣṭate← चेष्ट्verb · present third singular active (√ceṣṭ)
- स्वस्यास्svasyās← स्वnominal · Panchami singular feminine
- प्रकृतेस्prakṛtes← प्रकृnominal · Panchami singular masculine
- ज्ञानवान्jñānavān← ज्ञानवत्nominal · nominative singular masculine
- अपिapi← अपिindeclinable
- प्रकृतिम्prakṛtim← प्रकृnominal · accusative singular masculine
- यान्तिyānti← याverb · present third plural active (√yā)
- भूतानिbhūtāni← भूnominal · nominative plural neuter
- निग्रहस्nigrahas← निग्रह्nominal · nominative singular masculine
- किम्kim← किम्indeclinable
- करिष्यतिkariṣyati← कृverb · future third singular active (√kṛ)
Facts come from Vidyut (deterministic), never the model. Automated segmentation isn’t hand-verified — gaps are shown, not guessed.
Translations
3.33 Even a wise man acts in accordance with his own nature; beings will follow Nature; what can restraint do?
source ↗8 more attributed translations
Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish?
3.33. Even a man of knowledge acts in conformity to his own Prakrti, the elements go [back] to the Prakrti; [and] what will the restraint avail ?
3.33 Even the wise man acts in character with his nature; indeed, all creatures act according to their natures. What is the use of compulsion then?
3.33 Sadrsam etc. There is hardly any difference in the wordly activities like eating etc., of him who is a man of wisdom. But he too acts only in conformity to the Sattva, etc., just knowing in this manner : 'Because the elements like the Earth etc. get absorbed into the prakrti; and the Self is also a non-doer and ever-freed; therefore the erradication of birth etc., are for whose sake ?' Then how can there be bondage at all [for a man of worldly life] ? That is as follows, it is said :
3.33 Such and such is the nature of the self, which is different from the Prakrti - this has to be always contemplated upon: thus declare the Sastras. Even a person who knows this, acts in relation to material objects only according to his own nature, i.e., guided by his old subtle impressions. How is this? 'All beings follow their nature.' Beings in conjunction with non-conscient matter, all follow only subtle impressions which have continued to come from time immemorial. What can the control enjoined by Sastras, do to these beings who follow their subtle impressions? Sri Krsna expounds the way by which individuals are overpowered to follow their respective natures:
3.33 Api, even; jnanavan, a man of wisdom-what to speak of a fool!; cestate, behaves; Sadrsam, according to;-what? svasyah, his own; prakrteh, nature. Nature means the impressions of virtue, vice, etc. [Also, knowledge, desires, and so on.] acired in the past (lives) and which become manifest at the commencement of the present life. All creatures (behave) according to that only. Therefore, bhutani, beings; yanti, follow; (their) prakrtim, nature. Nigrahah kim karisyati, what can restraint do, be it from Me or anybody else? If all beings behave only according to their own nature-and there is none without his nature-, then, since there arises the contingency of the scriptures becoming purposeless owing to the absence of any scope for personal effort, therefore the following is being stated:
3.33 Even the man of knowledge acts according to his nature; all beings follow their nature. What will repression do?
3.33 Even a man of wisdom behaves according to his own nature. Being follow (their) nature. What can restraint do?
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