Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 3 › Verse 16
Bhagavad Gītā 3.16: The great wheel
एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः ।
अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति ॥
evaṃ pravartitaṃ cakraṃ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ
aghāyurindriyārāmo moghaṃ pārtha sa jīvati
Recitation: NehalDaveND (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0, adapted, original recording
Meaning
One who does not, in this world, help turn the wheel thus set in motion, whose life is sinful and who delights in the senses, lives in vain, O Pārtha. The wheel is the cycle of 3.14–3.15; taking part in it is the purpose of action, while living only for self-gratification breaks it.
For children
Krishna says: “The world is like a big wheel of giving and taking. Help it turn! If you only want things for yourself, you miss what life is for.”
Kṛṣṇa ends his teaching on the cycle of yajña (3.10–3.16).
Word by word
एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं — The wheel that has been set turning like this
- evam: thus
- pravartita: set turning
- cakra: wheel
नानुवर्तयतीह यः — whoever does not help to turn it here
- anuvartayati: helps turn, follows
- iha: here, in this world
अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो — living wrongly, pleased only by the senses
- aghāyus: living wrongly
- indriyārāma: pleased only by the senses
मोघं पार्थ स जीवति — lives in vain, Arjuna
- mogha: in vain, wasted
- pārtha: son of Pṛthā (Arjuna)
- jīvati: lives
Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse. The Sanskrit is checked against four editions; meanings and word notes are simple learning aids written for MahaPrabha Gurukul, awaiting review by a Sanskrit teacher.