Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 3 › Verse 20
Bhagavad Gītā 3.20: Like King Janaka
कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः ।
लोकसङ्ग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ॥
karmaṇaiva hi saṃsiddhimāsthitā janakādayaḥ
lokasaṅgrahamevāpi sampaśyankartumarhasi
Recitation: NehalDaveND (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0, adapted, original recording
Meaning
Through action alone Janaka and others attained perfection; and with a view to lokasaṅgraha, the welfare and holding-together of the world, you should act. Janaka, the philosopher-king of the Upaniṣads, is the classic example of a realised person who kept ruling; lokasaṅgraha introduces the theme of example that 3.21 develops.
For children
Krishna says: “Great kings like Janaka became wise by doing good work. You should do good work too, to help the whole world.”
Kṛṣṇa gives examples of wise people who kept acting, leading into 3.21.
Word by word
कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिम् — Through action itself
- karmaṇā: through action
- eva: itself, alone
- saṃsiddhi: perfection, success
आस्थिता जनकादयः — King Janaka and others reached perfection
- āsthitāḥ: reached
- janaka: King Janaka
- ādayaḥ: and others
लोकसङ्ग्रहमेवापि — and keeping in mind the good of the world
- lokasaṅgraha: the good of the world
- api: also
सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि — you too should act
- sampaśyan: keeping in view
- kartum arhasi: you should act
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.