O Partha, the one who does not follow this cycle set in motion here lives in vain, delighting only in the senses and living a life of wrongdoing.
— Krishna
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Bhagavad Gita · 3.16
Hindi · हिन्दी
हे पार्थ जो मनुष्य इस लोकमें इस प्रकार परम्परासे प्रचलित सृष्टिचक्रके अनुसार नहीं चलता, वह इन्द्रियोंके द्वारा भोगोंमें रमण करनेवाला अघायु पापमय जीवन बितानेवाला मनुष्य संसारमें व्यर्थ ही जीता है ॥
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
एवम्thusप्रवर्तितम्set in motionचक्रम्cycleनnotअनुवर्तयतिfollowsइहhereयःwhoअघायुःone whose life is tainted by wrongdoingइन्द्रियारामःdelighting in the sensesमोघम्in vainपार्थO Parthaसःheजीवतिlives
Read literallythus · set in motion · cycle · not · follows · here · who · one whose life is tainted by wrongdoing · delighting in the senses · in vain · O Partha · he · lives
Understanding the verse
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It shifts the mind from appetite as freedom to responsibility as the condition for a meaningful life.
A person who ignores the world’s proper cycle of action and only chases pleasure ends up living a wasted life.
02
On the battlefield
Context & commentary
On the battlefield, Arjuna stands frozen while Krishna explains how life itself depends on a shared cycle of action, sacrifice, and responsibility. This verse warns that refusing that order for private pleasure makes a person’s life hollow.
03
In your life
Why this verse still matters
You keep scrolling, snacking, and numbing out after a hard day, but something inside feels dead. Krishna names that drift: a life cut off from responsibility begins to waste itself.
The takeaway
“There is relief in seeing that a meaningful life is not random pleasure-seeking.”
A person who ignores the world’s proper cycle of action and only chases pleasure ends up living a wasted life.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 3.16?
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Karma Yoga" (The Yoga of Action).
Which chapter of the Bhagavad Gita contains verse 3.16?
Verse 16 sits in Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita — Karma Yoga, "The Yoga of Action". The chapter has 43 verses in total.
Why does Bhagavad Gita 3.16 matter today?
You keep scrolling, snacking, and numbing out after a hard day, but something inside feels dead. Krishna names that drift: a life cut off from responsibility begins to waste itself.
It shifts the mind from appetite as freedom to responsibility as the condition for a meaningful life.
What this verse means
A person who ignores the world’s proper cycle of action and only chases pleasure ends up living a wasted life.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield, Arjuna stands frozen while Krishna explains how life itself depends on a shared cycle of action, sacrifice, and responsibility. This verse warns that refusing that order for private pleasure makes a person’s life hollow.
Why this verse still matters
You keep scrolling, snacking, and numbing out after a hard day, but something inside feels dead. Krishna names that drift: a life cut off from responsibility begins to waste itself.
“There is relief in seeing that a meaningful life is not random pleasure-seeking.”
Explore related themes: karma yoga (55 verses), yajna (32 verses), dharma (14 verses)