Bhagavad Gita BG 3.27
Chapter 3, Verse 27 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः । अहंकारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ॥ २७ ॥
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate
Meaning
All actions are everywhere being performed by the gunas of prakṛti. But the one whose self is deluded by ego (ahaṅkāra) thinks: 'I am the doer.'
Understanding
This verse delivers one of the most radical insights in the Gita. In reality, all actions are performed by the three gunas of prakṛti — the built-in forces of nature (sattva, rajas, tamas). The body moves, the mind thinks, emotions arise — all these are events in prakṛti. But the ego (ahaṅkāra — literally 'I-maker') superimposes itself onto this process and claims 'I am doing this.' This claim of doership is the fundamental illusion (vimūḍhātmā — self-deluded). When one sees through the ego's false claim and recognises that the gunas do everything, one can perform action without karmic entanglement — because there is no 'I' to create karma.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| प्रकृतेः | prakṛteḥ | of / by material nature / prakṛti |
| गुणैः | guṇaiḥ | by the gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas) |
| अहंकार | ahaṅkāra | ego / I-maker / the false sense of 'I am the doer' |
| विमूढात्मा | vimūḍhātmā | one whose self is deluded |
| कर्ता | kartā | the doer / the agent |
| क्रियमाणानि | kriyamāṇāni | being performed / being done (by nature) |
| कर्माणि | karmāṇi | actions / deeds |
| सर्वशः | sarvaśaḥ | in all ways / entirely |
| अहम् | aham | I (am the doer — false notion) |
| इति | iti | thus (quotation: "I am the doer") |
| मन्यते | manyate | thinks / believes / considers |