एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः ।
अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति ॥
अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति ॥
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 ॥
English
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.
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.
The takeaway
There is relief in seeing that a meaningful life is not random pleasure-seeking.
Word-by-word translation
एवम् (thus) / प्रवर्तितम् (set in motion) / चक्रम् (cycle) / न (not) / अनुवर्तयति (follows) / इह (here) / यः (who) / अघायुः (one whose life is tainted by wrongdoing) / इन्द्रियारामः (delighting in the senses) / मोघम् (in vain) / पार्थ (O Partha) / सः (he) / जीवति (lives)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3: Karma Yoga — The Yoga of Action, which contains 43 verses.
Explore related themes: karma yoga (55 verses), yajna (32 verses), dharma (14 verses)