Sacred verse

Bhagavad Gita 4.12BG 4.12 · Chapter 4, Verse 12

Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga · Verse 12

A core teaching · reflective in mood · easy to enter

Desire for quick success makes people chase fast-acting powers.

The verse
काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः
क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा

People who want quick success worship radiant beings, because results from action come quickly in the human world.

Krishna
Bhagavad Gita · 4.12
Hindi · हिन्दी
कर्मोंकी सिद्धि फल चाहनेवाले मनुष्य देवताओंकी उपासना किया करते हैं क्योंकि इस मनुष्यलोकमें कर्मोंसे उत्पन्न होनेवाली सिद्धि जल्दी मिल जाती है ॥
Word by word

The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.

काङ्क्षन्तःdesiringकर्मणाम्of actionsसिद्धिम्success, accomplishmentयजन्तेworshipइहhereदेवताःradiant beingsक्षिप्रम्quicklyहिindeedमानुषेin humanलोकेworldसिद्धिःsuccess, accomplishmentभवतिbecomesकर्मजाborn of action

Read literallydesiring · of actions · success, accomplishment · worship · here · radiant beings · quickly · indeed · in human · world · success, accomplishment · becomes · born of action

Understanding the verse

It shifts attention from craving immediate payoff to seeing why the mind reaches for shortcuts.

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In plain words

What this verse means

People who want immediate success often turn to lesser powers for help, because in the human world action can produce quick results.

On the battlefield

Context & commentary

Krishna is explaining why people seek quick gains through ritual power rather than steady inner understanding. On the battlefield, Arjuna wants a way out of crisis now, and Krishna shows how the mind reaches for fast results.

In your life

Why this verse still matters

You refresh the app after sending the message, hoping for an instant reply. That hunger for speed can push you toward shortcuts, hacks, and quick fixes that never last.

The takeaway

The urge for speed can make you chase shortcuts instead of understanding what truly works.

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Krishna on the lineage of yoga and the wisdom of action
Chapter 4 · Knowledge and Renunciation of Action
Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga
42 verses
Read all verses in this chapter →
Common questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 4.12 mean?

People who want immediate success often turn to lesser powers for help, because in the human world action can produce quick results.

Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 4.12?

Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga" (Knowledge and Renunciation of Action).

Which chapter of the Bhagavad Gita contains verse 4.12?

Verse 12 sits in Chapter 4 of the Bhagavad Gita — Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga, "Knowledge and Renunciation of Action". The chapter has 42 verses in total.

Why does Bhagavad Gita 4.12 matter today?

You refresh the app after sending the message, hoping for an instant reply. That hunger for speed can push you toward shortcuts, hacks, and quick fixes that never last.

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