Sanskrit
यतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम् । स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः ॥ ४६ ॥
yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānāṃ yena sarvam idaṃ tatam svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṃ vindati mānavaḥ
Translation
He from whom is the emanation of beings, by Whom all This is pervaded, by worshipping Him in his own duty a man winneth perfection.
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
The previous verse’s claim is pushed further here: worshipping the source “from whom is the emanation of all beings” is accomplished through one’s own ordinary work, not despite it. It’s the same move chapter 3 makes when it reframes competent action as yajna, sacrifice (3.9-3.16) — dedicated work toward Krishna as the origin-point of all beings collapses any distinction between “sacred” and “secular” activity that the varna scheme laid out just above might otherwise seem to invite. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya — “worshipping Him by one’s own work.” Any svadharma, offered to the source “by whom all this is pervaded” (BG 9.4), becomes a full path to perfection. This is BG 9.27 as a doctrine of vocation.
Study deeper
Word by word
- yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānāṃयतः प्रवृत्तिः भूतानां
- from whom is the arising of beings (yataḥ + pravṛttiḥ + bhūtānām)
- yena sarvam idaṃ tatamयेन सर्वं इदं ततं
- by whom all this is pervaded (yena + sarvam + idam + tatam)
- svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcyaस्वकर्मणा तं अभ्यर्च्य
- worshipping Him by one's own work (sva-karmaṇā + tam + abhyarcya)
- siddhiṃ vindati mānavaḥसिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः
- a person finds perfection (siddhim + vindati + mānavaḥ)
Commentary
Site Commentary
The Sanskrit puts one’s own work in the instrumental case, worship performed by means of the work, not work performed alongside a separate act of worship. Grammar is doing philosophical work here: there’s no second activity meant to be layered on top of a job to make it sacred. The job itself, done as the instrument, is already the whole act.
Original commentary written for this site · © Amit Singh — original commentary
Concepts
Apply this verse
Lessons
Personal
- Stop looking for a separate meaningful practice to bolt onto your ordinary work day; this verse's grammar suggests the work itself, done with the right orientation, is the instrument, not a placeholder waiting for something holier to be added.
Professional
- Don't treat purpose as a separate initiative, an offsite, a mission statement exercise, layered on top of the actual work; the daily competent execution of the job is the instrument through which purpose gets expressed, or it doesn't get expressed at all.
Family & Social
- You don't need a separate grand gesture to express love for your family beyond the ordinary daily acts of care already in front of you; those acts, done attentively, are themselves the instrument, not a warm-up for something more meaningful later.
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