The document discusses a verse from the Bhagavad Gita about how no one can refrain from action, even for a moment. It explains that the soul is always active by nature and uses the material body as a vehicle. Even if one tries to refrain from action, the modes of material nature will force one to act according to their habits and desires. Therefore, it is better for the soul to engage in good prescribed duties to purify itself and progress spiritually, rather than be forced to act by material nature.

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114
Indian Spiritual
No life
without Actions
Sloka:
na hi kascit ksanam api jatu tisthaty akarma-krt
karyate hy avasah karma sarvah prakrti-jair gunaih
WordtowordMeaning
na—nor, hi—certainly, kaścit—anyone, kṣaṇam—even a
moment, api—also, jātu—even, tiṣṭhati—stands, akarma-kṛt—
without doing something, kāryate—is forced to do,
hi—certainly, avaśaḥ—helplessly, karma—work, sarvaḥ—
everything, prakṛti-jaiḥ—out of the modes of material natur,
guṇaiḥ—by the qualities
Srimad Bhagavad Gita
Chapter – 3 Verse – 5
Verse meaning
All men are forced to act
helplessly according to the
impulses born of the modes
of material nature; therefore
no one can refrain from doing
something, not even for a
moment.
Commentary
It is not a question of embodied
life, but it is the nature of
the soul to be always active.
Without the presence of the
spirit alias, the material body
cannot perform. The body is
only a vehicle to be worked
with the help of spirit, which is
always active and cannot stop
even for a moment. As such,
the spirit has to be engaged
in the good work, otherwise it
will be engaged in occupations
dictated by illusory energy.
In contact with the material
energy, the spirit acquires
material modes and to purify
the soul from such affinities it
is necessary to get engaged in
the prescribed duties enjoined
in the sastras. But if the soul is
engaged in his natural function
of service to the almighty,
then the soul is able to do only
good which will enlighten him
towards the path of salvation.
In this verse Lord Krishna
states that all are compelled
to act as per the habit of one’s
likes and dislikes influenced
by one’s attachments and
aversions arising out of
prakriti, material nature and
designated by one’s past
life activities. If one should
steadfastly determine to
perform absolutely nothing, still
one would be compelled into
action by the qualities of the
the three gunas being sattva or
goodness, rajas or passion and
tamas or ignorance, all from
prakriti, material nature.
Lor Krishna says that one
should first purify themselves
by performing karma yoga,
which is actions without desires
as prescribed in the Vedas,
which destroys sins which
hinder spiritual development,
before embarking on the path
of jnana yoga the cultivation of
spiritual knowledge.
The body is only a vehicle to be
worked with the help of spirit, which is
always active and cannot stop even
for a moment.