न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् ।कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥
na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api jātu tiṣṭhaty akarmakṛt |kāryate hy avaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛtijair guṇaiḥ ||
- न · na
- not
- हि · hi
- indeed, for
- कश्चित् · kaścit
- anyone
- क्षणम् · kṣaṇam
- a moment
- अपि · api
- even
- जातु · jātu
- ever
- तिष्ठति · tiṣṭhati
- remains, stands
- अकर्मकृत् · akarmakṛt
- without doing action
- कार्यते · kāryate
- is made to act
- अवशः · avaśaḥ
- helpless, not independent
- सर्वः · sarvaḥ
- everyone
- प्रकृतिजैः · prakṛtijaiḥ
- born of nature
- गुणैः · guṇaiḥ
- by the qualities (guṇas)
“For no one ever remains even a moment without doing action. Everyone, helplessly, is made to act by the qualities born of nature.”
— Original plain-language translation
Total inaction is psychologically and cosmically impossible — breathing, thinking, and willing continue regardless. Since action is unavoidable, the only real choice is its spirit: bound or free. This leads directly to the guṇa teaching of verse 27.
— Reader's notes (original)