Chapter 3, Verse 17 (Bhagavad Gita 3.17)
Chapter 3: Karm Yog – Path of Selfless Service
Sanskrit Shloka
यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः। आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते
Transliteration
yas tvātma-ratir eva syād ātma-tṛiptaśh cha mānavaḥ ātmanyeva cha santuṣhṭas tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate
Word Meanings
yaḥ—who; tu—but; ātma-ratiḥ—rejoice in the self; eva—certainly; syāt—is; ātma-tṛiptaḥ—self-satisfied; cha—and; mānavaḥ—human being; ātmani—in the self; eva—certainly; cha—and; santuṣhṭaḥ—satisfied; tasya—his; kāryam—duty; na—not; vidyate—exist
Translation
But for one who takes delight in the Self, who is satisfied in the Self, and who is content only in the Self, there is no duty that remains.
Meaning & Commentary
This verse describes the state of a 'Jivanmukta,' a soul liberated while still in a body. When an individual realizes their true identity as the eternal Self rather than the transient ego or the body, all external desires and compulsions vanish. Such a person acts not out of personal gain or karmic obligation, but as a spontaneous flow of divine will. This transformation shifts the burden of duty into the joy of existence, where every action becomes a natural expression of peace rather than a transactional effort to achieve something.