3.33
Chapter 3, Verse 33
सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि। प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति৷৷
sadṛśaṅ cēṣṭatē svasyāḥ prakṛtērjñānavānapi. prakṛtiṅ yānti bhūtāni nigrahaḥ kiṅ kariṣyati৷৷
Translation
Even the wise man acts in character with his nature; indeed, all creatures act according to their natures. What is the use of compulsion then?
Translation — Purohit Swami
Commentary
सदृशम् in accordance, चेष्टते acts, स्वस्याः of his own, प्रकृतेः of nature, ज्ञानवान् a wise man, अपि even, प्रकृतिम् to nature, यान्ति follow, भूतानि beings, निग्रहः restraint, किम् what, करिष्यति will do. Commentary: He who reads this verse will come to the conclusion that there is no scope for mans personal exertion. It is not so. Read the following verse. It clearly indicates that man can coner Nature if he rises above the sway of RagaDvesha (love and hatred).The passionate and ignorant man only comes under the sway of his natural propensities, and his lower nature. He cannot have any restraint over the senses and the two currents of likes and dislikes. The seeker after Truth who is endowed with the four means, and who is constantly practising meditation can easily control Nature. (Cf.II.60V.14XVIII.59).
Commentary — Swami Sivananda
Sanskrit and transliteration of the Bhagavad Gita. Corpus compiled from the vedabase and the IIT Kanpur Gita Supersite.