न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन।
नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि।।3.22।।
3.22 In all the three worlds, O Partha, there is no duty whatsoever for Me (to fulfil); nothing remains unachieved or to be achieved. [According to S. the translation of this portion is: There is nothing unattained that should be attained.-Tr.] (Still) do I continue in action.
3.22 There is nothing in the three worlds, O Arjuna, that should be done by Me, nor is there anything unattained that should be attained; yet I engage Myself in action.
3.22. O son of Prtha ! For Me, in the three worlds there is nothing that must be done; nor is there any thing unattained [so far] to be attained; and yet I exert in action.
3.22 न not? मे my? पार्थ O Partha? अस्ति is? कर्तव्यम् to be done (duty)? त्रिषु in the three? लोकेषु worlds? किञ्चन anything? न not? अनवाप्तम् unattained? अवाप्तव्यम् to be attained? वर्ते am? एव also? च and? कर्मणि in action.Commentary I am the Lord of the universe and therefore I have no personal grounds to engage. Myself in action. I have nothing to achieve as I have all divine wealth? as the wealth of the universe is Mine? and yet I engage Myself in action.Why do you not follow My example Why do you not endeavour to prevent the masses from following the wrong path by setting an example yourself If you set an example? people will follow you as you are a leader with noble alities.
3.22 O Partha, na asti, there is no; kartavyam, duty; kincana, whatsoever; me, for Me (to fulfill); even trisu lokesu, in all the three worlds. Why? There is na anavaptam, nothing (that remains) unachieved; or avaptavyam, to be achieved. Still varte eva, do I continue; karmani, in action.
3.21-22 Yad yad acarati etc. Na me etc. The Bhagavat cities Himself as an example to illustrate the idea that to favour the world is the [only] purpose for such a person to exert in action, eventhough he has already attained whatever is to be attained, and is fully satisfied in his mind.
3.22 For Me, who is the Lord of all, who has all desires fulfilled, who is omniscient, whose will is always true, and who, at My own will, remains in the three worlds in the forms of gods, men and such other beings, there is nothing whatever to achieve. Therefore though there is for Me nothing unacired, i.e., nothing yet to be acired by work, I go on working for the protection of the world.
In three verses the Lord uses himself as an example.
In this regard Lord Krishna is using Himself as an example citing that fact that as the creator of all the worlds He has nothing to gain as He controls everything and yet He still performs His transcendental pastimes completely in line with the Vedic scriptures to benefit the welfare of all beings and the world.
Now Lord Krishna is clarifying His position by stating that there is no performance of any prescribed Vedic action required of Him; yet and still He performs actions for the benefit of the world. So in the same way Arjuna should perform prescribed actions for maintaining world order and offering the results of the actions to the Supreme Lord. This has been revealed in the Krishna Samhita. By sustenance, by maintenance and by destruction the Supreme Lord has nothing to gain. Without any objective whatsoever the Supreme Lord Krishna according to His creative impulse performs all actions perpetually throughout all of creation. Just as a person who is extremely happy may spontaneously sing and dance to express their special pleasure in the same way the Supreme Lord performs all actions to express His consciousness which is perpetually in a state of Supreme Bliss.
Lord Krishna is declaring that in all the three worlds if He by His Supreme Will were to be present in the guise of a human or demi-god or whatever He desired there would of course be no activity He would be bound to perform as He is the maintainer of all the worlds and the Supreme Lord all prescribed activities in the Vedic scriptures are for His pleasure and satisfaction solely. Yet even when he appears in His original two armed form or in any of His scriptural authorised incarnations, Lord Krishna still applies Himself in all kinds of actions for the ultimate benefit and welfare for all the worlds.
Lord Krishna is declaring that in all the three worlds if He by His Supreme Will were to be present in the guise of a human or demi-god or whatever He desired there would of course be no activity He would be bound to perform as He is the maintainer of all the worlds and the Supreme Lord all prescribed activities in the Vedic scriptures are for His pleasure and satisfaction solely. Yet even when he appears in His original two armed form or in any of His scriptural authorised incarnations, Lord Krishna still applies Himself in all kinds of actions for the ultimate benefit and welfare for all the worlds.
Na me paarthaasti kartavyam trishu lokeshu kinchana; Naanavaaptam avaaptavyam varta eva cha karmani.
na—not; me—mine; pārtha—Arjun; asti—is; kartavyam—duty; triṣhu—in the three; lokeṣhu—worlds; kiñchana—any; na—not; anavāptam—to be attained; avāptavyam—to be gained; varte—I am engaged; eva—yet; cha—also; karmaṇi—in prescribed duties
