Chapter 3, Verse 29
प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु | तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् ||३-२९||
prakṛterguṇasammūḍhāḥ sajjante guṇakarmasu . tānakṛtsnavido mandānkṛtsnavinna vicālayet ||3-29||
Meaning
3.29 Those deluded by the alities of Nature are attached to the functions of the alities. The man of perfect knowledge should not unsettle the foolish one who is of imperfect knowledge.
Word-by-Word Meaning
Explanation & Commentary
Krishna returns to the theme of compassionate restraint. Those who are gunasammudha — deluded by Nature's qualities — naturally cling to the activities those qualities produce, mistaking the play of the gunas for their own self. They are akritsnavit, possessed of only partial knowledge.
The one of complete knowledge, the kritsnavit, should not disturb such people abruptly. To strip away the beliefs and motivations that give an unprepared person structure and purpose, without grounding them in deeper understanding, can do harm. Wisdom carries patience. The enlightened recognize that everyone unfolds at their own pace, and that truth shared without readiness may unsettle rather than uplift. This gentleness, repeated from verse 26, reveals a hallmark of true spiritual maturity: the strength to hold one's knowledge with humility and to guide others tenderly, never forcing them beyond their depth.
💡 Key Takeaway
Hold your understanding with patience and compassion — do not tear away another's beliefs before they are ready for deeper truth.
Related Verses
सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत | कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम् ||३-२५||
saktāḥ karmaṇyavidvāṃso yathā kurvanti bhārata . kuryādvidvāṃstathāsaktaścikīrṣurlokasaṃgraham ||3-25||
3.25 As the ignorant men act from attachment to action, O Bharata (Arjuna), so should the wise act without attachment, wishing the welfare of the world.
न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम् | जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान्युक्तः समाचरन् ||३-२६||
na buddhibhedaṃ janayedajñānāṃ karmasaṅginām . joṣayetsarvakarmāṇi vidvānyuktaḥ samācaran ||3-26||
3.26 Let no wise man unsettle the mind of ignorant people who are attached to action; he should engage them in all actions, himself fulfilling them with devotion.
प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः | अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ||३-२७||
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ . ahaṅkāravimūḍhātmā kartāhamiti manyate ||3-27||
3.27 All actions are wrought in all cases by the alities of Nature only. He whose mind is deluded by egoism thinks, "I am the doer."