Wise teaching respects readiness.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु |तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् ||३-२९||
prakṛterguṇasammūḍhāḥ sajjante guṇakarmasu . tānakṛtsnavido mandānkṛtsnavinna vicālayet ||3-29||
Use this verse when someone is not ready for deeper guidance.
Meaning
Those deluded by the gunas of nature become attached to actions born of the gunas. The one who knows the whole should not disturb those who know only partially.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
People attached to their current level should be guided gently, not shaken harshly.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna again teaches spiritual patience. People act according to their understanding, conditioning, and guna-patterns. A wise person should not violently break their worldview. Instead, they should guide gradually, through example and compassionate timing.
Read the traditional 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.
In daily life
Guide others at the pace they can absorb.
A parent should not force deep philosophy on a child; they can model kindness first.
Try this today
Simplify one teaching today for someone’s actual level.
I guide with patience and respect.Reflect
Am I trying to help someone faster than they are ready?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on patience, in other chapters
- Verse 7.19The realisation that the Divine is the essence of all things is the rare fruit of long seeking — so be patient and persist.
- Verse 12.13True devotion shows itself as freedom from ego and warmth toward every living being.
- Verse 4.1The deepest truths are not invented in isolation; they are received from a living lineage and kept alive by being lived.
- Verse 14.1The highest knowledge is not what you accumulate but what you realise — and it has already carried countless seekers to freedom before you.
Swipe left for 3.30 · Offer, release, and act without inner fever.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 3.29
Who says Bhagavad Gita 3.29, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 3.29, in Chapter 3, Karma Yoga (Karma Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 3.29 mean?
Those deluded by the gunas of nature become attached to actions born of the gunas. The one who knows the whole should not disturb those who know only partially. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 3.29 for daily life?
Guide others at the pace they can absorb. A parent should not force deep philosophy on a child; they can model kindness first.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 3.29 mean?
प्रकृतेः गुणसम्मूढाः — those deluded by the gunas of Nature; सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु — are attached to the functions of the gunas; तान् अकृत्स्नविदः मन्दान् — those of imperfect knowledge, the dull; कृत्स्नवित् — the man of perfect knowledge; न विचालयेत् — should not unsettle / disturb.
Where does verse 3.29 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 29 of 43 in Chapter 3, Karma Yoga. The next verse is 3.30.