No one can remain even for a moment without acting. Everyone is compelled to act by the qualities born of nature.

Kṛṣṇa exposes a fundamental truth: total inaction is impossible. Even one who sits motionless breathes, digests, thinks. Prakṛti (nature) and its guṇas (qualities: sattva, rajas, tamas) maintain constant activity.

Kṣaṇam api (not even an instant) emphasizes how absolute this truth is. Life is action; action is inevitable.

Avaśaḥ (without control, compelled) indicates that we don’t choose whether we act but how. The qualities of our nature condition our tendencies, but consciousness can observe and reorient.

This verse grounds Karma Yoga: since acting is inevitable, the question is not “do I act or not?” but “how do I act?” Liberation comes through the quality of action, not its absence.

For the modern practitioner: it’s not about escaping from active life but transforming the relationship with it. Yoga is not separate from daily life — it is how you live it.