Gita 03.31 – Krishna’s words are eternal and faith-worthy

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ye me matam idaṁ nityam
anutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ
śraddhāvanto ’nasūyanto
mucyante te ’pi karmabhiḥ

Word-for-word:
ye — those who; me — My; matam — injunctions; idam — these; nityam — as an eternal function; anutiṣṭhanti — execute regularly; mānavāḥ — human beings; śraddhā-vantaḥ — with faith and devotion; anasūyantaḥ — without envy; mucyante — become free; te — all of them; api — even; karmabhiḥ — from the bondage of the law of fruitive actions.

Translation:
Those persons who execute their duties according to My injunctions and who follow this teaching faithfully, without envy, become free from the bondage of fruitive actions.

Explanation:
In this verse, Kṛṣṇa explains how one can attain liberation by faithfully following His instructions. These words serve as a conclusion after He has advised Arjuna to practice karma-yoga. This consistent message is analyzed from different perspectives up to verse 24. Then, in verses 25 through 29, Kṛṣṇa describes how the consciousness of a karma-yogī differs from that of a karma-kāṇḍī (one who performs work with attachment).

In verse 30, Kṛṣṇa explains that when work is done for Him, karma-yoga reaches its highest perfection. The progression of karma-yoga towards bhakti-yoga is described in 3.30, where Kṛṣṇa gives the imperative instruction—yudhyasva vigata-jvaraḥ—“fight, free from lethargy.” It is a direct command: do it in this way.

Now, after giving this instruction, a question may arise in Arjuna’s mind—If You have given such clear guidance, why don’t people follow it? And what happens to those who do follow it, and to those who do not? Kṛṣṇa answers this question in the present verse:
Ye me matam idaṁ nityam: “This is My opinion.” Although Kṛṣṇa is God, He does not impose His words merely based on His divine position. Instead, He presents them as His opinion. However, because He is the omniscient Absolute Truth, His opinion is in fact the absolute truth.

Kṛṣṇa has not openly revealed Himself as God here. Generally, He does not assert His authority based on divinity but explains His teachings through coherence, logic, and scriptural references. In the 13th chapter, He even states that He is simply repeating what the sages have said.

The word “nityam” in this verse signifies that these teachings are eternal. Kṛṣṇa has not merely improvised a doctrine to persuade Arjuna to fight based on the circumstances. Rather, His instructions are timeless and eternally relevant because they embody principles that transcend time.

The fact that the soul is bound in material existence and that true happiness is found only through liberation to the spiritual realm are eternal truths. Whether we live in ancient, modern, pre-modern, or post-modern times, these principles remain unchanged.

Anutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ: Those human beings who live by these words,
Śraddhāvantaḥ anasūyantaḥ: with faith and without envy,
Mucyante te ’pi karmabhiḥ: even while performing their actions, they become liberated.

Kṛṣṇa says that these words are not meant to be merely heard—they are to be anutiṣṭhanti, lived and practiced. One should align one’s life with these teachings, following them with faith and without envy (śraddhāvantaḥ anasūyantaḥ). Faith means trusting that these words are potent, that they will work for me, and therefore giving them a sincere, honest, and wholehearted effort.

Anasūyantaḥ — without envy. One may wonder, “Why is Kṛṣṇa positioning Himself as the object of karma-yoga? Who does He think He is? Isn’t He just another person?” No, He is not just another person—He is the Supreme Person. When there is no envy toward Kṛṣṇa, surrendering to Him becomes much easier. That is what is being emphasized here—Kṛṣṇa’s instruction to Arjuna: śraddhāvanto ’nasūyantaḥ—to follow with faith and without envy.

The concept of śraddhā (faith) is not only central to spiritual life but is, in fact, essential in all walks of life. Kṛṣṇa will elaborate on śraddhā in the next chapter as well, particularly in verses 4.39 and 4.40, just as He discusses it here in verses 3.31 and 3.32. Verse 3.31 describes the outcome for those who place their faith in Him, while verse 3.32 explains what happens to those who lack such faith.

Faith is, in fact, essential in all walks of life. For example, when we take a pill prescribed by a physician, we are putting faith in that physician. In common parlance, the phrase “how can you put faith in that?” usually implies acting with hope for a result, despite not being certain of the outcome. Whenever we act, we are placing faith—sometimes in ourselves, sometimes in others.

When we take medicine, we trust the doctor. When a man and woman marry, they place faith in each other—that each will remain loyal, that neither will have relationships outside the marriage. The opposite of being faithful is being unfaithful. In fact, infidelity—unfaithfulness—is often grounds for divorce. The very term “marital infidelity” indicates a breach of that fundamental faith.

Faith is not something exclusive to the religious or spiritual domain—it is required in every sphere of life. In fact, breach of faith or breach of trust is a punishable offence in many governmental and business contexts. The underlying principle is the same—faith or trust. We routinely accept this principle in so many areas of our daily functioning. Yet, when it comes to placing faith in God or in a process meant to attain God, we hesitate. We ask, “How can I have faith?” or “Why should I have faith?” But in reality, spiritual faith is simply an extension of the same trust we already exercise in the material realm.

Faith may seem more challenging when it comes to the spiritual realm because we cannot see spiritual reality directly. But precisely because we can’t see, faith becomes all the more necessary. Without faith, progress is simply not possible. If we demand to see everything before accepting it, and yet we can’t currently see, then how will we ever move forward? Therefore, to progress on the spiritual path, faith is essential.

When Kṛṣṇa asks for faith, it is not blind—it is reasonable, sensible, and verifiable. Sensible in the same way that when a doctor says, “You have rashes because of blood contamination, and this medicine will purify your blood,” we understand the logic behind the diagnosis. If the prescription contains the chemical composition known to address the issue, we trust the treatment.

When the diagnosis makes sense, accepting the prescription becomes an act of sensible faith—we trust the reasoning and take the medicine. And when the medicine actually cures us, the faith becomes verifiable. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa will later state in Bhagavad-gītā 9.2: pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ—the truths of scripture can be verified by direct inner experience.

Kṛṣṇa is assuring here that His instructions are not meant to mislead but to guide us toward liberation. When we place our faith in Him, we begin to move forward in our spiritual journey, steadily progressing towards Him. Each step we take, grounded in faith, propels us onward. And as we continue on this path, step by step, we begin to experience a higher taste and gain deeper realizations that reinforce and enrich our faith further.

When Kṛṣṇa asks us to have faith, it is not that we are helplessly waiting for some mystical gift to descend upon us in the future. Faith is indeed a gift from Kṛṣṇa, but it is also a choice we make. Just as we choose to take a medicine and, upon experiencing its curative effect, our faith in it naturally increases, similarly, we can choose to act in ways that nurture our faith. If we engage in activities that strengthen our faith, it will grow. Conversely, if we engage in actions that weaken it, our faith will diminish. Therefore, by consciously choosing activities that enhance our faith, we steadily advance on our spiritual path.

Thank you.