karmayogaḥ · 3.36
Arjuna's Question: What Compels Sin?
अर्जुन उवाच ।
अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं(ञ्) चरति पूरुषः ।
अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ॥
arjuna uvāca ।
atha kena prayukto’yaṁ pāpaṁ(ñ) carati pūruṣaḥ ।
anicchannapi vārṣṇeya balādiva niyojitaḥ ॥
"Arjuna asks: O Vārṣṇeya, by what is a person driven to commit wrong action, even unwillingly, as though forced by some power?"
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After hearing the teaching of karma-yoga, Arjuna raises a very important question. Kṛṣṇa has clearly taught the value of dharma, karma-yoga, discipline, svadharma, and self-mastery. But Arjuna observes a human problem: even when a person knows what is right, he may still do what is wrong.
The question is not, “Why do people do wrong because they do not know better?” That is a simpler problem. Here the problem is deeper. People often know what is dharma and what is adharma. A thief knows stealing is wrong; that is why he steals secretly. A person who lies often knows truth is better. A person who becomes angry may know anger is harmful. Still, the wrong action happens.
So Arjuna asks: atha kena prayuktaḥ ayam pūruṣaḥ pāpaṁ carati — prompted by what does this person commit pāpa, wrong action or adharma?
The word anicchan api is important: even though he does not want to. Most people do not consciously want to become adhārmic. Nobody sincerely says, “I want to become an asura.” A person may make resolutions: “I will not get angry. I will not speak harshly. I will not cheat. I will not fall into this habit again.” Yet when the situation comes, something seems to overpower the resolve.
Then Arjuna says balāt iva niyojitaḥ — as though forced by strength. It feels as if some hidden force is pushing from within. Some people blame an external devil, some blame fate, some blame planets, some even blame Bhagavān. Arjuna wants clarity: is the force external, or is it within oneself? If it is within, can it be understood and transformed?
This question is psychologically very honest. It admits the gap between knowing and doing. Knowing a value intellectually is not enough; there is a force that can overpower discrimination. Kṛṣṇa will answer in the next verse that the force is kāma and krodha, born of rajas. But in this verse, Arjuna’s question prepares the ground.
The teaching is: the spiritual problem is not merely lack of information. The deeper problem is inner compulsion. Unless that inner force is understood, karma-yoga cannot become steady.