न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् | कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः || ५ ||
na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api jātu tiṣṭhaty akarma-kṛt kāryate hy avaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛti-jair guṇaiḥ
na—not; hi—certainly; kaścit—anyone; kṣaṇam—a moment; api—also; jātu—at any time; tiṣṭhati—remains; akarma-kṛt—without doing something; kāryate—is forced to do; hi—certainly; avaśaḥ—helplessly; karma—work; sarvaḥ—everyone; prakṛti-jaiḥ—born of the modes of material nature; guṇaiḥ—by the qualities.
“Indeed, no one can remain without action even for a moment. Everyone is helplessly compelled to act by the qualities (gunas) born of material nature (Prakriti).”
This is one of the most important verses of the chapter. The body breathes, digests, and thinks unceasingly. Even the decision to 'do nothing' is an action of the mind. Since action is unavoidable, the only question is whether we perform it with attachment and ego, generating karma, or with detachment, as a witnessing consciousness. The teaching is therefore not to stop acting but to act rightly.
Accept that inaction is not available to you as a living being. The breath continues, the heart beats, the mind moves — all without permission. Use this understanding to shift the question from 'should I act?' to 'how should I act?' Focus on performing each task with full presence and without anxiety about its fruits.