# अकर्मन् (akarman)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/akarma

अकर्मन् (akarman) is a Sanskrit word meaning not working, wicked, inefficient, intransitive, absence of work, observances. Its 23 recorded definitions are grouped into 7 contexts, among them Comprehensive Definitions Listing Multiple Senses of अकर्मन्, Idleness, Inactivity, or Absence of Work, Impropriety, Sin, or Neglect of Religious Duties.

- **SLP1:** `akarman`  **IAST:** akarman  **Devanagari:** अकर्मन्
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/akarma/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Comprehensive Definitions Listing Multiple Senses of अकर्मन् (7 definitions)
- Idle or inefficient  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अकर्मन (na) ् (akarman) [Printed book page 0003-b ] अकर्मन (na) ् (akarman) a. [ न (na). ब (ba).] 1 Without work, idle; inefficient
- Absence of work, inaction, or neglect of essential duties.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अकर्मन (na) ् (akarman) [Printed book page 0003-b ] अकर्मन (na) ् (akarman) a. [ न (na). ब (ba).] 1 Absence of work; absence of necessary observances; neglect of essential observances; inaction; कर्मणो ह्यपि ब (ba) ोद्धव्यं (karmaṇo hyapi boddhavyaṃ) ब (ba) ोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः । अकर्मणश्च ब (ba) ोद्धव्यं (boddhavyaṃ ca vikarmaṇaḥ. akarmaṇaśca boddhavyaṃ) गहन (na) ा कर्मणो गतिः (gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ) Bhagavadgītā (Bombay) 4. 17, 18
- 1. Inaction. 2. Idle or wicked.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अकर्मन् (akarman) [Printed book page 001-2 ] अकर्मन् (akarman) a-karman, n. inaction; a. (-mán) doing nothing, idling; wicked. [ ID=50 ]
- 1. Idle or inefficient. 2. Intransitive.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अकर्मन् (akarman) [Printed book page 002-09 ] अकर्मन् (akarman) (I) a. 1. Idle, inefficient; 2. intransitive (as a verb). [ ID=49 ]
- 1. Absence of occupation. 2. An improper act.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अकर्मन् (akarman) (II) n. 1. Absence of occupation; 2. an improper act. [ ID=50 ]
- 1. Idle or unoccupied. 2. Inefficient or unfit to work. 3. Degraded or neglecting essential rites. 4. Intransitive. 5. Absence of occupation. 6. Neglect of essential observances. 7. An improper act, crime, or offense.  
  *Goldstücker Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अ (a) कर्मन् (karman) (akarman) [Printed book page 003-a ] अ (a) कर्मन् (karman) (akarman) I. Bahuvr. m. f. n. ( - र्म (-rma) ा - र्म (-rma) ा - र्म (-rma) (-rmā-rmā-rma) ) 1 Without work, idle, unoccupied. 2 Unfit to work, inefficient. 3 Degraded, no longer performing essential rites. 4 (In grammar.) Having no direct object, intransitive (as a verb). See अ (a) कर्मक, (akarmaka,) E. अ (a) priv. and कर्मन् (karman). II. Tatpur. n. ( - र्म (-rma) ) 1 Absence of occupation. 2 Loss or neglect of essential observances. 3 Improper act, crime, offence. E. अ (a) neg. and कर्मन् (karman). [ ID=75 ]
- 1. Without work, idle, inefficient, or disqualified for essential rites. 2. Intransitive, in grammar. 3. Absence of work, absence of essential observances, improper work, or crime.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > अकर्मन् (akarman) [Printed book page 0001-c ] अकर्मन् (akarman) a-karman, ā, ā, a, without work, idle; inefficient; disqualified for performing essential rites, destitute of good works; (in grammar) intransitive; ( a ), n. absence of work; absence of essential observ- ances; improper work, crime. —Akarma-bhoga, as, m. renunciation of self-righteousness; enjoyment of free- dom from the fruits of action. —Akarmānvita (°ma- an°), as, ā, am, unoccupied, disqualified; criminal. [ ID=56 ]

### Idleness, Inactivity, or Absence of Work (5 definitions)
- not working  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 2,1] अ - कर्मन् (a-karman) mfn. not working [ ID=186 ]
- absence of work  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > अ - कर्मन् (a-karman) n. absence of work [ ID=190 ]
- lazy  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — शील (śīla) a. lazy, indolent. [ ID=47 ]
- inactivity  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अकर्मन् (akarman) [Printed book page 001 ] 1 अकर्मन् (akarman) n. inactivity. [ ID=42 ]
- inactive, lazy  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > 2 अकर्मन् (akarman) a. inactive, lazy. [ ID=43 ]

### Impropriety, Sin, or Neglect of Religious Duties (5 definitions)
- wicked  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > not performing good works, wicked, Ṛg-veda (Title) x, 22, 8; [ ID=187 ]
- observances  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > observances [ ID=191 ]
- improper work, crime  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > improper work, crime. [ ID=192 ]
- Disqualified for performing necessary rites, wicked, or degraded  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अकर्मन (na) ् (akarman) [Printed book page 0003-b ] अकर्मन (na) ् (akarman) a. [ न (na). ब (ba).] 2 Disqualified for performing the necessary rites, wicked, degraded; अकर्मा (akarmā) दस्युरभि न (na) ो (dasyurabhi no) Ṛgveda (Max Müller’s Edition) 10. 22. 8
- An improper act, crime, or sin.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अकर्मन (na) ् (akarman) [Printed book page 0003-b ] अकर्मन (na) ् (akarman) a. [ न (na). ब (ba).] 2 An improper act; crime, sin

### Derived Terms with Multiple Facets (2 definitions)
- 1. Unengaged, unoccupied, or idle. 2. Criminal.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — अन्वित (anvita) a. 1 unengaged, unoccupied, idle. 2 criminal
- free from action, or doing an improper act  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — कृत् (kṛt) a. free from action, or doing an improper act

### Grammatical Intransitivity (2 definitions)
- intransitive  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in Gr. ) intransitive [ ID=189 ]
- Intransitive  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अकर्म (rma) न (na) ् (akarman) [Printed book page 0003-b ] अकर्म (rma) न (na) ् (akarman) a. [ न (na). ब (ba).] 3 (Gram.) Intransitive, generally in this sense अकर्म (rma) क (akarmaka). — n. ( र्म (rma) )

### Inefficiency or Incapacity for Work (1 definition)
- inefficient  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > inefficient [ ID=188 ]

### Renunciation of Action's Fruits (akarmabhoga) (1 definition)
- 1. Enjoyment of freedom from the fruits of action. 2. Renunciation of self-righteousness.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — भोगः (bhogaḥ) 1 enjoyment of freedom from the fruits of action. 2 renunciation of self-righteousness

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Goldstücker Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546