अकर्मणां वै भूतानां वृत्तिः स्यान् न हि काचन । akarmaṇāṃ vai bhūtānāṃ vṛttiḥ syān na hi kācana |

Sanskrit text:

अकर्मणां वै भूतानां वृत्तिः स्यान् न हि काचन ।
तदेवाभिप्रपद्येत न विहन्यात् कथंचन ॥

akarmaṇāṃ vai bhūtānāṃ vṛttiḥ syān na hi kācana |
tadevābhiprapadyeta na vihanyāt kathaṃcana || 

⏒⏒⏒⏒¦⏑⎼⎼⏒¦¦⏒⏒⏒⏒¦⏑⎼⏑⏒¦¦
⏒⏒⏒⏒¦⎼⎼⎼⎼¦¦⏒⏒⏒⏒¦⏑⎼⏑⏒¦¦

Meter name (1st and 2nd pāda): Śloka; Type: pathyā (‘normal’); 8 syllables per quarter (pāda).
Meter name (3rd and 4th pāda): Śloka; Type: vipulā (‘extended’, type 4); 8 syllables per quarter (pāda).

Primary English translation:

“If a creature acteth not, its course of life is impossible. In the case of a creature, therefore, there must be action and not inaction.”

(translation by P. C. Roy)

Secondary translations:

“The course of life for a creatures that does not act is impossible; for them there is action and never inaction.”

(translation by M. N. Dutt)

“Wenn die Geschöpfe der Thätigkeit entsagten, würden sie schlechterdings nicht leben können; darum soll man sich ihr hingeben und sie nimmer unterdrücken.”

(translation by Otto Böhtlingk)