Bhagavad Gita 3.19

Verse 19

तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर | असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुषः || १९ ||

Transliteration

tasmād asaktaḥ satataṁ kāryaṁ karma samācara asakto hy ācaran karma param āpnoti pūruṣaḥ

Synonyms

tasmāt—therefore; asaktaḥ—without attachment; satatam—always; kāryam—as duty; karma—work; samācara—perform; asaktaḥ—unattached; hi—certainly; ācaran—performing; karma—work; param—the Supreme; āpnoti—achieves; pūruṣaḥ—a man.

Translation

Therefore, always perform your duty without attachment. By performing action without attachment, a person attains the Supreme.

Multi-Tradition Commentary

Swami Chinmayananda

This is the practical summary of Karma Yoga: 'satatam' — always, continuously — perform duty; 'asaktah' — without attachment to results. This is not mechanical repetition but a continuous practice of redirecting attention from the fruits of action to the quality of the action itself. Over time, this purifies the mind and opens it to the experience of the Supreme.

Practical Application (Modern Life)

Commit to one week of deliberately performing your most important daily duty — whether professional or personal — with the intention of releasing the outcome. Notice what changes in your experience of doing the work itself. This experiment in detached engagement is Karma Yoga in practice.

Chapter Content

View all shlokas in Chapter 3

Have a question?