Chapter 3, Verse 19 (Bhagavad Gita 3.19)
Chapter 3: Karm Yog – Path of Selfless Service
Sanskrit Shloka
तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर। असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुषः
Transliteration
tasmād asaktaḥ satataṁ kāryaṁ karma samāchara asakto hyācharan karma param āpnoti pūruṣhaḥ
Word Meanings
tasmāt—therefore; asaktaḥ—without attachment; satatam—constantly; kāryam—duty; karma—action; samāchara—perform; asaktaḥ—unattached; hi—certainly; ācharan—performing; karma—work; param—the Supreme; āpnoti—attains; pūruṣhaḥ—a person
Translation
Therefore, always perform your prescribed duty without attachment, for by performing action without attachment, one attains the Supreme.
Meaning & Commentary
This verse reveals the secret of spiritual liberation through active engagement rather than renunciation of action. By detaching oneself from the fruits of labor, a person transcends the ego-driven anxiety of success and failure, turning work into a form of sacred worship. This shift in consciousness allows the practitioner to perform their role in the world with total presence and excellence while remaining internally free. Ultimately, it teaches that the divine is reached not by withdrawing from life, but by transforming our worldly duties into an offering, thereby cleansing the heart and realizing the indwelling spirit.