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Bhagavad-gītā 3.19

तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर । असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्‍नोति पूरूषः ॥ १९ ॥
tasmād asaktaḥ satataṁ
[tasmaad asaktah satatam]
kāryaṁ karma samācara
[kaaryam karma samaachara]
asakto hy ācaran karma
[asakto hy aacharan karma]
param āpnoti pūruṣaḥ
[param aapnoti poorushah]
Word-for-word
tasmāt — therefore asaktaḥ — without attachment satatam — constantly kāryam — as duty karma — work samācara — perform asaktaḥ — unattached hi — certainly ācaran — performing karma — work param — the Supreme āpnoti — achieves pūruṣaḥ — a man .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tasmād asaktaḥ satataṁ
tasmāt
therefore
asaktaḥ
without attachment
satatam
constantly
kāryaṁ karma samācara
kāryam
as duty
karma
work
samācara
perform
asakto hy ācaran karma
asaktaḥ
unattached
hi
certainly
ācaran
performing
karma
work
param āpnoti pūruṣaḥ
param
the Supreme
āpnoti
achieves
pūruṣaḥ
a man .
Important Words
  • tasmāt — therefore
    Ablative of tat — *from that*. The verse is a hinge: given everything just said (the realized are rare; cycle of yajña is binding on the rest), *therefore* act, but unattached. The whole chapter pivots on this 'therefore.'
  • asaktaḥ — without attachment
    Repeated from 3.7 — the operative word of karma-yoga. Same root as saṅga; the same teaching as 2.47. The Gītā keeps returning to this one switch.
  • satatam — constantly
    Not occasionally — *satatam*, continuously. Karma-yoga is not a Sunday discipline; it is the texture of every action.
  • kāryam — as duty
    The same gerundive that was negated for the realized one in 3.17. For us, it is still very much *kāryam* — to be done — and that is good news, not bad.
  • param — the Supreme
    What is attained — *param*, the highest, the further shore. The verse promises a transcendental outcome from acting without attachment: the Supreme Himself, not merely a better incarnation.
Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Direct prescription. Since you are not yet the self-realized exception, your route is action — but action without clinging. Asakti is the catalyst that turns ordinary work into a path to the Supreme.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
This is karma-yoga's clearest summary in one line: 'asaktaḥ … karma … paraṁ āpnoti.' The chapter's argument crystallizes here. Compare BG 2.47 (right to action, not fruit) and 5.10 (one who acts unattached is untouched by sin as a lotus leaf by water). 'Param' is intentionally vague — Brahman, mokṣa, or, in Bhāgavata reading, Bhagavān.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
तस्मात् असक्तः सततम् कार्यम् कर्म समाचर; हि असक्तः कर्म आचरन् पुरुषः परम् आप्नोति।
tasmāt asaktaḥ satatam kāryam karma samācara; hi asaktaḥ karma ācaran puruṣaḥ param āpnoti|
Therefore, unattached, constantly perform the action that ought to be done; for a person performing action unattached attains the Supreme.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
तस्मात् असक्तः सततम् कार्यम् कर्म समाचर । असक्तः हि आचरन् कर्म परम् आप्नोति पुरुषः ॥
tasmāt asaktaḥ satatam kāryam karma samācara | asaktaḥ hi ācaran karma param āpnoti puruṣaḥ ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
तस्मात् tasmāt dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) abl.sg. (ablative singular), adverbial therefore
असक्तः asaktaḥ अ + सक्त (p.p.p. (past passive participle)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. unattached
सततम् satatam सतत (adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)n., adverbial constantly
कार्यम् kāryam √कृ p.f.p. acc.sg. (accusative singular)n. to be done, prescribed
कर्म karma कर्मन् (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) action
समाचर samācara सम्+आ+√चर् impv. 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) perform thoroughly
हि hi ind. (indeclinable), causal for, indeed
आचरन् ācaran आ+√चर् pres. (present)act.part. nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. performing
परम् param पर (adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)n. the Supreme
आप्नोति āpnoti √आप् pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) attains
पुरुषः puruṣaḥ पुरुष (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) a person
Purport

The Supreme is the Personality of Godhead for the devotees, and liberation for the impersonalist. A person, therefore, acting for Kṛṣṇa, or in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, under proper guidance and without attachment to the result of the work, is certainly making progress toward the supreme goal of life. Arjuna is told that he should fight in the Battle of Kurukṣetra for the interest of Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa wanted him to fight. To be a good man or a nonviolent man is a personal attachment, but to act on behalf of the Supreme is to act without attachment for the result. That is perfect action of the highest degree, recommended by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Vedic rituals, like prescribed sacrifices, are performed for purification of impious activities that were performed in the field of sense gratification. But action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental to the reactions of good or evil work. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person has no attachment for the result but acts on behalf of Kṛṣṇa alone. He engages in all kinds of activities, but is completely nonattached.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
19. Therefore always perform prescribed actions without attachment. Performing action without attachment, a person attains liberation.
Commentary

Therefore (tasmād) since you do not have qualification for rising to the platform of jñāna, and performing actions with desires is not suitable for you since you have spiritual intelligence, you should perform action without desire. That is explained in this verse. Therefore you should perform obligatory prescribed actions without attachment. By doing this you will attain liberation (param).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
19. Therefore always perform prescribed actions as a duty, performing them without attachment to results. Performing action without attachment, a person sees the ātmā as it is.
Commentary

Since performing prescribed actions is useless for the person who has attained a vision of ātmā, therefore (tasmād) do these prescribed actions only as duty (kāryam). He who performs those actions without desire for results (asaktaḥ) sees that which is different from the body (param), the ātmā, as it truly exists.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

So this working is without attachment, therefore his renunciation is not a work, but his renunciation caused by his knowledge, is his attachment. Here is the statement of the basic purpose of this Section, saying that one shouls work without attachment and that will elevate one. And then an example follows the statement:

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Prescribed duties as the recommended path to attain the Supreme

One should act as a matter of duty without being attached to the fruits
By working without attachment one attains the Supreme
Focus of Learning

(a) Two meanings of ‘Supreme’

The Supreme is the Personality of Godhead for the devotees
The Supreme is liberation for the impersonalists

(b) Certainty of progress for Krishna conscious devotees – A person acting in Krishna consciousness

under proper guidance and without attachment to the results, is certainly making progress

towards the Supreme goal of life

(c) ‘Perfect action of highest degree’ as per Supreme Personality of Godhead’

To act on behalf of the Supreme, without attachment for the result
Example of ‘Personal Attachment‘ – To be a good man or a non-violent man e.g. Arjuna wants to avoid fighting; but is told to fight for the interest of Krishna

(a) How a Krishna conscious person is free from all other obligations and prescribed duties, save and

except his activities in Krishna consciousness – It is all due to the following reasons:

Krishna consciousness purifies – Due to Krishna consciousness, all impiety within is instantly cleansed
Fixed in identity – By clearing of consciousness, one becomes fully confident of his eternal relationship with the Supreme
Self-illuminated – Then one becomes self-illuminated by the grace of the Lord
Loses all material interests – Such a person is no longer interested in material activities and no longer takes pleasure in material elements like wine, women and similar infatuations
Free from all obligations – Krishna conscious man does not take shelter of any person, man or demigod; thus free from all obligations
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
3.19 Since this is so, therefore, asaktah, remaining unattached; samacara, perform; satatam, always; karyam, the obligatory; daily karma, duty; hi, for; acaran, by performing; (one's) karma, duty; asaktah, without attachment, by doing work as a dedication to God; purusah, a person; apnoti, attains; param, the Highest, Liberation, through the purification of the mind. This is meaning. And (you should perform your duty) for the following reason also:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
3.19 Therefore, considering that work has to be performed with detachment, you perform it, considering yourself a non-agent. This will be declared in the words 'with detachment' and 'which ought to be done,' meaning that one attains the Supreme by Karma Yoga itself.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
3.17-19 Yas ca etc. upto purusah. However, for a person who rejoices in the Self and performs action simply as a [routine] business of organs of action, there is no difference between (his) action and nonaciton. That is why he inflicts punishment on, or does favour to, every being, not with desire for any gain for himself, but with a conviction that it a is thing that deserves to be performed. Therefore, just unattached, one should perform action that is to be performed.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
3.19 Therefore without attachment, do thou always perform action which should be done; for by performing action without attachment man reaches the Supreme.
Commentary

3.19 तस्मात् therefore? असक्तः without attachment? सततम् always? कार्यम् which should be done? कर्म action? समाचर perform? असक्तः without attachment? हि because? आचरन् performing? कर्म action? परम् the Supreme? आप्नोति attains? पूरुषः man.Commentary If you perform actions without attachment? for the sake of the Lord? you will attain to Selfrealisation through purity of heart. (Cf.II.64IV.19?23XVIII.49).

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
3.19 Therefore, remaining unattached, always perform the obligatory duty, for, by performing (one's) duty without attachment, a person attains the Highest.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
3.19 Therefore do thy duty perfectly, without care for the results, for he who does his duty disinterestedly attains the Supreme.
Related values & verses
Primary values
Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Nishkama Karma (Selfless Action)
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 2.47 BG 3.7 BG 18.49 SB 11.20.9 SB 1.2.13 SB 11.3.46 CC Madhya 22.141 CC Madhya 19.170 CC Madhya 22.148 BRS 1.2.255 Īśa Upaniṣad 2
Stories
sb_seva_primary
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Therefore, without attachment, perform your duty constantly — by acting without attachment, one attains the Supreme.
Practical Applications
  • Begin each duty by mentally releasing the outcome to Kṛṣṇa.
  • Set a small daily reminder (japa beads, watch tap) to re-anchor in detachment.
  • Notice when attachment creeps back and gently re-offer.
Reflection Questions
  • Which specific outcome am I clenching around right now?
  • What does it cost me to release it?
Analogy

An archer who has loosed many arrows has a calloused fingertip — but if he keeps the calluses while letting go of the wish to hit, the arrows themselves become a path to the Supreme. The fingertip does the work; the heart does not own the flight.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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