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Bhagavad-gītā 3.25

సక్తాః కర్మణ్యవిద్వాంసో యథా కుర్వన్తి భారత । కుర్యాద్విద్వాంస్తథాసక్తశ్చికీర్షుర్లోకసఙ్‍‍గ్రహమ్ ॥ ౨౫ ॥
saktāḥ karmaṇy avidvāṁso
[saktaah karmany avidvaamso]
yathā kurvanti bhārata
[yathaa kurvanti bhaarata]
kuryād vidvāṁs tathāsaktaś
[kuryaad vidvaams tathaasaktash]
cikīrṣur loka-saṅgraham
[chikeershur loka-sangraham]
Word-for-word
saktāḥ — being attached karmaṇi — in prescribed duties avidvāṁsaḥ — the ignorant yathā — as much as kurvanti — they do bhārata — O descendant of Bharata kuryāt — must do vidvān — the learned tathā — thus asaktaḥ — without attachment cikīrṣuḥ — desiring to lead loka - saṅgraham — the people in general .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
saktāḥ karmaṇy avidvāṁso
saktāḥ
being attached
karmaṇi
in prescribed duties
avidvāṁsaḥ
the ignorant
yathā kurvanti bhārata
yathā
as much as
kurvanti
they do
bhārata
O descendant of Bharata
kuryād vidvāṁs tathāsaktaś
kuryāt
must do
vidvān
the learned
tathā
thus
asaktaḥ
without attachment
cikīrṣur loka-saṅgraham
cikīrṣuḥ
desiring to lead
loka - saṅgraham
the people in general .
Important Words
  • saktāḥ — being attached
    Past participle of √sañj — same root as saṅga, asakta. The verse defines the ignorant by their *clinging*, not their work. Same shovel; different grip.
  • avidvāṁsaḥ — the ignorant
    Negative present participle of √vid — not knowing. The ignorant are not bad workers — they are *unaware workers*. Knowledge changes the metaphysics of the same act.
  • vidvān — the learned
    Present participle of √vid — knowing. Singular and emphatic. The learned must work *as much as* (yathā... tathā) the ignorant — equal vigor, opposite orientation.
  • asaktaḥ — without attachment
    The opposite of saktāḥ in the same verse. Kṛṣṇa places the two side by side so the reader feels the precise hinge: it is not the act but the saṅga that distinguishes.
  • cikīrṣuḥ — desiring to lead
    Desiderative of √kṛ — *wanting to do*. Specifically, wanting to do loka-saṅgraha. Kṛṣṇa allows the learned one *one* desire: the desire to gather the world together.
  • loka - saṅgraham — the people in general
    Same compound as 3.20. The verse closes the bracket Janaka opened: act as Janaka did, for the holding-together of the world.
As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, the learned may similarly act, but without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path.
Purport

A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and a person not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are differentiated by different desires. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not do anything which is not conducive to development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He may even act exactly like the ignorant person, who is too much attached to material activities, but one is engaged in such activities for the satisfaction of his sense gratification, whereas the other is engaged for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, the Kṛṣṇa conscious person is required to show the people how to act and how to engage the results of action for the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
25. Just as the ignorant work with attachment, O Bhārata, the wise, desirous to teach the people, should perform work without attachment.
Commentary

He summarizes here that action should be done even by a person established in jṣāna.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
25. Just as the ignorant work with attachment, O Bhārata, the wise, desirous to teach the people, should perform work without attachment.
Commentary

Though you are established in knowledge as pariniṣṭhita bhakta, perform your duties according to the Vedas for the benefit of the people. That is the import of this verse. Just as ignorant people perform actions with desire for results (saktāḥ), those in knowledge should perform the same actions, but without desire for results (asaktaḥ). The rest of the sentence is clear.

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

Compares attached and detached worker and thus establishes that self-realized person performs

duties to set proper example for common people

‘Ignorant’ – work with attachment
‘Self-realized’
Work without attachment
To set the example and lead people on the right path
Basis of differentiation between attached and detached worker – ‘Desire’

PLEASE NOTE: Text 3.26 is covered after Texts 3.27 and 3.28.

Texts 3.25, 3.27 & 3.28 deal with a common them: The differences between the attached and detached worker.

Texts 3.26 and 3.29 deal with another common them: How a detached person deals with an attached person.

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
3.25 O scion of the Bharata dynasty, yatha, as; some avidvamsah, unenlightened poele; kurvanti, act. saktah, with attachment; karmani, to work, (thinking) 'The reward of this work will accrue to me'; tatha, so; should vidvan, the enlightened person, the knower of the Self; kuryat, act; asaktah, without attachment, remaining unattached. [Giving up the idea of agentship and the hankering for the rewards of actions to oneself.] Whay does he (the enlightened person) act like him (the former)? Listen to that: Cikirsuh, being desirous of achieving; lokasamgraham, prevention of people from going astray. 'Neither for Me who am a knower of the Self, nor for any other (knower of the Self) who wants thus prevent people from going astray, is there any duty apart from working for the welfare of the world. Hence, the following advice is being given to such a knower of the Self:'
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
3.25 'The ignorant' are those people who do not know the entire truth about the self; 'attached to their work' means they are inseparably yoked to work. Because of their incomplete knowledge of the self, they are not alified for Jnana Yoga which is of the nature of practising knowledge of the self. They are alified for Karma Yoga only. As they should practise Karma Yoga for the vision of the self in the same manner Karma Yoga should be practised by one who is recognised as virtuous, who is unattached to work by reason of the vision of the self, and who wishes that his conduct should give guidance to others in virtuous conduct. In this way he should protect the world from chaos by his example. Such a person, even though alified for Jnana Yoga, should practice Karma Yoga.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
3.23-25 Yadi etc. upto loka-sangraham. Further, if a well-in-formed person were to abandon action, that would create in the society, a split for bad in the form of being illrooted, becuase of the binding force - viz., the regard for a particular well-known theroy-being loosened. For, they are able neither to cast off their tendency of action nor to accupy the tradition (or stream) of wisdom. Conseently they become weak. Because these (common men) are not purified correct knowledge, therefore to break i.e., to shake their mind would be highly harmful for them. Hence, for their benefit, one should not disturb their mind. This [the Lord] says :
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
3.25 As the ignorant men act from attachment to action, O Bharata (Arjuna), so should the wise act without attachment, wishing the welfare of the world.
Commentary

3.25 सक्ताः attached? कर्मणि to action? अविद्वांसः the ignorant? यथा as? कुर्वन्ति act? भारत O Bharata? कुर्यात् should act? विद्वान् the wise? तथा so? असक्तः unattached? चिकीर्षुः wishing? लोकसंग्रहम् the welfare of the world.Commentary The ignorant man works in expectation of fruits. He says? I will do such and such work and will get such and such fruit. But the wise man who knows the Self? serves not for his own end. He should so act that the world? following his example? would attain peace? harmony? purity of heart? divine light and knowledge. A wise man is one who knows the Self. (Cf.II.64III.19XVIII.49).

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
3.25 O scion of the Bharata dynasty, as the unelightened poeple act with attachment to work, so should the enlightened person act, without attachment, being desirous of the prevention of people from going astray.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
3.25 As the ignorant act, because of their fondness for action, so should the wise act without such attachment, fixing their eyes, O Arjuna, only on the welfare of the world.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Prema (Divine Love)
Related verses
BG 3.20 BG 3.26 BG 3.19 SB 10.22.35 SB 1.4.12 SB 10.8.4 CC Madhya 7.92 CC Ādi 9.41 CC Antya 3.180 Īśa Upaniṣad 2 BRS 1.2.255
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
As the ignorant act with attachment, the wise should act without attachment — for the welfare of the world.
Practical Applications
  • Engage with the same energy as the materialist — but for a different end.
  • Don't withdraw from the world; transform your motive within it.
  • Use your visible engagement to invite others toward higher motivation.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I withdrawing when I should be engaging differently?
  • How might my engaged-with-detachment contrast inspire someone?
Analogy

Two farmers work the same field with the same vigor — one for the market price, the other to feed the village. From outside, the labor looks identical; inside, two different worlds are being grown.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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