Karma Yoga · Verse 25

Bhagavad Gita 3.25

Wisdom keeps acting, but never for personal gain.

Wisdom translation, edited by Ankur Shukla. Commentary AI-drafted, human-reviewed. Reviewed June 2026. Methodology →

सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत ।
कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्िचकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम् ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
हे भरतवंशोद्भव अर्जुन कर्ममें आसक्त हुए अज्ञानीजन जिस प्रकार कर्म करते हैं, आसक्तिरहित विद्वान भी लोकसंग्रह करना चाहता हुआ उसी प्रकार कर्म करे । तत्त्वज्ञ महापुरुष कर्मोंमें आसक्तिवाले अज्ञानी मनुष्योंकी बुद्धिमें भ्रम उत्पन्न न करे, प्रत्युत स्वयं समस्त कर्मोंको अच्छी तरहसे करता हुआ उनसे भी वैसे ही करवाये ॥
English
As the ignorant act with attachment to action, so should the wise act without attachment, seeking the welfare of the world.

What this verse means

A wise person should keep acting, but without clinging to the results. The point is to support the world, not feed ego.

Context & commentary

On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna is frozen while Krishna explains how action should continue. Even the wise must work, not for personal gain, but to keep the world in order and guide others by example.

Why this verse still matters

You’re the senior person in a room full of anxious newcomers, and everyone is watching how you handle the pressure. Stay active, stay steady, and let your example carry the room.

The takeaway

You can stay fully engaged without getting trapped by craving recognition or payoff.

Word-by-word translation

सक्ताः (attached) / कर्मणि (in action) / अविद्वांसः (the ignorant) / यथा (as) / कुर्वन्ति (perform) / भारत (O Bharata) / कुर्यात् (should perform) / विद्वान् (the wise) / तथा (likewise) / असक्तः (without attachment) / चिकीर्षुः (desiring to do) / लोकसंग्रहम् (the welfare/order of the world)

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