Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 25
सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत । कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसङ्ग्रहम्
saktāḥ karmaṇyavidvāṃso yathā kurvanti bhārata | kuryādvidvāṃstathāsaktaścikīrṣurlokasaṅgraham
Translation
As ignorant men act attached to work, O Bhārata, so should the wise man act, unattached, from a wish to protect the masses.
— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri
Word meanings
- saktāḥ
- attached
- karmaṇi
- in (to) action
- avidvāṃsaḥ
- the unwise
- yathā
- as
- kurvanti
- act
- bhārata
- O Bhārata
- kuryāt
- should act
- vidvān
- the wise man
- tathā
- so
- asaktaḥ
- unattached
- cikīrṣuḥ
- desiring to make
- lokasaṅgraham
- (see 20) the welfare of the world
Śaṅkarācārya's commentary
The ignorant expect the result of their action thus: "The result of this action shall accrue to me." The wise man: he who knows the Self. He acts only with a view to protect the masses, with no attachment for results.