Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 9

यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः । तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्गः समाचर

yajñārthātkarmaṇo'nyatra loko'yaṃ karmabandhanaḥ | tadarthaṃ karma kaunteya muktasaṅgaḥ samācara

Translation

Except in the case of action for Sacrifice's sake, this world is action-bound. Action for the sake Thereof, do thou, O son of Kuntī, perform, free from attachment.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

yajñārthāt

of sacrifice, (from) for the sake of

karmaṇaḥ

from (than) action

anyatra

otherwise

lokaḥ

the world

ayam

this

karmabandhanaḥ

action, bond, whose, it

tadartham

of that, for the sake

karma

action

kaunteya

O Kaunteya

muktasaṅgaḥ

abandoned, attachment, by whom, he

samācara

perform

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

Sacrifice (Yajña) here means Īśvara, the Supreme Lord. So the Śruti says 'Yajña, verily, is Viṣṇu' (Taittirīya Saṃhitā 1.7.4). 'This world' means those persons who, as qualified for action only, are bound to do it. The world is not bound by action done for the Lord's sake. Perform action without attachment.