Bhagavad Gita 3.25

Sanskrit

सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत । कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसङ्ग्रहम् ॥3.25॥

Transliteration

saktāḥ karmaṇyavidvāṃso yathā kurvanti bhārata | kuryādvidvāṃstathāsaktaścikīrṣurlokasaṅgraham ‖3.25‖

Meaning

“As the ignorant act with attachment to their work, O Bharata, so should the wise act without attachment, desiring the welfare of the world.”

Key learning

Stay just as committed and energetic as the most driven person, but work for the good of others instead of for what you personally get. Real letting go does not mean doing less or trying half-heartedly. It means full effort with a calm, open heart.

How to apply this today

Check your "detachment" by your results: if letting go of outcomes quietly turned into letting go of quality, you've fooled yourself. A calm person should look just as hard-working as an ambitious one. The difference shows up in how well they sleep and handle setbacks, not in effort. Do this: work your hardest while truly leaving the result open.

Theme: The Yoga of Action

This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3: Karma Yoga , read all verses in this chapter.

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