सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत |
कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम् ||३-२५||
saktāḥ karmaṇyavidvāṃso yathā kurvanti bhārata . kuryādvidvāṃstathāsaktaścikīrṣurlokasaṃgraham ||3-25||
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.
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?
Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.
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:'
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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.
This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.
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