Verse-19
Chapter 3 — Karma Yoga
Verse 19
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
tasmādasaktaḥ satataṁ kāryaṁ karma samācara
asakto hyācarankarma paramāpnoti pūruṣaḥ
🕉 English Translation
📜 Translation
English
Therefore, you should constantly without attachment always keep performing your obligatory duties in a satisfactory manner. Because by performing actions in an unattached way one attains the Supreme.
Sometimes it is believed that action can be the independent means for attaining the highest good. Upliftment is possible only through the path of knowledge. This is right. The path of knowledge leads to liberation–'ritte gyananan muktih'. Without knowledge liberation is impossible to attain. The language of Adi Shankaracharya–'gyanvihena sarvamatein muktih na bhavati janam shatein'.
But this verse of the Gita–'paramapnoti purusha'. The issue of supreme status is being dealt with in an impressive and assertive manner. The performance of action without attachment and removing impurities, agitation and veil, the bondage of past action is cut as under; the reason for further bondage of action is annihilated and the inner state remains pure. Knowledge is not to come from anywhere else; it exists inside us; it is under the veil of ignorance–'Ajnanenavrtam jnanam tena muhyanti jantavah' (Gita 5/150). The clouds of ignorance are removed, the innate knowledge is revealed, this is a state of liberation which can be easily experienced, when the work is done without attachment. The means are unattached actions only because actions are constantly taking place.
In any case the actions do not bind; it is the attachment to action that binds. This is mine, this is for me and I must get this, this is the basis of my happiness, these kinds of emotions become the cause for bondage. 'Asaktah pad' word is used for doing actions sans these emotions. Because the actions are continuously taking place. There, this awareness is also required to be 'sattatam' ever present. It is imperative that work should be done but not with attachment. Actions should be conducted in entirety, in that too negligence, carelessness should not be there 'samacara' but keeping in view the dignity of yoga of action in mind.