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Chapter 3: Karma-yoga

Bg 3.19
TEXT 19
tasmad asaktah satatam
karyam karma samacara
asakto hy acaran karma
param apnoti purusah
SYNONYMS
tasmat—therefore; asaktah—without attachment; satatam—constantly; karyam—as duty; karma—work; samacara—perform; asaktah—nonattachment; hi—certainly; acaran—performing; karma—work; param—the Supreme; apnoti—achieves; purusah—a man.
TRANSLATION
Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty; for by working without attachment, one attains the Supreme.
PURPORT
The Supreme is the Personality of Godhead for the devotees, and liberation for the impersonalist. A person, therefore, acting for Krsna, or in Krsna consciousness, under proper guidance and without attachment to the result of the work, is certainly making progress toward the supreme goal of life. Arjuna is told that he should fight in the Battle of Kuruksetra for the interest of Krsna because Krsna wanted him to fight. To be a good man or a nonviolent man is a personal attachment, but to act on behalf of the Supreme is to act without attachment for the result. That is perfect action of the highest degree, recommended by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. Vedic rituals, like prescribed sacrifices, are performed for purification of impious activities that were performed in the field of sense gratification. But action in Krsna consciousness is transcendental to the reactions of good or evil work. A Krsna conscious person has no attachment for the result but acts on behalf of Krsna alone. He engages in all kinds of activities, but is completely nonattached.

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Copyright (c) 1972 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada