Same action, different intention: bondage or service.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत |कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम् ||३-२५||
saktāḥ karmaṇyavidvāṃso yathā kurvanti bhārata . kuryādvidvāṃstathāsaktaścikīrṣurlokasaṃgraham ||3-25||
Use this verse to purify the intention behind your work.
Meaning
O Bharata, just as the ignorant act with attachment, the wise should act without attachment, desiring the welfare of the world.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
The wise still act, but their motive is welfare, not attachment.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna contrasts two kinds of action: attached action and wise action. Externally, both may look busy. The difference lies in intention. The ignorant act for ego, reward, and possession. The wise act for loka-sangraha, the welfare and stability of the whole. This is ideal for turning professional work into service without reducing ambition or excellence.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna draws a luminous contrast. The ignorant work with attachment, driven by desire for personal results; the wise work with the same energy and dedication but asakta, without attachment, moved instead by chikirshu lokasangraham — the wish to benefit the world.
Outwardly, the two may look identical: both are busy, both are committed. The difference lies entirely in the inner motive. The unwise are bound by their grasping; the wise are free because their effort flows from selfless concern for the common good.
This is the maturity karma-yoga calls for. Wisdom does not mean doing less or caring less, but caring differently — pouring oneself fully into right action while releasing the ego's claim on its fruits. The sage thus becomes both a benefactor to the world and free within, working tirelessly yet untouched.
In daily life
Before action, check whether your motive is ego or welfare.
Two founders may build apps; one only chases valuation, another also protects user wellbeing.
Try this today
Set a welfare-based intention before your next major task.
I act for welfare, not ego attachment.Reflect
What intention is driving my current work?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘सक्ताः कर्मणि अविद्वांसः’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on wisdom, in other chapters
- Verse 4.19Act without selfish intent, and the fire of wisdom burns away action's power to bind — this is the mark of a true sage.
- Verse 13.9Honestly facing life's impermanence loosens craving and turns the heart toward what cannot decay.
- Verse 18.10When you act free of attachment, no task feels like a burden and no pleasant outcome traps you.
- Verse 7.16Whatever motive first turns you toward the Divine — pain, curiosity, or need — is a valid and welcomed beginning.
Swipe left for 3.26 · Teach without humiliating; guide without confusing.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 3.25
Who says Bhagavad Gita 3.25, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 3.25, in Chapter 3, Karma Yoga (Karma Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 3.25 mean?
O Bharata, just as the ignorant act with attachment, the wise should act without attachment, desiring the welfare of the world. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 3.25 for daily life?
Before action, check whether your motive is ego or welfare. Two founders may build apps; one only chases valuation, another also protects user wellbeing.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 3.25 mean?
सक्ताः कर्मणि अविद्वांसः — the ignorant, attached to action; यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत — as they act, O Bharata; कुर्यात् विद्वान् — so should the wise act; तथा असक्तः — but without attachment; चिकीर्षुः लोकसंग्रहम् — desiring the welfare of the world.
Where does verse 3.25 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 25 of 43 in Chapter 3, Karma Yoga. The next verse is 3.26.