Shloka 25

Karma-Saṃnyāsa–Karma-Yoga Saṃvāda

Renunciation and the Discipline of Action

Devanagari script

सक्ता: कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत । कुर्याद्‌ विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्निकीर्षुलोंकसंग्रहम्‌,इसलिये हे भारत! कर्ममें आसक्त हुए अज्ञानीजन जिस प्रकार कर्म करते हैं, आसक्तिरहित विद्वान्‌ भी लोकसंग्रह करना चाहता हुआ उसी प्रकार कर्म करे*

Transliteration

saktāḥ karmaṇy avidvāṁso yathā kurvanti bhārata | kuryād vidvāṁs tathāsaktaś cikīrṣur loka-saṅgraham ||

Translation

హే భారతా! కర్మలో ఆసక్తితో అజ్ఞులు ఎలా కర్మ చేస్తారో, అలాగే ఆసక్తిరహితుడైన జ్ఞానీ కూడా లోకసంగ్రహాన్ని కోరుతూ కర్మ చేయాలి.

Word by Word

सक्ताःattached

कर्मणिin action/work

अविद्वांसःthe unlearned/ignorant

यथाas, just as

कुर्वन्तिthey do

भारतO Bharata

कुर्यात्should do

विद्वान्the wise/learned person

तथाso, in that manner

असक्तःunattached

चिकीर्षुःwishing to do/bring about

लोकसंग्रहम्the holding-together/welfare of the world (social order)

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhārata (Arjuna as addressee)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The wise should continue performing rightful action without personal attachment, not to chase results but to sustain social harmony (loka-saṅgraha) and set a stabilizing example for others.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the battlefield dialogue, Kṛṣṇa instructs Arjuna that even enlightened people should not abandon action; rather, they should act responsibly so that ordinary people—who naturally act with attachment—are guided and society remains ordered.