Sanskrit
तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर । असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुषः ॥
tasmād asaktaḥ satataṃ kāryaṃ karma samācara asakto hy ācaran karma param āpnoti pūruṣaḥ
Translation
Therefore, without attachment, constantly perform action which is duty, for, by performing action without attachment, man verily reacheth the Supreme.
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
The pivot away from verses 17-18’s self-sufficient ideal back toward action, and the “therefore” is doing real logical work: precisely because non-attachment is possible, action can be performed without re-creating the bondage described in verse 9. This restates 2.47’s formula in near-identical terms — the discipline hasn’t changed since chapter 2, only the argument for why it’s necessary has gotten more elaborate.
Concepts