Sanskrit
सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत । कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसङ्ग्रहम् ॥
saktāḥ karmaṇy avidvāṃso yathā kurvanti bhārata kuryād vidvāṃs tathāsaktaś cikīrṣur lokasaṅgraham
Translation
As the ignorant act from attachment to action, O Bhârata, so should the wise act without attachment, desiring the welfare of the world.
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
A clean summary verse, restating the whole argument since verse 20 in one balanced sentence: same action, opposite motive — attachment for the unlearned, lokasangraha for the wise. It functions as a hinge before verse 26 turns to the practical question of how the wise should behave around the unlearned they’re being contrasted with here.
Concepts