Illustration for Bhagavad Gita chapter 3 verse 25
Chapter 3 · Karma Yoga

Same Effort, Different Motive · The Wise Person's Choice

सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत । कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम् ।।25।।

saktāḥ karmaṇy avidvāṃso yathā kurvanti bhārata kuryād vidvāṃs tathāsaktaś cikīrṣur loka-saṅgraham

Meaning

"O Bharata, as the ignorant act with attachment, so should the wise act without attachment, desiring the welfare of the world."

Explanation

Krishna calls on the wise to act just as diligently as everyone else, but with a different, purer inner motive.

Today's Life Lesson

Do your work today with full effort, but let your motive quietly shift from personal gain to shared good.

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