BhG 3.19

tasmād asaktaḥ satataṃ kāryaṃ karma samācara
asakto hy ācaran karma param āpnoti pūruṣaḥ

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syntax


tasmāt (therefore) asaktaḥ (unattached) [san] (being) satatam (constantly) kāryam (what is to be done) karma (activity) samācara (perform).
asaktaḥ hi (indeed unattached) karma (activity) ācaran (while performing) pūruṣaḥ (a person) param (the supreme) āpnoti (he obtains).

 

grammar

tasmāt av.therefore (from: tat sn. 5n.1 m. – from that);
asaktaḥ a-sakta (sañj – to attach, to stick, to embrace) PP 1n.1 m.unattached;
satatam av.constantly (from: sa-tata – constant, uninterrupted);
kāryam kārya (kṛ to do) PF 2n.1 n.to be done, work, duty, especially religious one;
karma karman 1n.1 n.activity (from: kṛ – to do);
samācara sam-ā-car (to behave, to perform) Imperat. P 2v.1you must perform;
asaktaḥ a-sakta (sañj – to attach, to stick, to embrace) PP 1n.1 m.unattached;
hi av.because, just, indeed, surely;
ācaran ācarant (ā-car – to behave, to perform) PPr 1n.1 m.[while] performing;
karma karman 2n.1 n.activity (from: kṛ – to do);
param para 2n.1 n.beyond, ancient, final, the best, the supreme;
āpnoti āp (to obtain) Praes. P 1v.1he obtains, he achieves;
pūruṣaḥ pūruṣa 1n.1 m.a person (from: pur – to precede, to lead or pṝ – to fill, to nourish, puru – abundance, pūru – people, puruṣa – a person);

 

textual variants


samācara → samācaraḥ / samācaret (performing / he would perform);
param āpnoti paraṁ prāpnoti (the supreme he obtains);
pūruṣaḥ → pūruṣam (Pūruṣa);

 
 



Śāṃkara

The key:
an excerpt from the commented verse
quotes from the scriptures
starting polemic

Wherefore:

yataḥ evaṃ —

Therefore, without attachment, constantly perform the action which should be done;
for, performing action without attachment, man reaches the Supreme.

tasmād asaktaḥ satataṃ kāryaṃ karma samācara |
asakto hy ācaran karma param āpnoti pūruṣaḥ ||3.19||

Performing action, without attachment, for the sake of the Īśvara, man attains moksha, through attaining purity of mind (sattva-śuddhi).

tasmāt asaktaḥ saṅgavarjitaḥ satataṃ sarvadā kāryaṃ kartavyaṃ nityaṃ karma samācara nirvartaya |
asakto hi yasmāt samācaran īśvarārthaṃ karma kurvan paraṃ mokṣam āpnoti pūruṣaḥ sattva-śuddhi-dvāreṇa ity arthaḥ ||3.19||

 

Rāmānuja


yasmād asādhanāyattātmadarśanasyaiva sādhanāpravṛttiḥ, yasmāc ca sādhane pravṛttasyāpi suśakatvāc ca apramādatvād antargatātmayāthātmyānusandhānatvāc ca jñānayogino ‚pi mātrayā karmānuvṛttyapekṣatvāc ca karmayoga evātmadarśananirvṛttau śreyān, tasmād asaṅgapūrvakaṃ kāryam ity eva satataṃ yāvadātmaprāpti karmaiva samācara / asaktaḥ, kāryam iti vakṣyamāṇākartṛtvānusandhānapūrvakaṃ ca karmācaran puruṣaḥ karmayogenaiva param āpnoti ātmānaṃ prāpnotītyarthaḥ

 

Śrīdhara


yasmād evambhūtasya jñānina eva karmānupayogo nānyasya tasmāt tvaṃ karma kurv ity āha tasmād iti | asaktaḥ phala-saṅga-rahitaḥ san kāryam avaśya-kartavyatayā vihitaṃ nityaṃ naimittikaṃ karma samyag ācara | hi yasmād asaktaḥ karmācaran puruṣaḥ paraṃ mokṣaṃ citta-śuddhi-jñāna-dvārā prāpnoti

 

Madhusūdana


yasmān na tvam evaṃbhūto jñānī kintu karmādhikṛta eva mumukṣuḥ | asaktaḥ phala-kāmanā-rahitaḥ satataṃ sarvadā na tu kadācit kāryam avaśya-kartavyaṃ yāvaj-jīvādi-śruti-coditaṃ tam etaṃ vedānuvacanena brāhmaṇā vividiṣanti yajñena dānena tapasānāśakena iti śrutyā jñāne viniyuktaṃ karma nitya-naimittika-lakṣaṇaṃ samyag ācara yathā-śāstraṃ nirvartaya | asakto hi yasmād ācarann īśvarārthaṃ karma kurvan sattva-śuddhi-jñāna-prāpti-dvāreṇa paraṃ mokṣam āpnoti pūruṣaḥ puruṣaḥ sa eva sat-puruṣo nānya ity abhiprāyaḥ

 

Viśvanātha


tasmāt tava jñāna-bhūmikārohaṇe nāsti yogyatā | kāmya-karmaṇi tu sad-vivekavatas tava naivādhikāraḥ | tasmāt niṣkāma-karmaiva kurv ity āha tasmād iti | kāryam avaśya-kartavyatvena vihitaṃ paraṃ mokṣam

 

Baladeva


yasmāl labdhātmāvalokanasyaiva karmānupayogas tasmād etādṛktvaṃ kāryaṃ kartavyatvena vihitaṃ karma samācara | asaktaḥ phalecchā-śūnyaḥ san | paraṃ dehādi-bhinnam ātmānam āpnoty avalokate yāthātmyena

 
 



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