यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः ।
तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्गः समाचर ॥ ९ ॥
तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्गः समाचर ॥ ९ ॥
yajñārthātkarmaṇo’nyatra loko’yaṃ karmabandhanaḥ .
tadarthaṃ karma kaunteya muktasaṅgaḥ samācara .. 9 ..
Except in the case of action for Sacrifice’s sake, this world is action-bound. Action for the sake Thereof, do thou, O son of Kuntī, perform, free from attachment.
Read the commentary
Sacrifice (Yajña) here means Īśvara, the Supreme Lord. So, the sruti* says ‘Yajña, verily, is Viṣṇu.’ ‘This world’ means those persons who, as qualified for action only, are bound to do it and who accordingly perform it. The world is not bound by action done for the Lord’s sake. Perform action without attachment.
Taittiriya-Samhita, 1-7-4.
For the following reason also, action should be done by him who is qualified for it: