Chapter 3Verse 25
Karma Yoga
सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत। कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम्॥
saktāḥ karmaṇy avidvāṁso yathā kurvanti bhārata, kuryād vidvāṁs tathāsaktaś cikīrṣur loka-saṅgraham
Meaning
Most people work with a tight grip on what they'll get out of it. This verse asks for the same effort with a looser hold, aimed at something larger than your own return. The work doesn't get less serious. What changes is that it's no longer only about you.
Put in the same effort, but aim it at more than your own gain.
Related quotes
3.21
Lead by example. The world follows what you do, not what you say.
18.48
Every effort has a flaw in it, like fire has smoke. Do your work anyway.
2.47
You have the right to your actions, never to the fruits of those actions.
3.35
Better your own path walked imperfectly than someone else's walked perfectly.