Etaany api tu karmaani sangam tyaktvaa phalaani cha | Kartavyaaneeti me paartha nishchitam matam uttamam ||6||
Translation
O Partha! All these actions must be performed without attachment and without expectation of results — this is My definite and supreme verdict.
Word-by-Word Meaning
एतानि
these
अपि
certainly
तु
but
कर्माणि
actions
सङ्गम्
attachment
त्यक्त्वा
giving up
फलानि
fruits/results
च
and
कर्तव्यानि
must be performed as duty
इति
thus
मे
My
पार्थ
O son of Pritha
निश्चितम्
definite
मतम्
opinion
उत्तमम्
supreme/best
Commentary
Commentary
This verse contains Krishna’s definitive and supreme verdict (nishchitam matam uttamam) on the subject of renunciation. The answer is elegant in its simplicity: perform all sacred duties, but do so without attachment to results and without any sense of possessiveness.
The phrase matam uttamam — “My supreme opinion” — carries tremendous weight. This is not one view among many. This is the final word from the Supreme Lord Himself. All the debates, all the conflicting opinions of various thinkers, are settled here.
The practical application is profound. One should not stop performing yajna (sacrifice), dana (charity), or tapas (austerity). But one must perform them as duty (kartavya), giving up both the sense of attachment (sanga) and the desire for fruits (phala). This is the essential teaching of the Gita from beginning to end: act, but act without selfish motive.
A person working in Krishna consciousness — doing everything as an offering to the Lord — naturally performs actions without attachment. Such a person does not worry whether the results are pleasant or unpleasant, successful or unsuccessful. The action itself, done as worship, is complete. This is the highest form of renunciation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Bhagavad Gita 18.6 mean?
- O Partha! All these actions must be performed without attachment and without expectation of results — this is My definite and supreme verdict.
- What is the Sanskrit text of Bhagavad Gita 18.6?
- The original Sanskrit verse is: Etaany api tu karmaani sangam tyaktvaa phalaani cha | Kartavyaaneeti me paartha nishchitam matam uttamam ||6||
- What are the key themes of this verse?
- This verse explores: detachment, duty, renunciation, action, liberation, surrender.