19. Therefore, do thou always perform actions which are obligatory, without attachment;--by performing action without attachment, one attains to the highest.

20. Verily by action alone, Janaka and others attained perfection;--also, simply with the view for the guidance of men, thou shouldst perform action.

21. Whatsoever the superior person does, that is followed by others. What he demonstrates by action, that, people follow.

22. I have, O son of Pritha, no duty, nothing that I have not gained, and nothing that I have to gain, in the three worlds; yet, I continue in action.

23. If ever I did not continue in work, without relaxation, men, O son of Pritha, would in every way, follow in My wake.

24. If I did not do work, these worlds would perish. I should be the cause of the admixture of races, and I should ruin these beings.

25. As do the unwise, attached to work, act, so should the wise act, O descendant of Bharata, (but) without

attachment, desirous of the guidance of the world.

26. One should not unsettle the understanding of the ignorant, attached to action; the wise, (himself) steadily acting, should engage (the ignorant) in all work.

27. The Gunas of Prakriti perform all action. With the understanding deluded by egoism, man thinks, "I am the doer."

28. But, one, with true insight into the domains of Guna and Karma, knowing that Gunas as senses merely rest on Gunas as objects, does not become attached.

29. Men of perfect knowledge should not unsettle (the understanding of) people of dull wit and imperfect knowledge, who deluded by the Gunas of Prakriti attach (themselves) to the functions of the Gunas.

30. Renouncing all actions to Me, with mind centred on the Self, getting rid of hope and selfishness, fight,--free from (mental) fever.

31. Those men who constantly practise this teaching of Mine, full of Shraddha and without cavilling, they too, are freed from work.

32. But those who decrying this teaching of Mine do not practise (it), deluded in all knowledge, and devoid of discrimination, know them to be ruined.

33. Even a wise man acts in accordance with his own nature: beings follow nature: what can restraint do?

34. Attachment and aversion of the senses for their respective objects are natural: let none come under their sway: they are his foes.

35. Better is one's own Dharma, (though) imperfect, than the Dharma of another well-performed. Better is death in one's own Dharma: the Dharma of another is fraught with fear.

Arjuna said:

36. But by what impelled does man commit sin, though against his wishes, O Varshneya, constrained as it were, by force?

The Blessed Lord said:

37. It is desire--it is anger, born of the Rajo-guna: of great craving, and of great sin; know this as the foe here (in this world).