Shankaracharya's commentary, trans. Alladi Mahadeva Sastry (1897)
[1]Janaka and others attained perfection through action alone. Having regard to the welfare of the world, thou shouldst perform action.
BG 3.20
कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः । लोकसंग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ॥
karmaṇaiva hi saṃsiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥ | loka-saṃgraham evāpi sampaśyan kartum arhasi ||
"Janaka attained perfection through action — not despite it. Act for the welfare of the world (lokasaṃgraha)."
All public-domain translations
5 translations · all pre-1928 or released to public domain · sources
Swami Swarupananda, Srimad Bhagavad Gita (1909)
[4]Janaka and others attained perfection by action alone; considering also the welfare of the world, thou shouldst perform action.
William Quan Judge, The Bhagavad Gita (1890)
[6]Janaka and others attained perfection through action; thou shouldst also do action, having regard to the welfare of mankind.
Sir Edwin Arnold, The Song Celestial (1885)
[7]Yea! let the wise man hold himself in check, And be as one who shows the path of good To those less perfect; nor let aught divert His soul from doing, since the cause of all, Himself, must be its spring.
K.T. Telang, Sacred Books of the East Vol. 8 (1882)
[9]Janaka and others attained perfection through action; thou shouldst also perform action, looking to the welfare of the world.