Action performed for any purpose other than sacrifice binds to this world, son of Kuntī. Act, therefore, liberated from attachment, for that purpose.

The central concept of yajña — sacrifice — is introduced here. Originally a Vedic rite, here it means action offered to the cosmic order, to the Supreme Being.

Karma-bandha — the bondage of action — arises from saṅga (attachment) to personal results. When action is performed yajñārthāt — as sacrifice — it becomes a means of liberation. Samācara — “perform fully” — implies total integrity, not half-measures. This synthesis between worldly duty and spiritual aspiration defines Karma Yoga.