In plain words
Yet even these actions should be performed after abandoning attachment and their fruits. This, Partha, is My settled and highest view.
Word for word
But even these actions are to be done, having given up attachment and the fruits: this, O son of Pṛthā, is My settled, highest view.
एतान्यपि तु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलानि चकर्तव्यानीति मे पार्थ निश्चितं मतमुत्तमम्
Other commentaries
The commentators
▸Bhagavadgītābhāṣyam
एतान्यपि तु कर्माणि यज्ञदानतपांसि पावनानि उक्तानि सङ्गम् आसक्तिं तेषु त्यक्त्वा फलानि च तेषां परित्यज्य कर्तव्यानि इति अनुष्ठेयानि इति मे मम निश्चितं मतम् उत्तमम् ॥
‘निश्चयं शृणु मे तत्र’(भ. गी. १८ । ४) इति प्रतिज्ञाय, पावनत्वं च हेतुम् उक्त्वा, ‘एतान्यपि कर्माणि कर्तव्यानि’ इत्येतत् ‘निश्चितं मतमुत्तमम्’ इति प्रतिज्ञातार्थोपसंहार एव, न अपूर्वार्थं वचनम् , ‘एतान्यपि’ इति प्रकृतसंनिकृष्टार्थत्वोपपत्तेः । सासङ्गस्य फलार्थिनः बन्धहेतवः एतान्यपि कर्माणि मुमुक्षोः कर्तव्यानि इति अपिशब्दस्य अर्थः । न तु अन्यानि कर्माणि अपेक्ष्य ‘एतान्यपि’ इति उच्यते ॥
अन्ये तु वर्णयन्ति — नित्यानां कर्मणां फलाभावात् ‘सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलानि च’ इति न उपपद्यते । अतः ‘एतान्यपि’ इति यानि काम्यानि कर्मणि नित्येभ्यः अन्यानि, एतानि अपि कर्तव्यानि, किमुत यज्ञदानतपांसि नित्यानि इति । तत् असत् , नित्यानामपि कर्मणाम् इह फलवत्त्वस्य उपपादितत्वात् ‘यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि’(भ. गी. १८ । ५) इत्यादिना वचनेन । नित्यान्यपि कर्माणि बन्धहेतुत्वाशङ्कया जिहासोः मुमुक्षोः कुतः काम्येषु प्रसङ्गः ? ‘दूरेण ह्यवरं कर्म’(भ. गी. २ । ४९) इति च निन्दितत्वात् , ‘यज्ञार्थात् कर्मणोऽन्यत्र’(भ. गी. ३ । ९) इति च काम्यकर्मणां बन्धहेतुत्वस्य निश्चितत्वात् , ‘त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदाः’(भ. गी. २ । ४५) ‘त्रैविद्या मां सोमपाः’(भ. गी. ९ । २०) ‘क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति’(भ. गी. ९ । २१) इति च, दूरव्यवहितत्वाच्च, न काम्येषु ‘एतान्यपि’ इति व्यपदेशः ॥ ६ ॥
In plain words
But these — sacrifice, giving, and austerity — really are purifying, as already said. Even so, they must still be done, only now without any clinging to them and without any grasping at their fruit. That is my own considered judgment, and it is the highest there is.
Remember, the Lord had promised, 'hear from me my definite conclusion on this' (Bhagavad Gītā 18.4), and he has now given the reason — that these acts purify. So when he says 'these actions too must be done' and calls it 'my settled, highest opinion', he is simply wrapping up what he already promised, not introducing something new — because 'these too' naturally points back to the very acts already under discussion. For someone attached, someone chasing results, these same acts become chains; for someone who genuinely wants freedom, they must still be done — that is exactly what the word 'too' is doing here. It is not pointing to some other, different set of actions.
Some other commentators read it differently: since obligatory rites have no fruit at all, they say, 'having given up attachment and fruit' makes no sense applied to them. So, they argue, 'these too' must mean the optional rites — the ones distinct from the obligatory — and if even those must still be performed, how much more so the obligatory sacrifice, gift, and austerity! But that is simply wrong. It has already been shown right here that even obligatory acts do bear fruit — 'sacrifice, gift, and truly austerity are purifying' (Bhagavad Gītā 18.5), among other such statements. And think about it: someone who wants to give up even obligatory rites for fear they cause bondage, someone who genuinely wants liberation — why would optional rites even enter the picture for such a person? Desire-prompted action is explicitly condemned as 'far inferior' (Bhagavad Gītā 2.49); its bondage-causing nature is settled by 'other than for the sake of sacrifice' (Bhagavad Gītā 3.9), and by 'the Vedas have the three guṇas as their domain' (Bhagavad Gītā 2.45), 'those versed in the three Vedas, drinkers of soma, worship me' (Bhagavad Gītā 9.20), and 'when their merit runs out, they fall back into the mortal world' (Bhagavad Gītā 9.21) — quite apart from the fact that this whole topic lies far outside the present context. 'These too' simply does not refer to optional rites.
Close to the Sanskrit
These too, however — actions, sacrifice, gift, and austerity — are declared purifying; having abandoned attachment, clinging, in them, and having relinquished their fruits too, they are to be done — 'are to be performed', thus — this is my, my own, settled opinion, the highest.
Having promised, 'hear from me the definite conclusion there' (Bhagavad Gītā 18|4), and having stated the reason, namely their purifying quality, this — 'these actions too are to be done' — and 'the settled opinion, the highest' — is indeed a summation of the promised topic, not a statement of unprecedented meaning, because of 'these too' having a meaning closely connected to what was already under discussion. For one who has attachment, who desires fruit, these very actions become causes of bondage; but for one who desires liberation, these actions too are to be done — this is the meaning of the word 'too'. It is not said with reference to other actions that 'these too' is used.
Others, however, explain it thus: because obligatory-daily actions have no fruit, 'having abandoned attachment and fruits' does not make sense. Therefore, 'these too' means: whatever optional actions are other than the obligatory ones, these too are to be done — how much more so the obligatory sacrifice, gift, and austerity! That is untrue, because it has been established here that even obligatory actions possess fruitfulness, by the statement 'sacrifice, gift, and indeed austerity are purifying' (Bhagavad Gītā 18|5) and similar statements. For one desiring to abandon even obligatory actions out of apprehension of their being a cause of bondage, one desiring liberation — how could optional rites even be relevant, given that 'far inferior indeed is [desire-prompted] action' (Bhagavad Gītā 2|49) stands censured, and given that the bondage-causing nature of desire-prompted actions is settled by 'other than for the sake of sacrifice' (Bhagavad Gītā 3|9), and by 'the Vedas have the three guṇas as their domain' (Bhagavad Gītā 2|45), 'those versed in the three Vedas, soma-drinkers, worship me' (Bhagavad Gītā 9|20), 'when merit is exhausted, they enter the world of mortals' (Bhagavad Gītā 9|21) — and because of being far removed in context? 'These too' is not a designation applying to optional rites.