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In this comparative study of the two slokas, it may be worthwhile to get acquainted with the version put out in 1897 by Alladi Mahadeva Sastry, an Andhra pandit, who was well-versed in Telugu, Sanskrit and English and one-time Director of the Library of the Theosophical Society at Adyar, Madras, in his The Bhagavad Gita with the Commentary of Sri Sankaracharya. This was brought out by Samata Books of Madras, who specialise in the works of Sri Sankaracharya. In Sastry's book, the slokas are reproduced in Devanagari script, followed by translation and interpretation.
Alladi Mahadeva Sastry's interpretation is :
"19. Therefore, without attachment, constantly perform the action which should be done; for, performing action without attachment man reaches the Supreme.
Performing action, without attachment, for the sake of the Isvara, man attains moksha, through attaining purity of mind (sattva-śuddhi).
20. By action only, indeed, did Janaka and others try to attain perfection. Even with a view to the protection of the masses thou shouldst perform (action)".
The wise Kshatriyas of old, such as Janaka and Asvapati tried "biy action alone to attain moksha (samsiddhi). If they were persone possessed of right knowledge, then we should understand that. Since they had been engaged in works, they tried to reach moksha with action, i.e. without abandoning action, with a view to set an exam to the world. If, on the other hand, such men as Janaka were persons. who had not attained right knowledge, then, (we should understand) they tried to attain moksha through action which is the means attaining purity of mind (sattva-buddhi)..
If you think that obligatory works were performed by the ancients such as Janaka because they were ignorant, and that it does not follow from that fact alone that action should be performed by another who possesses right knowledge and has done all his duties-- even then, as subject to your prarabdha-karma (the Karma which has led you to this birth as a Kshatriya), and having regard also to the purpose of preventing the masses from resorting to a wrong path, you ought to perform action." (A long footnote on knowledgeable Kshatriyas has been left out.)
Finally, let us get acquainted with Radhakrishnan's interpretation of the slokas. In his translation, each sloka is first transliterated into English,
