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Bhagavad Gita · 2.47 · Transcendental Knowledge·47 of 72

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचनमा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि

karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana mā

karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi

Sanskrit recitation

Act without clinging to the fruit · 2.47–2.53 · Teaching

Translation

Your right is only to work, but not to its results; do not let the results of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.

Meaning

When you perform actions have no desire for the fruits thereof under any circumstances. If you thirst for the fruits of your actions, you will have to take birth again and again to enjoy them. Action done with expectation of fruits (rewards) brings bondage. If you do not thirst for them, you get purification of heart and you will get knowledge of the Self through purity of heart and through the knowledge of the Self you will be freed from the round of births and deaths.Neither let thy attachment be towards inaction thinking what is the use of doing actions when I cannot get any reward for themIn a broad sense Karma means action. It also means duty which one has to perform according to his caste or station of life. According to the followers of the Karma Kanda of the Vedas (the Mimamsakas) Karma means the rituals and sacrifices prescribed in the Vedas. It has a deep meaning also. It signifies the destiny or the storehouse of tendencies of a man which give rise to his future birth.

After Swami Sivananda

Act without clinging to the fruit· 2.47–2.53

Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.

Word-by-word
te
your
eva
only
not
astu
must be
bhūḥ
be
hetuḥ
cause
karmaṇi
in prescribed duties
akarmaṇi
in inaction
kadāchana
at any time
phaleṣhu
in the fruits
saṅgaḥ
attachment
karma-phala
results of the activities
adhikāraḥ
right

Related verses

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