Karmany-evadhikaras te maa phaleshu kadaachana | Maa karma-phala-hetur bhoor maa te sango-stv akarmani ||47||
Translation
You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.
Word-by-Word Meaning
कर्मणि
in action
एव
only/alone
अधिकारः
right/authority
ते
your
मा
never
फलेषु
in the fruits
कदाचन
at any time
मा
never
कर्म-फल-हेतुः
the cause of the fruits of action
भूः
be
मा
never
ते
your
सङ्गः
attachment
अस्तु
let there be
अकर्मणि
in inaction
Commentary
Commentary
Bhagavad Gita 2:47 is perhaps the most quoted and most transformative verse in the entire scripture. It encapsulates the essence of Karma Yoga — the path of selfless action.
The Four Instructions
Krishna gives Arjuna four precise instructions in this single verse:
-
कर्मणि एव अधिकारः ते — Your authority is in action alone. You have the right, duty, and responsibility to act. Action in the world is your domain.
-
मा फलेषु कदाचन — Never (claim authority) over the fruits, ever. The outcomes of your actions do not belong to you. They arise from countless causes beyond your control.
-
मा कर्म-फल-हेतुः भूः — Do not become the cause (motive) for the fruits of action. Do not let the desire for a particular outcome be what drives your actions.
-
मा ते सङ्गः अस्तु अकर्मणि — Do not be attached to inaction. This is a crucial warning — the teaching is not about renouncing action, but about purifying the motivation behind action.
Why This Teaching Liberates
Modern psychology confirms what Krishna taught millennia ago: when we attach our identity and wellbeing to outcomes, we suffer. We cannot control results. We can only control our effort, our intention, and the quality of our engagement.
Nishkama Karma — desire-free action — is the state in which you give your absolute best to every action, not because of what you will gain, but because the action itself is an offering.
Application in Daily Life
- Work with full dedication, but release attachment to promotion or recognition
- Love your family without making your happiness conditional on their choices
- Create, build, serve — not for applause, but for the joy of the action itself
This verse is not passive resignation. It is the highest form of engagement: act completely, attach minimally.