कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि।।2.47।।
karmaṇi evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana mā karma‑phala‑hetur bhūḥ mā te saṅgo 'stv akarmaṇi
Translation
You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.
Word Meanings
karmaṇi — in prescribed duties; eva — certainly; adhikāraḥ — right; te — of you; mā — never; phaleṣu — in the fruits; kadācana — at any time; mā — never; karma‑phala — in the result of the work; hetuḥ — cause; bhūḥ — become; mā — never; te — of you; saṅgaḥ — attachment; astu — there should be; akarmaṇi — in not doing prescribed duties.
Understanding the Verse
In this seminal verse of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna addresses Arjuna’s paralysis born of attachment to outcomes. The opening phrase karmaṇyevādhikāras te affirms that the individual possesses a legitimate claim over the performance of duty itself. This right is not a license for indiscriminate action but a moral empowerment rooted in one’s role (svadharma) within the cosmic order. By emphasizing evādhikāraḥ – ‘certainly a right’ – Krishna removes any doubt that duty is an intrinsic aspect of human existence, irrespective of personal desire or fear.
The second clause, mā phaleṣu kadācana, draws a firm boundary: the worker is absolved from entitlement to the results. This disavowal of fruit attachment serves a dual purpose. First, it liberates the practitioner from anxiety over success or failure, allowing action to flow from pure intention rather than selfish ambition. Second, it aligns the individual with the larger, often inscrutable, divine plan, acknowledging that outcomes are orchestrated by forces beyond personal control.
Krishna further cautions mā karmaphalahetur bhūḥ, instructing Arjuna not to see himself as the sole cause of results. By rejecting a self‑centric causality, one detaches the ego from the act of creation, opening space for humility and surrender. This perspective discourages the pride that can arise from a perceived ‘ownership’ of outcomes, fostering a mindset that sees oneself as an instrument of a higher will.
The final admonition, mā te saṅgo ’stv akarmaṇi, warns against both attachment to results and the opposite extreme of inaction. The Sanskrit term saṅga denotes emotional clinging, and its negation here protects the seeker from becoming immobilized by fear of failure. Simultaneously, akarmaṇi (non‑action) is not a call for passivity but a reminder that abandoning duty out of detachment is itself a misguided attachment to inactivity. True freedom, as the Gita teaches, lies in acting without selfish desire, maintaining equanimity irrespective of success or loss.
Collectively, this verse establishes a practical philosophy for spiritual evolution: perform one’s duty with dedication, remain unattached to outcomes, avoid ego‑driven causality, and never slip into paralysis through fear. By internalizing these principles, the practitioner cultivates a balanced mind, capable of navigating life’s battles with clarity, courage, and compassionate purpose.
