Chapter 2 Overview
Verse 2.47
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि।।2.47।।
karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi
Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 2, Verse 47
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Scripture Translation Room
Sanskrit to English Translation
Translator:
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.
A Reading - Rantideb
Why: 'you have a right to action, never to its fruits' compresses a full philosophy of effort into one sentence, effort is yours, outcomes never fully are.
In life: most of our suffering at work comes from trying to control results that were never fully in our hands.
Teaching: before starting something hard, decide in advance to give the effort everything you have and release your grip on the specific outcome. Practice this, it doesn't happen by just deciding once.
karmaṇiin prescribed duties
evaonly
adhikāraḥright
teyour
mānot
phaleṣhuin the fruits
kadāchanaat any time
mānever
karma-phalaresults of the activities
hetuḥcause
bhūḥbe
mānot
teyour
saṅgaḥattachment
astumust be
akarmaṇiin inaction
Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)
Author:
2.47 कर्मणि in work? एव only? अधिकारः right? ते thy? मा not? फलेषु in the fruits? कदाचन at any time? मा not? कर्मफलहेतुः भूः let not the fruits of action be thy motive? मा not? ते thy? सङ्गः attachment? अस्तु let (there) be? अकर्मणि in inaction.Commentary 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.