Chapter 2 Overview
Verse 2.49
दूरेण ह्यवरं कर्म बुद्धियोगाद्धनञ्जय। बुद्धौ शरणमन्विच्छ कृपणाः फलहेतवः।।2.49।।
dūreṇa hy-avaraṁ karma buddhi-yogād dhanañjaya buddhau śharaṇam anvichchha kṛipaṇāḥ phala-hetavaḥ
Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 2, Verse 49
0:000:00
Scripture Translation Room
Sanskrit to English Translation
Translator:
Far lower than the Yoga of wisdom is action, O Arjuna. Seek thou refuge in wisdom; wretched are those whose motive is the fruit.
A Reading - Rantideb
Why: calling action without this evenness 'far inferior' targets the anxiety wrapped around the act, not the act itself.
In life: the mental tax of constantly checking whether things are going well is often more exhausting than the work itself.
Teaching: notice how much energy goes into monitoring outcomes versus doing the actual work, and try shifting more of that energy back into the work.
dūreṇa(discrad) from far away
hicertainly
avaraminferior
karmareward-seeking actions
buddhi-yogātwith the intellect established in Divine knowledge
dhanañjayaArjun
buddhaudivine knowledge and insight
śharaṇamrefuge
anvichchhaseek
kṛipaṇāḥmiserly
phala-hetavaḥthose seeking fruits of their work
Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)
Author:
2.49 दूरेण by far? हि indeed? अवरम् inferior? कर्म action or work? बुद्धियोगात् than the Yoga of wisdom? धनञ्जय O Dhananjaya? बुद्धौ in wisdom? शरणम् refuge? अन्विच्छ seek? कृपणाः wretched? फलहेतवः seekers after fruits.Commentary Action done with evenness of mind is Yoga of wisdom. The yogi who is established in the Yoga of widdom is not affected by success or failure. He does not seek fruits of his actions. He has poised reason. His reason is rooted in the Self. Action performed by one who expects fruits for his actions? is far inferior to the Yoga of wisdom wherein the seeker does not seek fruits because the former leads to bondage and is the cause of birth and death. (Cf.VIII.18).