Chapter 2, Verse 47 (Bhagavad Gita 2.47)
Chapter 2: Sānkhya Yog – Transcendental Knowledge
Sanskrit Shloka
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि
Transliteration
karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi
Word Meanings
karmaṇi—in prescribed duties; eva—only; adhikāraḥ—right; te—your; mā—not; phaleṣhu—in the fruits; kadāchana—at any time; mā—never; karma-phala—results of the activities; hetuḥ—cause; bhūḥ—be; mā—not; te—your; saṅgaḥ—attachment; astu—must be; akarmaṇi—in inaction
Translation
You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.
Meaning & Commentary
This verse addresses the core anxiety of the human condition: our desperate need for control over outcomes. By relinquishing our demand for specific results, we liberate ourselves from the cycle of frustration, disappointment, and ego-driven stress. It teaches that true freedom lies in the purity of the process, shifting our focus from 'what I will get' to 'the excellence of what I do.' When we perform our duties as an offering rather than a transaction, we transcend the duality of success and failure. Ultimately, it encourages a state of dynamic engagement where we act with full commitment while remaining internally unshackled by the potential consequences.