Chapter 2, Verse 47
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन | मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥४७॥
karmaṇy evādhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana | mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo 'stv akarmaṇi ||47||
Meaning
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
Explanation & Commentary
This is the most famous verse of the Bhagavad Gita — perhaps the most frequently quoted verse in all of Indian philosophical literature. In four lines, Krishna articulates a teaching that has the power to transform every aspect of how we work, relate, and live.
Let us unpack the four statements Krishna makes:
1. 'You have a right to perform your prescribed duties' — Your domain of authority is the quality of your action, your effort, your integrity, your skill, your dedication. These are within your control.
2. 'You are not entitled to the fruits of your actions' — The results of your actions depend on many factors beyond your control: other people, timing, circumstances, karma. Claiming 'entitlement' to outcomes that are not entirely yours to determine creates suffering.
3. 'Never consider yourself the cause of the results' — This is the subtler teaching: even when your action leads directly to a result, you are not the ultimate cause. The universe, with all its interconnected factors, is the cause. Reducing this complexity to 'I did it' is a form of ego inflation.
4. 'Never be attached to inaction' — The teaching is not an excuse for passivity. Doing nothing because you fear failure is also a choice — and a poor one. The antidote to attachment to outcomes is not withdrawal from action, but action performed with inner freedom.
The practical application of this teaching is revolutionary. Imagine approaching every project, every relationship, every creative endeavor with full effort and genuine care — but without the anxiety of outcome-attachment. This is not indifference; it is the highest form of professionalism. You bring everything you have to the work and release what happens next.
💡 Key Takeaway
Give your best to every action, but release your grip on the results — this is the formula for both excellence and inner peace.
Related Verses
श्रीभगवानुवाच कुतस्त्वा कश्मलमिदं विषमे समुपस्थितम् । अनार्यजुष्टमस्वर्ग्यमकीर्तिकरमर्जुन ॥२-२॥
śrī bhagavān uvāca kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṃ viṣame samupasthitam | anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam akīrti-karam arjuna ||2-2||
The Supreme Lord said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you at this critical moment? This is not befitting a man who knows what is valuable in life. It does not lead to higher planets but to infamy.
क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते । क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप ॥२-३॥
klaibyaṃ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha naitat tvayy upapadyate | kṣudraṃ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṃ tyaktvottiṣṭha parantapa ||2-3||
Do not yield to this unmanliness, O Partha. It does not befit you. Shake off this faint-heartedness and arise, O scorcher of enemies.
अर्जुन उवाच कथं भीष्ममहं सङ्ख्ये द्रोणं च मधुसूदन । इषुभिः प्रतियोत्स्यामि पूजार्हावरिसूदन ॥२-४॥
arjuna uvāca kathaṃ bhīṣmam ahaṃ saṅkhye droṇaṃ ca madhusūdana | iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi pūjārhāv arisūdana ||2-4||
Arjuna said: O Madhusudana, how can I counterattack with arrows in battle against Bhishma and Drona, who are worthy of my worship, O destroyer of enemies?