Bhagavad Gita 2.47
Focus on action without clinging to the result
Sankhya Yoga · Knowledge and Discernment
Original Sanskrit
Bhagavad Gita verse 2.47 in Sanskrit
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥२.४७॥
karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stv akarmaṇi
Plain-language meaning
What the verse says
Your sphere of choice is the action you undertake, not complete control over its outcome. Do not make the reward your only reason for acting, and do not use uncertainty about results as a reason to avoid necessary action.
Context in the dialogue
Arjuna is paralysed by the consequences he imagines. Krishna redirects him from control of the future toward clarity about present duty. The verse holds two cautions together: loosen the demand for a particular result, but do not retreat into inaction.
Key Sanskrit terms
- karmaṇi
- in action or duty
- adhikāraḥ
- scope, authority, or responsibility
- phaleṣu
- in the fruits or results
- saṅgaḥ
- attachment or clinging
- akarmaṇi
- inaction
Reflection for daily life
Practice the principle
Choose the next responsible action, define what preparation is within your control, and let the outcome remain open. Detachment here is not indifference; it is full effort without making one result the condition for acting well.