Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga, verse 47
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥
Say itkarmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi
Translation
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.
Swami Sivananda
Your right is only to act, not to the results. Do not be the cause of the results of action. Do not have any inclination towards inaction.
Swami Gambirananda
Follows the commentary of Shankara (Advaita).
You have the right to work alone, but not to the fruits of it. Do not be driven by the results of your work, nor have attachment to inaction.
Swami Adidevananda
Follows the commentary of Ramanuja (Vishishtadvaita).
Let your claim rest on action alone and never on the fruits; you should never be the cause of the fruits of action; let not your attachment be to inaction.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
Follows the commentary of Abhinavagupta (Kashmir Shaivism).
But you have only the right to work, but none to the fruit of it. Let not the fruit of your action be your motive; nor be you enamored of inaction.
Shri Purohit Swami
कर्तव्य-कर्म करनेमें ही तेरा अधिकार है, फलोंमें कभी नहीं। अतः तू कर्मफलका हेतु भी मत बन और तेरी अकर्मण्यतामें भी आसक्ति न हो।
Swami Ramsukhdas
कर्म करने मात्र में तुम्हारा अधिकार है? फल में कभी नहीं। तुम कर्मफल के हेतु वाले मत होना और अकर्म में भी तुम्हारी आसक्ति न हो।
Swami Tejomayananda
Classical commentariesFor deeper study. Most are in the original Sanskrit.
Advaita
Non-dual: the self and the absolute are one.
Vishishtadvaita
Qualified non-dual: souls are real parts of the divine.
Dvaita
Dual: the soul and God are eternally distinct.
Shuddhadvaita
Pure non-dual, centred on grace and devotion.
Kashmir Shaivism
The Gita read through Trika Shaiva philosophy.
Modern teachers
20th-century teachers writing for today's readers.
Verse map
How this verse connects to feelings, situations, ideas and other verses. Hover or tap to see why; these links are drafts awaiting review.