Chapter 2 - Verse 47 — Ancient Knowledge

And as for you,

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥ ४७ ॥

karmaṇyevādhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana .
mā karmaphalaheturbhūrmā te saṅgo’stvakarmaṇi .. 47 ..

Thy concern is with action alone, never with results. Let not the fruit of action be thy motive, nor let thy attachment be for inaction.

Read the commentary

You are qualified for works alone, not for the path of knowledge. And then, while doing works, let there be no desire for the results of works under any circumstances whatever. If you should have a thirst for the results of works, you will have to reap those fruits. Therefore let not your motive be the fruits of your action. When a person performs work thirsting for the results of those works, then he will be subject to rebirth as the result of action. Neither may you be attached to inaction, thinking Of what avail are these painful works if their fruits should not be deisred?

If a man should not perform works urged by a desire for their results, how then are they to be performed? The reply follows: