Of the 700 verses in the Bhagavad Gita, none has been quoted more often, referenced more widely, or transformed more lives than Chapter 2, Verse 47. From corporate boardrooms to meditation retreats, from ancient ashrams to modern self-help books, this verse appears everywhere because it addresses the most universal human problem: anxiety about outcomes.
Think about the last time you were paralyzed by fear of failure. Or the last time you couldn't enjoy success because you were already worrying about losing it. Or when you procrastinated because the task seemed too overwhelming. This verse offers a complete solution to all three problems in just four lines.
What makes 2.47 extraordinary is its psychological precision. It doesn't just offer spiritual platitudes—it provides an actionable framework for karma yoga that remains as relevant in 2025 as it was 5,000 years ago when Krishna spoke it to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Transliteration: karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana | mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo 'stv akarmaṇi ||
To truly understand this verse, we need to examine each Sanskrit word. The precision of Krishna's language reveals depths that translations often miss.
The locative case indicates that our domain of authority is within action itself—the process, the effort, the doing. Not before it (planning outcomes) or after it (claiming results). Our legitimate space is the action itself.
This small word is crucial. It's emphatic and exclusive—your right exists only in action. This single word eliminates any claim to results. Many translations omit it, but "eva" is the key that unlocks the verse.
Not just permission but legitimate authority. You are qualified and authorized to act. This counters Arjuna's paralysis—he had been questioning whether he should act at all. Krishna affirms: you have the right to act.
Personal and direct. This teaching isn't abstract philosophy—it's aimed directly at you, the individual facing action in the world.
Mā is a strong negative (never, not at all). Phaleṣu means "in the fruits/results." Kadācana adds "at any time, ever." The prohibition is absolute: you never have rights over outcomes.
Don't consider yourself the hetu (cause, reason, motive) of results. This is subtle: even when outcomes occur, don't claim authorship. Results arise from countless factors beyond individual control.
The final instruction prevents misunderstanding. Sanga (attachment) to akarmaṇi (inaction) is also forbidden. Detachment from results doesn't mean avoiding action altogether.
Krishna packs four distinct teachings into this single verse. Each addresses a different psychological trap that prevents effective action:
This counters paralysis and self-doubt. Arjuna was questioning whether he should fight at all. Many people similarly freeze when facing difficult decisions, questioning their right to act. Krishna affirms: you are authorized to perform your duty. Stop doubting and start doing.
Modern application: When you hesitate to start a business, apply for a job, or have a difficult conversation—remember you have the right to try. Your qualification comes from your willingness to act, not from guaranteed success.
This counters anxiety and outcome-obsession. We suffer not because we work hard but because we're attached to specific outcomes. When you work for results, you're actually working for future anxiety—because results are never fully in your control.
This doesn't mean "don't care about quality" or "don't have goals." It means: invest fully in excellent action, then release your grip on how things turn out. As the Gita teaches about success, true achievement comes from this paradox of caring deeply while holding loosely.
This counters ego inflation and deflation. When we succeed, ego claims: "I did it." When we fail, ego despairs: "I'm worthless." Both are distortions. Results arise from countless factors—your effort, others' cooperation, timing, circumstances, and forces beyond understanding.
The Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 elaborates that the three gunas of nature actually perform all actions. Recognizing this truth produces both humility in success and resilience in failure.
This counters escapism and spiritual bypassing. Some misinterpret detachment as an excuse to avoid challenging situations. "If results don't matter, why bother?" But Krishna explicitly forbids attachment to inaction. You must act—just without clinging to outcomes.
This is why karma yoga is called the yoga of action, not the yoga of withdrawal. The goal is engaged detachment, not passive indifference.
Verse 2.47 isn't arbitrary spiritual advice—it's grounded in deep philosophical insight about the nature of action and results.
Every result depends on an infinite web of causes. Your actions are one factor among thousands. The economy, weather, other people's decisions, historical events, and countless unseen forces all shape outcomes. Claiming ownership of results is like a single wave claiming ownership of the ocean's movement.
Results exist in the future; action exists now. When you work for results, your mind leaves the present moment and travels to an imagined future. This splits your attention, reduces your effectiveness, and guarantees anxiety. Being fully present in action produces both better work and less suffering.
Actions motivated by desire for specific results create binding karma. Actions performed as duty, as offering, as worship—without personal claim—create no bondage. This is the teaching of verse 3.9: work done as sacrifice liberates; work done for self binds.
Counterintuitively, releasing attachment to results often improves outcomes. Athletes call this "being in the zone"—a state of complete absorption in the activity without self-conscious monitoring. Musicians, artists, and peak performers all describe the same phenomenon. The discipline of non-attachment creates the conditions for excellence.
Correction: It teaches not to be attached to outcomes—a crucial difference. You can care deeply about doing excellent work, set meaningful goals, and hope for good results. What you release is the demand that results conform to your expectations, and the emotional turbulence when they don't.
Correction: The opposite is true. Your authority lies in action—so invest fully in the quality of your effort. The verse doesn't say "act carelessly." It says focus entirely on what you control (the action) rather than what you don't (the results). This usually produces better work, not worse.
Correction: Krishna teaches this to Arjuna—a warrior about to fight a battle, not a renunciate in a cave. This is practical wisdom for people engaged in worldly activities. The dharma of householders, professionals, and active citizens can all be performed with this attitude.
Correction: You can set goals and plan strategically while practicing 2.47. Goals provide direction; plans organize effort. What changes is your relationship to outcomes—you pursue goals without being psychologically dependent on achieving them exactly as imagined.
Focus on producing excellent work rather than obsessing about promotions, recognition, or competitor comparisons. Ironically, this often accelerates career success because your energy goes into actual performance rather than political maneuvering and anxiety management. See our guide on Gita wisdom for success.
Love fully while releasing attachment to how others respond. You can offer care, kindness, and support without demanding specific reactions. This creates space for genuine connection rather than transactional exchange. Explore more in relationships wisdom from the Gita.
Exercise and eat well because it's the right thing to do, not because you're obsessed with specific numbers on a scale or measurements. Focus on consistent practice rather than destination fixation. The Gita's health teachings elaborate on this balanced approach.
Create because you must express, not because you need validation. This releases the creative blocks that come from fear of criticism or failure. The work becomes purer when it's not distorted by outcome anxiety.
Do your best to nurture, guide, and support your children without attachment to them becoming exactly what you envision. They have their own svadharma. Your job is to provide love and guidance; their job is to live their own lives. More wisdom in our parenting guidance page.
"Karmanye vadhikaraste" literally translates to "In action alone is your right/authority." The Sanskrit breaks down as: karmaṇi (in action) + eva (only/alone) + adhikāraḥ (right, authority) + te (your). This establishes that our legitimate domain of control is limited to the action itself.
Fatalism says "nothing I do matters, so why try?" Verse 2.47 says the opposite: "Your actions matter tremendously—so act with full commitment!" The verse affirms human agency in action while acknowledging that results involve factors beyond individual control. It's engaged action without ego, not passive resignation.
Absolutely. Competition is actually where this teaching shines. Athletes who focus only on their performance (not the scoreboard) typically perform better. Focus on executing your best effort; let the comparison sort itself out. You control your preparation and performance—not your competitors' abilities or the judges' decisions.
You can appreciate good outcomes without ego-inflation. The difference is between "This went well, I'm grateful" and "I'm a genius who made this happen." Similarly, when things don't go well: "This didn't work out, let me learn from it" versus "I'm a failure." Verse 2.56 describes this equanimity further.
Start with small daily tasks. Before beginning any activity, consciously set the intention: "I will do my best; the results are not mine to control." When you catch yourself anxiously projecting outcomes, return attention to the present action. Over time, this becomes natural. The self-discipline teachings support this practice.
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