--> Skip to main content


Karmanye Vadhikaraste Meaning of the Shloka from the Bhagavad Gita

Karmanye Vadhikaraste
ma phaleshu kadachana
Ma karma phala hetur bhur
mate sangostvakarmani" (Bhagavad Gita Chapter II Verse 47)

"You have a right to action alone, never to its fruit. Your motivation should not be fruit of action nor should you be attached to inaction."

“You have the right to work and do good deeds, but never to the results obtained from that effort, ever. Your motive should never be looking towards the results of your actions, nor should you be attached to inaction.”

Sri Krishna’s advice here is a call to man not to waste his present moment in fruitless dreams and fears, but to bring his best – all the best in him – to the present and vitally live every moment, the promise being that the future shall take care of itself and shall provide the Karma Yogin with achievements divine and accomplishments supreme.
(Holy Gita Ready Reference – Chinmaya Mission – page 35)

Who is a real Karma Yogi?
A real Karma Yogi is one who understands:
  • That his/her concern is with action alone;
  • That he/she has not concern with results;
  • That he should not entertain the motive of gaining a fixed fruit for a given action
  • That these ideas do not mean that he should sit back courting inaction.      
 (Holy Gita Ready Reference – Chinmaya Mission – page 35)