Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 2 › Verse 47
Bhagavad Gītā 2.47: Do your best
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥
karmaṇyevādhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana
mā karmaphalaheturbhūrmā te saṅgo'stvakarmaṇi
Recitation: NehalDaveND (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0, adapted, original recording
Meaning
You have a claim on action alone, never on its fruits. Do not let the fruit of action be your motive, and do not become attached to inaction. This verse is central to the Gītā’s teaching on karma-yoga; traditions differ in how they relate it to devotion and knowledge.
For children
Krishna tells Arjuna: “Your job is to try your very best. You don’t have to worry about winning or getting a prize. And don’t give up trying, either!”
On the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Arjuna is overwhelmed and does not want to fight. Kṛṣṇa, his friend and charioteer, explains how to act with a steady mind.
Word by word
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते — Your part is the action itself
- karman: action, work
- eva: only, indeed
- adhikāra: right, rightful share
- te: your
मा फलेषु कदाचन — never the results
- mā: not, never
- phala: fruit, result
- kadācana: at any time
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर् — do not act only for the reward
- karmaphala: the fruit of action
- hetu: cause, motive
- bhūḥ: be, become
मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि — and do not cling to doing nothing
- saṅga: attachment, clinging
- akarman: not acting, inaction
Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse. The Sanskrit is checked against four editions; meanings and word notes are simple learning aids written for MahaPrabha Gurukul, awaiting review by a Sanskrit teacher.