Bhagavad Gita 2.47
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥
karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana | mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo 'stv akarmaṇi ||
“You have a right to action alone, never to its fruits. Do not let the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.”- anxiety
- career
- results
- control
- expectation
What this verse is about
This verse speaks to anxiety about outcomes and what is yet to come, decisions about work, calling, and livelihood, and the pull to control how things turn out.
✦ Contemplation
Most of your pain today will not come from what you do. It will come from how tightly you are holding how it should turn out.
✦ A small practice
Do one task well today. Then let go of what happens next.
Chapter 2
The Yoga of KnowledgeSāṅkhya Yoga
Krishna introduces the deathless Self, the duty of action, and the ideal of a mind that stays steady through pleasure and pain.
Dilemmas this verse speaks to
Questions real people carry that this verse has something to say about.
What should I do when I feel confused about my career?
You’re not stuck, you’re just unclear.
Read reflection ›
Why do I get angry so easily over small things?
The reaction feels bigger than the situation.
Read reflection ›
Why do I overthink everything and how can I stop?
Your mind won’t slow down, even when nothing is wrong.
Read reflection ›
Deeper reflections
Sit with this verse a little longer.
Ask Dharma how this verse might land in your own life, and receive a calm, verse-grounded reflection.
Ask Dharma about 2.47