Bhagavad Gita 2.47: effort, outcomes and responsibility
When we care about our work, it is easy to confuse doing it sincerely with controlling everything that follows. Bhagavad Gita 2.47 offers a passage to study when thinking about this tension.
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Production preview: AI-assisted narration and nature imagery, with an original gentle flute accompaniment. Sanskrit-name and recitation pronunciation review remains pending. The finished course will retain source and correction notes.
The shloka
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥
karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana
mā karmaphalahetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stv akarmaṇi
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The source and its setting
Paraphrase: Krishna instructs Arjuna to fulfil his duty without attachment to the fruits of action, while also warning against attachment to inaction. This summary follows A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda's edition. Read the full verse, translation and commentary to see the wording and interpretive context. Our practical examples below are our own reflections, not translations of the verse.
Non-attachment is not carelessness
Modern reflection: imagine preparing a meal for somebody you care about. You can choose ingredients attentively, consider their needs and serve it with warmth. You cannot require them to feel exactly what you hoped they would feel. Their response may still teach you something useful. Caring about the work and learning from feedback can coexist with releasing the demand for praise.
The same distinction can help at work. A thoughtful presentation requires preparation, clarity and honesty. If it does not persuade the audience, examine what can improve. Releasing your demand for a particular response does not remove the need to correct an error or honour a commitment.
Try a two-column reflection
Choose one task you are postponing because its result feels uncertain. On one side of a page, list what you can do: prepare, ask a question, check the facts, practise or apologise. On the other, note what depends on other people or circumstances. Choose a small action from the first column and complete it with attention.
Afterward, review the outcome without using it as a final judgement on your value. Was the action honest? Was it appropriate? What did you learn? What remains your responsibility? These questions keep the exercise connected to care rather than indifference.
Keep the question open
A short article cannot settle every question about karma yoga. Read the surrounding teaching and consult a trusted teacher for deeper study. Start with our Bhagavad Gita reading guide, or pair your reading with a brief stillness practice. Our source policy explains the distinction between scriptural material and modern reflection.