Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingकर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि
karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaYour right is only to act, not to the results. Do not be the cause of the results of action. Do not have any inclination towards inaction.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
कर्म करने मात्र में तुम्हारा अधिकार है? फल में कभी नहीं। तुम कर्मफल के हेतु वाले मत होना और अकर्म में भी तुम्हारी आसक्ति न हो।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiकर्मण्ये वाधि कारस्ते
मा फलेषु कदा चन
मा कर्म फल हेतुर् भूः
मा ते सङ्गोऽस् त्व कर्मणि
॥ ४७ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthakarmaṇiin prescribed duties
evaonly
adhikāraḥright
teyour
mānot
phaleṣhuin the fruits
kadāchanaat any time
mānever
karma-phalaresults of the activities
hetuḥcause
bhūḥbe
mānot
teyour
saṅgaḥattachment
astumust be
akarmaṇiin inaction
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA2.47What exactly is Arjuna's right — and what is emphatically not?
Your right is only to act, not to the results. Do not be the cause of the results of action. Do not have any inclination towards inaction.
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.