Karmaṇye Vādhikāraste — You Have the Right to Action, Not the Fruits
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते
Bhagavad Gītā 2.47 · Most Famous Sanskrit Verse
Source: Bhagavad Gītā 2.47 — Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna
Key Points to Remember
- ▸कर्मणि एव — "in action ONLY" — "eva" restricts the right to action, not results
- ▸मा — prohibitive particle; "do not" (different from mā = mother)
- ▸सङ्ग = attachment — the Gītā's central term for what causes suffering
- ▸Two negations: (1) don't crave results; (2) don't embrace inaction — the middle path
The Verse
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥
karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana | mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo 'stv akarmaṇi ||
Your right is to action alone, never to its fruits. Let not the fruit of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.
— Bhagavad Gītā 2.47
Word-by-Word Meaning
| Sanskrit | Transliteration | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| कर्मणि | karmaṇi | in action, in the act of doing | karma (action — from √kṛ, to do) — Saptamī (locative): "in action" |
| एव | eva | only, alone, indeed (emphasis) | an indeclinable (avyaya) — the most philosophically important word in the verse; many translators miss it |
| अधिकारः | adhikāraḥ | right, authority, entitlement | adhi (over) + kāra (making, from √kṛ) — "authority over something" |
| ते | te | your (to you) | yuṣmad — 2nd person pronoun, Ṣaṣṭhī (genitive): "belonging to you" |
| मा | mā | do not (negation in imperative) | mā — a prohibitive particle (not the same as "mā" meaning mother); avyaya |
| फलेषु | phaleṣu | in the fruits, in the results | phala (fruit, result) — Saptamī plural: "in the fruits" |
| कदाचन | kadācana | at any time, ever | kadā (when) + cana (emphatic) — "never at any time" (with mā) |
| हेतुः | hetuḥ | cause, motive, reason | √hi (to impel, to send) — "what impels one forward" |
| सङ्गः | saṅgaḥ | attachment, clinging, association | sam + √gam/√añj (to attach, to join) — the Gita's key concept: attachment as the root of suffering |
| अकर्मणि | akarmaṇi | in inaction | a (not) + karma + Saptamī — "in non-action, in inaction" |
The word "eva" (only) after "karmaṇi" is the most important word. It restricts: your right is to action ONLY — not to results. Kṛṣṇa gives Arjuna two prohibitions: (1) do not be motivated by results; (2) do not be attached to inaction (laziness is also wrong).
Exercises (3)
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Identify the vibhakti (case) of each word
1. कर्मणि (karmaṇi) is in _______ vibhakti. (Hint: it means "in action" — location)
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Saptamī (7th) — locative
2. फलेषु (phaleṣu) is in _______ vibhakti. (Hint: it means "in the fruits" — location)
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Saptamī (7th) — locative plural
3. ते (te) here is in _______ vibhakti. (Hint: "your right" — possession)
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Ṣaṣṭhī (6th) — genitive
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct answer
1. Which word in the verse is described as "the most important word many translators miss"?
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एव
2. The verse gives Arjuna two "mā" (do not) instructions. Which of these is NOT one of them?
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Do not fight in the battle
3. "Saṅgaḥ" means attachment. In the Bhagavad Gītā, attachment is described as the cause of:
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Suffering (duḥkha)
Exercise 3: Short Answer
Understand the philosophy
1. The verse says: do not be motivated by results, but also do not be attached to inaction. In your own words, what should a student's attitude toward studying be, based on this verse?
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2. "Karma" comes from √kṛ (to do). What is the difference between karma (action) and karma-phala (fruit of action)? Give an example.
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