कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ।। २-४७ ।।

karmaṇy-evādhikāras-te mā phaleṣu kadācana |
mā karma-phala-hetur-bhūr-mā te saṅgo’stv-akarmaṇi || 2.47 ||

Karmayoga aphorisms

In the first quarter, namely “te adhikarah karmani eva”, Krishna says that Arjuna’s spiritual fitness is only for taking up the karmayoga pursuit, and not the exclusive wisdom pursuit, called jnana nishtha. Why does Krishna pinpoint like this?

In the earlier verse he has indicated how deep and wholesome is the self-sufficiency brought about by spiritual wisdom. On listening to this, not only Arjuna but any one else would feel inspired to take up the exclusive wisdom pursuit and achieve spiritual fulfilment without tottering in the world through karmic involvement. But any such thought, view or assessment would be gravely wrong, says Krishna. Any sadhana will first of all have to conform to one’s nature and tendencies. The saadhaka comes first and only then his saadhana can follow. In selecting the saadhana, one has to be very thoughtful and considerate that no conflict with his own nature is allowed to creep in. Gita’s warning in this regard is unmistakable.

Arjuna had come to the battlefield with the preparation and resolve to fight and win. The royal traits of adventure and ambition, coupled with a strong note of the kingly responsibility to the society in the matter of ensuring order and peace, were quite pronounced in him. Though in different manners, most people of any society carry similar notes, the impulsions of rajoguna. For any one of them to think of leaving suddenly the active life and engaging fully in a contemplative life will be disharmonious and even harmful.

Listening to the greatness of wisdom pursuit, none should feel tempted to rush into a full contemplative life. To drive this point home Krishna states, “Your competence is only for karmayoga (and not for jnana sadhana)”. Adhikarah means ‘competence’. It refers to the qualification or ripeness or deservingness of a person. Generally the word is translated as “right”, and the phrase is given the meaning “ your right is only to work” (karmani means ‘in work’, and not ‘to work’). Adhikarah is a spiritual concept. Adhikari-bhedah is a very common expression. While exposing spiritual wisdom, whether the seeker or listener is an adhikari for it is a very important consideration which the exponent is supposed to take up first. So, many teachers had occasion to refuse a specific tuition to some on the ground that such tuition when imparted, would become disharmonious and harmful for the recipient as well as others.

The word adhikara is used in such a context. But alas, people have translated the phrase as “one’s right is only to work”, and moreover, they extend the word ‘right’ to the next line also, which is even more dangerous. “Ma phaleshu kadacana” is thus explained as “ your right is never to the fruits of actions”. 

“Ma phaleshu kadacana” are words which do not allow such a meaning at all. The first proposition is an independent and complete statement: Arjuna’s competence is only to take up the karma-nishtha, as different from jnananishtha. This much is the message and verdict conveyed in the first quarter. 

Naturally this means that he should think of taking up the karma-nishtha. Will not such karmic involvement deny him the spiritual benefit and evolution, becomes a relevant thought. Krishna clarifies the point by saying “ma phaleshu kadacana”. “Ma” means “do not” or “let not be”. “phaleshu” means: in fruits or results. “Kadacana” means ‘at no time’. What should not be at any time in the results? The word to be provided here is ‘sangah’. Sanga means identification or attachment born out of delusion.

If Arjuna’s natural tendencies and qualities do not allow him to leave karmas and take up exclusive jnana-nishtha and therefore his pursuit can only be in doing work, a question becomes imperative: Will not the activities bind and torment his mind? What should be done to safeguard against such assaults?

Krishna gives the second formula to meet the point. Karma as such causes no problem or torment. Only the mental sanga towards the results of karma creates bondage. Sanga is not to the karma as such, but only to the results it fetches. To avoid sanga means to bring about a thorough change in the vision and understanding about karma and its purpose. Thus the third quarter stipulates a new formula:

Ma karma-phalahetur-bhooh – Do not become one for whom only the external result of karma becomes the cause for doing work. Generally the results karma promises, alone are the motivation for taking up the karma. This is a very limited and even wrong point of view, says Krishna. The place and purpose of karma are much loftier and more comprehensive. You have to think seriously about them and arrive at the right point of view.

To be doing work just to enjoy as well as suffer the objective results they bring, will be to reduce, in effect, the great human life to a mere animal level.

Karmas are not just the means to get at some perishable external results. What is a karma? It is but an expression of the karta, the doer. The doer is a subject personality. Karmas are but the piecemeal, transitory, efforts which the subject doer makes from time to time. What is the ultimate effect these karmas are then expected to bring about for him, in him, the doer?

To do karmas, to adhere to the laws of nature in this regard, is but to integrate the mind and buddhi of the performer with a view to achieve expansion and refinement; it is to gain verily the spiritual wisdom and the lasting fulfillment it fetches. This is what Krishna explained throughout the Sankhya exposition.

If our life meant only the body and nothing beyond in the way of subject, then external karmas and results would have been rather sufficient. But this is not the case. So, Krishna exhorts Arjuna to think of the greater purpose than the perishable results of karmas, and relate matters to subject, the spirit, that every one is. It is such higher vision that leads one and guides him to the Yogabuddhi which Krishna explains better in the next verse and again throughout the dialogue.

Now we go to the fourth aphorism: “Ma te sangah astu akarmani ––do not get attached to inaction.” Inactivity or idleness and the tendency to avoid or escape external involvements should never be encouraged. Every creature on earth is active in one way or another. The animals and birds prey and collect their food, for which regular exertion is necessary.

Our birth in the world with body, mind and intelligence is a clear call for activity and dynamic pursuits. Arjuna’s thought of leaving the warfield and taking up sannyasa was not at all right. In reality, he initially wanted to escape the confrontation, which his mind was unable to accept or harmonize. Whatever be the difficulty or hindrance in doing a work that has naturally come upon, it should be faced and redressed as far as possible by right evaluation and action. Mind’s problem has to be solved by the buddhi’s vision. Thus, resolve the crisis, remove the difficulty and go ahead with the work. There is no question of leaving work or being idle.

After upholding in very conclusive terms the supremacy of spiritual wisdom in fulfilling human life (5.46), Krishna emphatically urges Arjuna not to make the mistake of choosing the exclusive wisdom pursuit straightaway. He advises him to take up karma-nishtha instead, for that alone would suit his nature. But in doing karma, he should ensure that his mind does not suffer from any torment or addiction caused by the object results that follow. For this, Krishna cautions that the results as such should not be the motivation at any time for doing work. Work and one’s involvement in it have to be always viewed from a more fundamental standpoint. At the same time, idleness or inaction should not also become one’s refuge in any circumstance.

To practise Karmayoga is to understand this fourfold principle well and then to make a wholesome effort to apply it in practice everywhere.