Om Namo Bagavathe Vasudevaaya
2nd Chapter – sānkhya yoga
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोस्त्वकर्मणि ॥ ४७॥
karmaṇyevādhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana |
mā karmaphalaheturbhūrmā te saṅgostvakarmaṇi || 47 ||
Meaning: One has a choice only in taking action but not to the result. Don’t take the ownership of result and at the same time don’t be inactive.
कर्मणि/ karmaṇi – in action; एव/ eva – Only; अधिकारह्/ adhikārah- Choice; मा कदाचन/ mā kadācana- never; फलेसु/ phalesu- in the results; कर्मफलह्हेतुः/ karmaphalahhetuḥ – the cause of the results; मा भूः/ mā bhūḥ – do not be; अकर्मणि/ akarmaṇi- in inaction; सङ्गः/ saṅgah – association; मा अस्तु/mā astu – let it not be
Explanation: One of the important shlokas of Srimad Bagavad Gita, which is very often quoted and one of the shlokas where one has to understand it correctly. This is the shloka which defines Karma Yoga.
We will see what Karma Yoga is once again.
KARMA – Proper Action; YOGA – Proper Attitude
What is proper action?
Increasing selfless actions, reducing selfish actions and avoiding forbidden actions will constitute proper action.
What is proper attitude?
Recognize the hand of divine while doing the action and while receiving the result and lead a life where one brings in the Lord in and through every aspect of life.
In this shloka, Bagavan is telling one has a choice only to do action and not for the result. Let us understand the statement.
When we have completed the action, the result produced by that action, can’t be controlled by the person taking the action. Why? Consider this, once the arrow is shot from the bow, the arrow can’t be brought back to the stage before it was shot from the bow. There is no “undo” step available for erasing the action taken. Shooting the arrow will bring the result associated with the action. Whether it hits the target or kills an innocent being, nothing can be done and one has to accept the result comes along with it. With the arrow analogy, I am reminded of our 2 great epics Ramayan and Mahabarath, where we have both King Dasaratha and King Paandu in the receiving end.
Once the action is taken, there would be 4 types of result possible for any action. They are,
- More than what is expected;
- Less than what is expected;
- Equal to what is expected;
- Something totally different.
However, there is a choice available before taking any action. One can spend enough time in preparation and planning before taking any action but once taken the action will produce any of the above result on which one doesn’t have any control.
As one doesn’t have the control on the result, then logically where he has control is in exercising the choice of action, which is what is highlighted by the Lord that one has the control/choice in action.
Further the Lord adds that one should not be taking the action driven by the result. This statement of the Lord will pose lots of questions to us. How can we do action without getting motivated by the result? We can look at this as follows: What really the Lord is telling here is, getting hooked up on a result will influence the quality of the action taken. Anxiety will take over and the faculties will not be available fully to perform the action properly. If one is hung up on striking a deal in business and if he puts full focus only on getting the deal, such thinking will push him to be anxious and cloud his intellect, where he can miss couple of steps while taking the action of striking the deal. In the process what will also happen is, the planning for taking the action may not be proper.
The key to learn here is one should be motivated by the result, but should not become a hostage of the result. Instead, one should focus on the planning before taking the action and the execution of the action. After that one should not be worried about the result and one should become prepared to receive whatever may be the result.
Another angle, Lord is highlighting here is, when he says, that don’t be motivated by the result, we have to ask the question when we will not be motivated by the result? If the action what we are doing is not out of likes and dislikes and when the action is done because it is the duty then one won’t be clouded by the result. This means, selfless actions need not be influenced by the results.
Bottom line, is one has choice in action, that is planning for it and executing it. However, doesn’t have the choice in result because logically speaking there are no factors which an individual can influence. One should set to perform action by getting motivated by result as it would cloud the intellect.
We will see further points on this shloka in the next post as well.
Hari: Om
Srimad Bhagavad Gita 