Understanding Bhagavad Gita 2.46, 2.47

Question

Bhagwad Gita in Chapter-2 Verse-46,47 says ...

You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, But you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.

O Dhananjay (Winner of Wealth), perform action, abandoning attachment, beaing steadfast in yog, and balanced is success and failure. Evenness of mind is called Yog.

My question is how can we perform actions without expecting results, when it's the result who will decide our fate?

Answer 1

There are two paths open to every human being as expounded by the Vedas. One path is for those who want to reap the fruits of their actions, this is the path of the fathers. By rightful living one can gain wealth in this life as well as heaven after death. Krishna expounds on this path to Arjuna in verses 31-38. On this path, after reaping the fruits of the karma generated in heaven, one is born again in the world.

In verses 39-72 (and verses 46-47 you referenced) Krishna now expounds the second path open to human beings outlined in the Vedas, the path to Brahmaloka, to Liberation. These verses explain the path of yoga which is the means to attain Liberation and the ending of the rounds of ceaseless birth and death.

It is up to you whether you want to follow the path of yoga or not. The Vedas and the Gita also show the other path that is open to human birth - gains in this world and in the various heavens. It is entirely up to you which you want to follow.

Up to you, but as Lord Krishna explains in verses 42-44, the path that leads to pleasure and power only promise rebirths, which is an endless rathole.

One does not get over the feeling of attachments to such things as success and failure, etc. by wishing it away overnight. It takes daily practice and daily endeavor. Only with sustained daily practice does it go away. Vyasa says repetition is necessary to attain perfection. When you travel from Delhi to Mumbai, the farther away you get from Delhi, the closer you get to Mumbai. The more you practice spiritual practices, the farther away will the feelings of success and failure become.

Stop worrying whether you have the feelings of success and failure. Practice spiritual practices daily, they will give you up when the time is ripe.

Answer 2

Gita advocates 4 paths in spirituality that are Gyana, Raja, Karma and Bhakti Yoga based on the 4 varnas/dishas/directions that were created by God initially based on Nirguna Purusha and Triguna Prakriti out of which is dominant in all the souls, which are

Gyana Yoga for Nirguna (consciousness in Soul/Purusha)

Raja Yoga for Satva Guna (consciousness in Intellect)

Karma Yoga for Rajas Guna (consciousness in Mind)

Bhakti Yoga for Tamas Guna (consciousness in Body)

All paths in spirituality lead to same fruit. These paths also translates to 4 yugas/varnas which are Nirguna Satyuga(Brahmin), Satva Treta(Kshatriya), Rajas Dvapra(Vaishya) and Tamas Kaliyuga(Shudra). Since, its kaliyuga, age of Tamas and ignorance, Bhakti is recommended for masses as fruitless action is not possible by majority because mankind of Kaliyuga is unable to understand that soul is the real self, not the body. And renouncing fruits of actions are for those seeking Moksha and self/spirit-realization, not the worldly people who are not yet saturated with matter. Read entire chapter 2 and 3 also.

Bhagavad Gita 2.51 The wise endowed with equanimity of intellect, abandon attachment to the fruits of actions, which bind one to the cycle of life and death. By working in such consciousness, they attain the state beyond all suffering

Bhagavad Gita 2.53 When your intellect ceases to be allured by the fruitive sections of the Vedas and remains steadfast in divine consciousness, you will then attain the state of perfect Yog

Bhagavad Gita 3.22 There is no duty for me to do in all the three worlds, O Parth, nor do I have anything to gain or attain. Yet, I am engaged in prescribed duties.

Bhagavad Gita 3.27 All activities are carried out by the three modes of material nature. But in ignorance, the soul, deluded by false identification with the body, thinks itself to be the doer.

Bhagavad Gita 3.28 O mighty-armed Arjun, illumined persons distinguish the soul as distinct from guṇas and karmas. They perceive that it is only the guṇas (in the shape of the senses, mind, etc.) that move amongst the guṇas (in the shape of the objects of perception), and thus they do not get entangled in them.

Bhagavad Gita 3.29 Those who are deluded by the operation of the guṇas become attached to the results of their actions. But the wise who understand these truths should not unsettle such ignorant people who know very little.

Bhagavad Gita 3.30 Performing all works as an offering unto me, constantly meditate on me as the Supreme. Become free from desire and selfishness, and with your mental grief departed, fight!

When Krishna started discoursing Gita, he started from high note that is Gyana Marg with knowledge of Samkhya, Aatma and Yoga but later realizing Arjuna's inability to understand through Gyana because of Dvapra Yuga, shifted towards advocating simpler Bhakti Marg in later chapters. Mind is what makes an individual, what you think you become.Instincts-ego of mind-body, reasoning of intellect and soul of God co-exist in every individual for the same reason i.e. truth.

Swami Vivekananda

When you hear a man say "I am inspired," and then talk irrationally, reject it. Why? Because these three states —instinct, reason, and super-consciousness, or the unconscious, conscious and super-conscious states—belong to one and the same mind. There are not three minds in one man, but one state of it develops into the others. Instinct develops into reason, and reason into the transcendental consciousness ; therefore not one of the states contradicts the others. Real inspiration never contradicts reason, but fulfils it. Just as you find the great prophets saying, "I come not to destroy but to fulfil," so inspiration always comes to fulfil reason, and is in harmony with it.

The greatest error is to call a man a weak and miserable sinner. Every time a person thinks in this mistaken manner, he rivets one more link in the chain of avidya that binds him, adds one more layer to the “self-hypnotism” that lies heavy over his mind

Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin — to say that you are weak, or others are weak.

Hold to the idea, “I am not the mind, I see that I am thinking, I am watching my mind act,” and each day the identification of yourself with thoughts and feelings will grow less, until at last you can entirely separate yourself from the mind and actually know it to be apart from yourself.

If you think that you are bound, you remain bound; you make your own bondage. If you know that you are free, you are free this moment. This is knowledge, knowledge of freedom. Freedom is the goal of all nature.

Answer 3

(1) "Karmanyeva-dhikara:ste ma phalesu kadachana"---You have control over your actions , but no control of the fruits of actions.
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction (with some time delay). When you get into some action (karma) , there is bound to be a reaction . But since you are acting on the Universe ,the reaction also comes from the Universe --but with some time delay .Since we know only a small part of the Universe , we believe that the Reactions (Karma Phala) come from this small region --which is only partially true. It is difficult , therefore , to predict with certainty and accuracy, what will be the Reactions (Karma Phala) and when you will receive it .
(2) "Ma Karma phala-hetu:rvu ,Ma te sango:stu-avikarmani" ---Do not act with the hope of a specific reward ,do not get involved in Bad Activities.
We act with the hope of a specific reward. An employee works for an organization , with the hope of getting a salary at the end of the month.There is a high probability that he will get his expected salary at the end of the month --but no one can guarantee it.
Some times you get more than what you have expected ,sometimes less and at other times , the opposite of your expectations.Because of the uncertainty and unpredictability associated with the fruits of actions , it is better to avoid Bad Actions --which are likely to harm you and others .