Bhagavad Gita 2.47: Krishna On Duty Without Attachment

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On September 18, 2025

Context: Krishna’s counsel on the battlefield

The instruction commonly summarised as “perform duty without attachment” appears in the Bhagavad Gītā, presented as a dialogue between Krishna and the warrior Arjuna on the field of Kurukṣetra. Faced with a moral crisis about fighting his kin, Arjuna is taught by Krishna about the nature of action, duty and the proper attitude of the agent. The Gītā frames this teaching in ethical and spiritual language rather than as a simple manual for detachment.

Key Sanskrit terms and their glosses

dharma — ethical duty, social role or righteous conduct.
karma — action or work.
phala — fruit or result (of action).
karma-yoga — the path of selfless action.
samatva — equanimity or balanced mind.
sannyāsa — renunciation (often of fruit or of action itself).

What Krishna actually says — select verses and themes

Several verses give the core message. The most cited is Gītā 2.47: “karmanye vadhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana” — you have a right to perform action, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Other important passages include chapter 3 (on karma-yoga) and chapter 18, where Krishna distinguishes between sannyāsa (renunciation of action) and tyāga (renunciation of attachment to results), favouring action performed with the right attitude.

Krishna does not prescribe inactivity. Rather, he asks Arjuna to perform his dharma as a Kshatriya (warrior) with steadiness of mind and without selfish craving for results. The ideal is not passivity but engaged action accompanied by inner freedom from obsession with gain, hatred or despair.

Core ideas in brief

Right to act, not to outcomes: One should do what duty requires but not cling to outcomes (Gītā 2.47).
Selfless offering: Actions offered to the divine or to the good of others lessen egoistic binding (Gītā 3.9–10, 3.30).
Equanimity (samatva): Success and failure are to be met with steady mind (Gītā 2.48, 2.50).
Knowledge plus action: The Gītā values informed action; understanding reality and self shapes how one acts.
Different from abdication: Renouncing fruits is not the same as renouncing responsibility or ethical care.

How schools and commentators read the teaching

There is interpretive diversity. Classical Vedāntic commentators offer distinct emphases:

In Advaita Vedānta (e.g., Adi Shankaracharya), the teaching supports inner renunciation: one realises the Self as the ultimate substratum and performs action without attachment as an expression of that knowledge.
In Vaiṣṇava readings (e.g., Ramanuja, Madhva), the emphasis is on devotion: action performed as service to Bhagavān, surrendering results to God while remaining in the world.
Modern interpreters (e.g., Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo) read the text pragmatically for social ethics: selfless action as a basis for public life and transformation.

Śaiva and Smārta traditions also draw on the Gītā for ethical instruction, often integrating it with their own practice and metaphysics. The Gītā’s flexibility has allowed multiple readings—ritual, devotional, philosophical—across living traditions.

Practical implications for daily life

The teaching is often applied in practical contexts rather than as exclusive metaphysics. Some practical implications:

Work and vocation: Carry out responsibilities with diligence and competence, but avoid obsessive identification of self-worth with outcomes.
Leadership and governance: Leaders should act for collective welfare, not personal gain, and accept results with equanimity.
Ethical dilemmas: Perform duty after reflection; detachment from results helps reduce fear and greed but does not excuse immoral means.
Service and charity: Service becomes transformative when offered without craving for recognition.

These applications do not require renouncing family life or profession. In many traditional commentaries, engaged householder life performed selflessly is a valid path to spiritual growth.

Common misunderstandings

“Detached” means uncaring: The Gītā’s detachment is inner stability, not indifference to suffering or duty.
“Do anything because you won’t be attached”: Krishna’s instruction does not licence unethical action. Right action in accordance with dharma remains central.
Renunciation as rejection of the world: The Gītā distinguishes renouncing results from renouncing action — many readings privilege active engagement over quietism.

Practical tips and cautions

Practice small acts of offering: when you complete a task, pause to dedicate its result to a larger purpose—this cultivates non-attachment.
Use reflection: before acting, ask whether the means are ethical and whether the motive is self-centred.
Cultivate equanimity through simple practices like measured breathing or mindful pauses; these support steady action (note: if you have respiratory or cardiac conditions consult a medical professional before attempting breathwork).

Conclusion: balance, not escape

Krishna’s instruction to perform duty without attachment is a teaching about balanced engagement: to act decisively and ethically while remaining free from slavish dependence on outcomes. Across schools, commentators agree that the ideal is an informed, morally responsible life guided by inner steadiness. How this is lived varies—with devotion, knowledge, or disciplined practice—but the central moral is consistent: act rightly, offer the fruits, and cultivate equanimity in success and failure.