कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥
karmaṇyevādhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana |mā karmaphalaheturbhūrmā te saṅgo'stvakarmaṇi ||
You have a right to action alone, never to its fruits. Do not let the fruit of action be your motive, and do not let yourself become attached to inaction.
Explanation
Krishna is advising Arjuna, who hesitates to fight, to focus on doing his duty (karma, action) rather than on the results, which depend on many factors beyond one's control. He also warns against withdrawing into inaction (akarma) out of attachment (saṅga) to comfort or fear. Traditions differ on emphasis: some read this as the foundation of selfless action (karma yoga), while others stress that it prepares the mind for knowledge.