Bhagavad Gita Quotes on Karma and Karm Yog
The Bhagavad Gita, one of the most profound spiritual texts in human history, offers timeless teachings on Karma: our actions, their consequences, and how to live a purposeful life without being bound by results. In the Gita’s dialogue between Shree Krishna and Arjuna, Karma isn’t merely about doing work; it’s about how we act, why we act, and how we relate to the outcomes of our actions.
Aligned with the practical and transformative teachings of Swami Mukundananda, this blog explores up to 10 powerful Gita quotes on karma from Holy‑Bhagavad‑Gita.org, unpacking their deeper meaning and relevance in daily life. Each verse is an invitation to understand how selfless action, intention, and detachment lead to inner freedom.
What Is Karma in the Bhagavad Gita?
Before diving into specific verses, it’s important to understand what karma means in the Gita. Karmas are fruitive activities performed by a person. It is these karmas that forge every individual’s distinct conditions of existence in various lifetimes. They keep the soul circling in samsara or the cycle of material existence.The Gita explains that every action creates an effect: physically, mentally, and spiritually. Yet, the highest spiritual path isn’t defined by action versus inaction, but by attitude toward action.
Rather than withdrawing from life, the Gita teaches Karm Yoga: the yoga of selfless action. This means fulfilling one’s duties with dedication without attachment to fruits, offering every action as a sacred offering to the Divine. This wisdom harmonizes beautifully with Swami Mukundananda’s emphasis on living in the world without being of it, cultivating inner peace and purpose through action rather than avoidance.
1. Bhagavad Gita 2.47
“You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.”
This is an extremely popular verse of the Bhagavad Gita and offers deep insight into the proper spirit of work and is often quoted whenever the topic of karm yog is discussed. The verse gives four instructions regarding the science of work:
1) Do your duty, but do not concern yourself with the results.
2) The fruits of your actions are not for your enjoyment.
3) Even while working, give up the pride of doership.
4) Do not be attached to inaction.
Do your duty, but do not concern yourself with the results. We have the right to do our duty, but the results are not dependent only upon our efforts. A number of factors come into play in determining the results, such as our efforts, destiny (our past karmas), the will of God, the efforts of others, the cumulative karmas of the people involved, the place and situation (a matter of luck), etc. Now if we become anxious for results, we will experience anxiety whenever they are not according to our expectations. So Shree Krishna advises Arjun to give up concern for the results and instead focus solely on doing a good job. The fact is that when we are unconcerned about the results, we are able to focus entirely on our efforts, and the result is even better than before.
The fruits of your actions are not for your enjoyment. To perform actions is an integral part of human nature. Having come into this world, we all have various duties determined by our family situation, social position, occupation, etc. While performing these actions, we must remember that we are not the enjoyers of the results. The results are meant for the pleasure of God. The individual soul is a tiny part of God (verse 15.7), and hence our inherent nature is to serve him through all our actions.
Even while working, give up the pride of doership. Shree Krishna wants Arjun to give up kartritwābhimān, or the ego of being the doer. He instructs Arjun never to chase after preconceived motives attached to his actions nor consider himself as the cause of the results of his actions. However, when we perform actions, then why should we not consider ourselves as the doers of those actions? The reason is that our senses, mind, and intellect are inert; God energizes them with his power and puts them at our disposal. As a result, only with the help of the power we receive from him, are we able to work. For example, the tongs in the kitchen are inactive by themselves, but they get energized by someone’s hand, and then they perform even difficult tasks, such as lifting burning coal, etc. Now if we say that the tongs are the doers of actions, it will be inaccurate. If the hand did not energize them, what would they be able to do? They would merely lie inert on the table. Similarly, if God did not supply our body-mind-soul mechanism with the power to perform actions, we could have done nothing. Thus, we must give up the ego of doing, remembering that God is the only source of the power by which we perform all our actions.
Do not be attached to inaction. Although the nature of the living being is to work, often situations arise where work seems burdensome and confusing. In such cases, instead of running away from it, we must understand and implement the proper science of work, as explained by Shree Krishna to Arjun. However, it is highly inappropriate if we consider work as laborious and burdensome, and resort to inaction. Becoming attached to inaction is never the solution and is clearly condemned by Shree Krishna.
2. Bhagavad Gita 3.4
“One cannot achieve freedom from karmic reactions by merely abstaining from work, nor can one attain perfection of knowledge by mere physical renunciation."
The first line of this verse refers to the karm yogi (follower of the discipline of work), and the second line refers to the sānkhya yogi (follower of the discipline of knowledge).
In the first line, Shree Krishna says that mere abstinence from work does not result in a state of freedom from karmic reactions. The mind continues to engage in fruitive thoughts, and since mental work is also a form of karma, it binds one in karmic reactions, just as physical work does. A true karm yogi must learn to work without any attachment to the fruits of actions. This requires cultivation of knowledge in the intellect. Hence, philosophic knowledge is also necessary for success in karm yog.
In the second line, Shree Krishna declares that the sānkhya yogi cannot attain the state of knowledge merely by renouncing the world and becoming a monk. One may give up the physical objects of the senses, but true knowledge cannot awaken as long as the mind remains impure. The mind has a tendency to repeat its previous thoughts. Such repetition creates a channel within the mind, and new thoughts flow irresistibly in the same direction. Out of previous habit, the materially contaminated mind keeps running in the direction of anxiety, stress, fear, hatred, envy, attachment, and the whole gamut of material emotions. Thus, realized knowledge will not appear in an impure heart by mere physical renunciation. It must be accompanied by congruent action that purifies the mind and intellect. Therefore, action is also necessary for success in sānkhya yog.
It is said that devotion without philosophy is sentimentality, and philosophy without devotion is intellectual speculation. Action and knowledge are necessary in both karm yog and sānkhya yog. It is only their proportion that varies, creating the difference between the two paths.
3. Bhagavad Gita 3.21
“By performing their prescribed duties, King Janak and others attained perfection. You should also perform your duties to set an example for the good of the world. Whatever actions great persons perform, common people follow. Whatever standards they set, all the world pursues.”
King Janak attained perfection through karm yog, while discharging his kingly duties. Even after reaching the transcendental platform, he continued to do his worldly duties, purely for the reason that it would set a good example for the world to follow. Many other Saints did the same.
Humanity is inspired by the ideals that they see in the lives of great people. Such leaders inspire society by their example and become shining beacons for the masses to follow. Leaders of society thus have a moral responsibility to set lofty examples for inspiring the rest of the population by their words, deeds, and character. When noble leaders are in the forefront, the rest of society naturally gets uplifted in morality, selflessness, and spiritual strength. But in times when there is a vacuum of principled leadership, the rest of society has no standards to pursue and slumps into self-centeredness, moral bankruptcy, and spiritual lassitude. Hence, great personalities should always act in an exemplary manner to set the standard for the world. Even though they themselves may have risen to the transcendental platform, and may not need to perform prescribed Vedic duties, by doing so, they inspire others to perform prescribed Vedic actions.
If a great leader of society becomes a karm sanyāsī, and renounces work, it sets an errant precedent for others. The leader may be at the transcendental platform and therefore eligible to renounce work and engage completely in spirituality. However, others in society use their example as an excuse for escapism, to run away from their responsibilities. Such escapists cite the instances of the great karm sanyāsīs, such as Shankaracharya, Madhvacharya, Nimbarkacharya, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Following their lofty footsteps, these imposters also renounce worldly duties and take sanyās, even though they have not yet attained the purity of mind required for it.
Instead, if a great leader is a karm yogi, at least the followers will continue to do their karm and dutifully perform their responsibilities. This will help them learn to discipline their mind and senses, and slowly rise to the transcendental platform. Hence, to present an example for society to follow, Shree Krishna suggests that Arjun should practice karm yog.
4. Bhagavad Gita 3.33
“Even wise people act according to their natures, for all living beings are propelled by their natural tendencies. What will one gain by repression?”
Shree Krishna again comes back to the point about action being superior to inaction. Propelled by their natures, people are inclined to act in accordance with their individual modes. Even those who are theoretically learned carry with them the baggage of the sanskārs (tendencies and impressions) of endless past lives, the prārabdh karma of this life, and the individual traits of their minds and intellects. They find it difficult to resist this force of habit and nature. If the Vedic scriptures instructed them to give up all works and engage in pure spirituality, it would create an unstable situation. Such artificial repression would be counter-productive. The proper and easier way for spiritual advancement is to utilize the immense force of habit and tendencies and dovetail it in the direction of God. We have to begin the spiritual ascent from where we stand, and doing so requires we have to first accept our present condition of what we are and then improve on it.
We can see how even animals act according to their unique natures. Ants are such social creatures that they bring food for the community while forsaking it themselves, a quality that is difficult to find in human society. A cow has such intense attachment for its calf that the moment it goes out of its sight, the cow feels disturbed. Dogs display the virtue of loyalty to depths that cannot be matched by the best of humans. Similarly, we humans too are propelled by our natures. Since Arjun was a warrior by nature, Shree Krishna told him, “If, motivated by pride, you think, “I shall not fight,” your decision will be in vain. Your own nature will compel you to fight.” (Bhagavad Gita 18.59) “O Arjun, that action which out of delusion you do not wish to do, you will be driven to do it by your own inclination, born of your own material nature.” (Bhagavad Gita 18.60) That nature should be sublimated by shifting the goal from worldly enjoyment to God-realization, and performing our prescribed duty without attachment and aversion, in the spirit of service to God.
5.Bhagavad Gita 3.35
It is far better to perform one’s natural prescribed duty, though tinged with faults, than to perform another’s prescribed duty, though perfectly. In fact, it is preferable to die in the discharge of one’s duty, than to follow the path of another, which is fraught with danger.
In this verse, the word dharma has been used four times. Dharma is a word commonly used in Hinduism and Buddhism. But it is the most elusive word to translate into the English language. Terms like righteousness, good conduct, duty, noble quality, etc. only describe an aspect of its meaning. Dharma comes from the root word dhṛi, which means ḍhāraṇ karane yogya, or “responsibilities, duties, thoughts, and actions that are appropriate for us.” For example, the dharma of the soul is to love God. It is like the central law of our being.
The prefix swa means “the self.” Thus, swa-dharma is our personal dharma, which is the dharma applicable to our context, situation, maturity, and profession in life. This swa-dharma can change as our context in life changes, and as we grow spiritually. By asking Arjun to follow his swa-dharma, Shree Krishna is telling him to follow his profession, and not change it because someone else may be doing something else.
It is more enjoyable to be ourselves than to pretend to be someone else. The duties born of our nature can be easily performed with stability of mind. The duties of others may seem attractive from a distance and we may think of switching, but that is a risky thing to do. If they conflict with our nature, they will create disharmony in our senses, mind, and intellect. This will be detrimental for our consciousness and will hinder our progress on the spiritual path. Shree Krishna emphasizes this point dramatically by saying that it is better to die in the faithful performance of one’s duty than to be in the unnatural position of doing another’s duty.
6. Bhagavad Gita 4.18
“Those who see action in inaction and inaction in action are truly wise amongst humans. Although performing all kinds of actions, they are yogis and masters of all their actions.”
Action in inaction. There is one kind of inaction where persons look upon their social duties as burdensome, and renounce them out of indolence. They give up actions physically, but their mind continues to contemplate upon the objects of the senses. Such persons may appear to be inactive, but their lethargic idleness is actually sinful action. When Arjun suggested that he wishes to shy away from his duty of fighting the war, Shree Krishna explained to him that it would be a sin, and he would go to the hellish regions for such inaction.
Inaction in action. There is another kind of inaction performed by karm yogis. They execute their social duties without attachment to results, dedicating the fruits of their actions to God. Although engaged in all kinds of activities, they are not entangled in karmic reactions, since they have no motive for personal enjoyment. There were many great kings in Indian history (Dhruv, Prahlad, Yudhisthir, Prithu, and Ambarish) who discharged their kingly duties to the best of their abilities, and yet because their minds were not entangled in material desires, their actions were termed Akarm, or inaction. Another name for akarm is karm yog, which has been discussed in detail in the previous two chapters as well.
7. Bhagavad Gita 4.22
“Content with whatever gain comes of its own accord, and free from envy, they are beyond the dualities of life. Being equipoised in success and failure, they are not bound by their actions, even while performing all kinds of activities.”
Just like there are two sides to a coin, so too God created this world full of dualities: there is day and night, sweet and sour, hot and cold, rain and drought, etc. The same rose bush has a beautiful flower and also an ugly thorn. Life too brings its share of dualities: happiness and distress, victory and defeat, fame and notoriety. Lord Ram himself, in his divine pastimes, was exiled to the forest the day before he was to be crowned as the king of Ayodhya.
While living in this world, nobody can hope to neutralize the dualities to have only positive experiences. Then how can we successfully deal with the dualities that come our way in life? The solution is to take these dualities in stride, by learning to rise above them in equipoise in all situations. This happens when we develop detachment to the fruits of our actions, concerning ourselves merely with doing our duty in life without yearning for the results. When we perform works for the pleasure of God, we see both positive and negative fruits of those works as the will of God, and joyfully accept both.
8. Bhagavad 4.23
“They are released from the bondage of material attachments and their intellect is established in divine knowledge. Since they perform all actions as a sacrifice (to God), they are freed from all karmic reactions.”
Dedication of all one’s actions to God results from the understanding that the soul is eternal servitor of God. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said: jīvera svarūpa haya kṛiṣhṇera nitya-dāsa (Chaitanya Charitāmṛit, Madhya Leela, 20.108)[v18] “The soul is by nature the servant of God.” Those who are established in this knowledge perform all their actions as an offering to him and are released from the sinful reactions of their work.
The Gita’s Core Message on Karma: Action with Awareness
Through these verses, the Bhagavad Gita teaches a clear message:
Don’t escape life; transform the way you act within it.
This wisdom is not abstract or aloof. It applies whether you’re:
- Pursuing your career
- Managing relationships
- Facing challenges
- Cultivating spiritual discipline
According to Swami Mukundananda, the secret is not escaping karma but purifying the mind and surrendering results to the Divine. This attitude gives rise to:
- Inner peace
- Stability in adversity
- Purposeful living
- Freedom beyond outcomes
How Karma Yoga Transforms Everyday Living
🌿 1. Reduce Stress and Anxiety
By relinquishing attachment to outcomes, the mind becomes calm and more resilient. You act with clarity and detachment.
🌿 2. Increase Focus
Distraction falls away when action is rooted in purpose rather than reward.
🌿 3. Cultivate Compassion
Understanding that others also act from their nature leads to empathy and understanding.
🌿 4. Align with Higher Purpose
When actions become offerings to the Divine, work transforms into worship.
🌿 5. Free Yourself from Karmic Cycles
Performing duty intelligently and selflessly breaks cycles of reaction and consequence.
Call to Action: Practice Karma Yoga Today
✨ Turn your actions into offerings! ✨
Start each day by reminding yourself:
“I will act with intention and devotion, I will not cling to results.”
👉 Adopt one daily practice:
Perform your duties with awareness and silently offer the outcome to the Divine. Over time, you will notice less anxiety, greater clarity, and deeper spiritual grounding.
Let the Bhagavad Gita’s teachings on karma guide your life. Work with purpose, act with awareness, and live with peace.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What does karma mean in the Bhagavad Gita?
In the Gita, karma refers to action in all its forms, whether physical, verbal, and mental; performed with intention. The text teaches that our attitude toward action, not abstaining from action, determines spiritual progress.
2. How can we act without attachment to the results?
By understanding that outcomes are beyond our control and dedicating every action to a higher purpose (Divine, duty, or service), we practice detachment, which leads to peace.
3. Does the Gita advise against working?
No. The Gita teaches Karma Yog, encouraging action done mindfully and selflessly, not renunciation of life itself.
4. How is Karma Yog related to spiritual growth?
Karma Yoga purifies the mind by eliminating selfishness and ego, aligning action with universal consciousness through mindful practice.
5. Can understanding the Bhagavad Gita help in everyday stress?
Yes. Detaching from results reduces anxiety and helps you focus on meaningful, present moment actions.