An interpretation of the chant (Sanskrit spelling shown below)
karmaņyevādhikāraste – Your sphere of influence is with your actions alone
mā phaleşu kadācana – But never in the fruits or results of your actions
mā karmaphalaheturbhūr – Don’t let your motive to act be because of the fruits or results of your actions
mā te sango ’stvakarmaņi –But at the same time don’t become selfishly attached to inaction or laziness
yogasthah kuru karmāņi – When practicing yoga, perform your actions
sangam tyaktvā dhanamjaya – Having abandoned attachment to worldly desires and wishes
siddhyasiddhyoh samo bhūtvā – And become equally content with success or failure
samatvam yoga ucyate – Yoga is said to be that state of equanimity or even-mindedness
Literal translation of Sanskrit words and roots of words in chant
aum: The universal sound as in the Latin om in omnipresent and omnipotent
karma-phala-hetur: motive in the results of action karma: action, act, performance, deed, business
maa + astu => ’stva: Let not
karma-ni: in action
sango: sticking, clinging to, contact with, worldly attachment, selfish attachment, desires, wishes eva: only, alone
a: non
karma-ni-eva: in action only
a-karma-ni: inaction, non-action, laziness, slothfulness, inertia
adhi: above, over, on high
stha: standing, staying, abiding, being situated in, existing in, engaged in, devoted to, performing, practicing kara: from the root word ‘to do’
yoga-stha: practicing yoga, devoted to yoga, engaged in yoga, abiding in yoga
adhi-karas: sphere of influence, authority, government, rule, jurisdiction, our right or privilege, reference, interest, kuru: perform!
te: your
kuru karmani: perform actions
adhi-karas-te: your sphere of influence
sangam: attachment, desires, wishes
maa: not
tyaktva: having abandoned, left, surrendered, having renounced
phala: fruit, result
sangam tyaktva: having abandoned attachment
phaleshu: in the results
Dhanamjaya: another name for Arjuna, the person to whom these words were first spoken to
kadaa: when
siddhi: success, prosperity, good luck, advantage chana: ever
asiddhi: failure, poverty, bad luck, disadvantage
kadaa-chana: whenever, at any time whatsoever
siddhi-asiddhyoh: in success and failure
maa + kadaachana: never s
amo: even, smooth, equable, complete, peace, point of intersection of the horizon and the meridian line
maa + bhur: Let not
bhutva: having become
hetu: motive, impulse, cause, reason for doing something
samatva: a state of equanimity, a state of even-mindedness
karma-phala: results of action
uchyate: is said, declared, declared, described as, spoken of, defined as
Pronunciation of Sanskrit Sounds:
- ‘a’ should be pronounced as for the ‘a’ in the English word ‘last’
- ‘u’ should be pronounced as for ‘oo’ in the English word ‘look’
- ‘e’ should pronounced as for the ‘ay’ in the English word ‘say’
- ‘c’ should be pronounced as ‘ch’
- ‘i’ should be pronounced as for the ‘i’ in the English word ‘fit’
- ‘ş’ should be pronounced as ‘sh’
• Sanskrit Translation and interpretation by Simon Borg-Olivier, Bianca Machliss & Jason Birch
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