Bhagavad-gītā 2.49
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
दूरेण ह्यवरं कर्म बुद्धियोगाद्धनञ्जय। बुद्धौ शरणमन्विच्छ कृपणाः फलहेतवः।।2.49।।
dūreṇa hy-avaraṁ karma buddhi-yogād dhanañjaya buddhau śharaṇam anvichchha kṛipaṇāḥ phala-hetavaḥ
Work (with desire) is verily far inferior to that performed with the mind undisturbed by thoughts of results. O [paragraph continues] Dhananjaya, seek refuge in this evenness of mind. Wretched are they who act for results.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| dūreṇa | (discrad) from far away |
| hi | certainly |
| avaram | inferior |
| karma | reward-seeking actions |
| buddhi-yogāt | with the intellect established in Divine knowledge |
| dhanañjaya | Arjun |
| buddhau | divine knowledge and insight |
| śharaṇam | refuge |
| anvichchha | seek |
| kṛipaṇāḥ | miserly |
| phala-hetavaḥ | those seeking fruits of their work |
Keep the verse in view while connecting dūreṇa ((discrad) from far away), dhanañjaya (Arjun), and phala-hetavaḥ (those seeking fruits of their work). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the enduring self and steady wisdom. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 2.49.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Trace the movement from grief through self, duty, disciplined action and the description of steady intelligence.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Work (with desire) is verily far inferior to that performed with the mind undisturbed by thoughts of results
- 2
O [paragraph continues] Dhananjaya, seek refuge in this evenness of mind
- 3
Wretched are they who act for results
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 2.49, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 2.49 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 2.49 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 2.49 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 2.49, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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