BG 2.50
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Devanagari
बुद्धियुक्तो जहातीह उभे सुकृतदुष्कृते ।
तस्माद्योगाय युज्यस्व योगः कर्मसु कौशलम् ॥ ५० ॥
Verse text
buddhi-yukto jahātīha
ubhe sukṛta-duṣkṛte
tasmād yogāya yujyasva
yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam
Synonyms
buddhi-yuktaḥ
—
one who is engaged in devotional service
;
jahāti
—
can get rid of
;
iha
—
in this life
;
ubhe
—
both
;
sukṛta-duṣkṛte
—
good and bad results
;
tasmāt
—
therefore
;
yogāya
—
for the sake of devotional service
;
yujyasva
—
be so engaged
;
yogaḥ
—
Kṛṣṇa consciousness
;
karmasu
—
in all activities
;
kauśalam
—
art.
Translation
A man engaged in devotional service rids himself of both good and bad reactions even in this life. Therefore strive for yoga, which is the art of all work.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
50. He who is engaged in niṣkāma-karma-yoga gives up both pious and impious reactions. Therefore engage in this yoga. Among all types of action, this performance without attachment is a skill.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
50. He who is engaged in niṣkāma karma yoga destroys both pious and impious reactions. Therefore engage in this yoga. In all types of action, this performance without attachment is a skill.
Purport
Since time immemorial each living entity has accumulated the various reactions of his good and bad work. As such, he is continuously ignorant of his real constitutional position. One’s ignorance can be removed by the instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā, which teaches one to surrender unto Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in all respects and become liberated from the chained victimization of action and reaction, birth after birth. Arjuna is therefore advised to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the purifying process of resultant action.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Therefore be engaged in the yoga as described here (yogāya yujyasva). Among all actions done with or without desire (karmaṣu), action performed with indifference to results (yogaḥ) is a skill (kauśalam). [Note: Skill means here that action is performed but does not accrue reactions.]
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
This verse speaks of the great power of the buddhi yoga (niṣkāma karma yoga) just mentioned. That person who performs his actions with intelligence directed in all activities (iha) towards renunciation of the main results in action and towards maintaining equal nature when either attaining or not attaining any related results (buddhi yuktaḥ) destroys (jahāti) both good and bad reactions (sukṛta duṣkṛte) accumulated from beginningless time in the past, which obstruct knowledge of the ātmā. Therefore, strive for (yujasva) this buddhi yoga which has been described, since this engagement in action (yoga), being joined with such intelligence is a skill (kauśalam), because it transforms actions which normally are a cause of bondage into causes of liberation by contact with intelligence, like mercury which has been purified of its poisonous effects.
Surrender Unto Me
The art of working means working but not getting the fruits of one's work. Detachment through knowledge, but working.