Karmanye Vadhikaraste Ma phaleshu kada chana

Karmanye Vadhikaraste, Ma phaleshu kada chana,

Ma Karma Phala Hetur Bhur, Matey Sangostva Akarmani

Literally means: 

You have the right to perform your actions, but you are not entitled to the fruits of the actions.

 Do not let the fruit be the purpose of your actions, and therefore you won't be attached to not doing your duty.

What do I meant:

Keep performing your actions or duties, but don't expect the fruits or remunerations for the same, rather you don't have any rights on them. Do not let the awards & rewards you gonna get from your actions be the driving force for your deeds. Perform your duties without any expectations, rather do it just for the sake of it.

My mind keep wondering why in today's competitive world would somebody do a thing without expecting something out of it..?? Why would anyone be given a task without any goal or target.?? Or there's some hidden meaning this great Sholka has, and we really have to read in between the lines..??!!

The core concept here is of Karma (action or duty) devoid of Phala (fruit or remuneration) and the key question striking our minds is Why..?? There are few explanations to it in my view.

One : You are not the one who is going to decide what Phala you get out of your Karma. Ambitions of a person make him to  have Expectations after performing the duty. Here the importance of this sholka comes which says keep performing as well as achieving, but don't expect, as the remunerations are not set by you, it is the Boss who's gonna decide. If one completely understand this then he would just keep concentrating on his Karma & keep on receiving the Phala.

Two : The Phala could be sweet or perhaps sour. Consequences might be affirmative or negative but both of them may lead an ambitious person in two exactly opposite directions : Enthusiastically keep performing the Karma for a sweeter Phala  or Be depressed and cease to perform. The sholka is there to stop the second thing from happening.

Three : Karma is what life is all about. If an ambitious person ceases to perform his Karma "because of failure', there is nothing in the universe which will bring him the "Success". The shloka emphasise on being detached from the Phala while executing your Karma.

Let not the Phala of Karma be the motive of your action, nor let the attachment to Phala lead to inaction.