Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 40

नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते । स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात्

nehābhikramanāśo'sti pratyavāyo na vidyate | svalpamapyasya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt

Translation

There is no loss of effort here, there is no harm. Even a little of this devotion delivers one from great fear.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

na

not

iha

here

abhikramanāśaḥ

of effort, destruction

asti

is

pratyavāyaḥ

transgression

na

not

vidyate

is

svalpam

very little

api

even

asya

of this

dharmasya

of duty

trāyate

protects

mahataḥ

(from) great

bhayāt

from fear

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

In this Yoga (karma-yoga) there is no loss of effort, as in agriculture — where a season's labour may yield nothing — and no contrary effect, as in medicine improperly given. Whatever is begun here, however small, is not wasted. Even a little of this devotion (dharma) delivers one from the great fear — the fear of saṃsāra, of birth and death.