Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 49

दूरेण ह्यवरं कर्म बुद्धियोगाद्धनञ्जय । बुद्धौ शरणमन्विच्छ कृपणाः फलहेतवः

dūreṇa hyavaraṃ karma buddhiyogāddhanañjaya | buddhau śaraṇamanviccha kṛpaṇāḥ phalahetavaḥ

Translation

Verily action is far inferior to devotion in wisdom (buddhi-yoga), O Dhanañjaya. In wisdom (buddhi) seek thou shelter. Wretched are they whose motive is the fruit.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

dūreṇa

by far

hi

indeed

avaram

inferior

karma

action

buddhiyogāt

of discrimination, than the yoga

dhanañjaya

O Dhanañjaya

buddhau

(in the) Pure Reason

śaraṇam

refuge

anviccha

seek

kṛpaṇāḥ

pitiable

phalahetavaḥ

fruit, motive, whose, they

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

Action performed for its own fruit is far inferior to action conjoined with buddhi-yoga — the discipline of even-minded action without attachment. In that wisdom (buddhi) — the conviction of the higher path — take refuge. Wretched (kṛpaṇāḥ) are they whose motive is the fruit (phala-hetavaḥ): they are pitiable because, bound to results, they are bound also to the cycle of births and deaths.