Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 5, Verse 12

युक्तः कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम् । अयुक्तः कामकारेण फले सक्तो निबध्यते

yuktaḥ karmaphalaṃ tyaktvā śāntimāpnoti naiṣṭhikīm | ayuktaḥ kāmakāreṇa phale sakto nibadhyate

Translation

The steady-minded one, abandoning the fruit of action, attains the peace born of devotion. The unsteady one, attached to the fruit through the action of desire, is firmly bound.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

yuktaḥ

the united one

karmaphalam

of action, the fruit

tyaktvā

having abandoned

śāntim

peace

āpnoti

obtains

naiṣṭhikīm

final

ayuktaḥ

the non-united one

kāmakāreṇa

of desire, by the impulsion

phale

(in) to fruit

saktaḥ

attached

nibadhyate

is bound

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

The steady-minded man who, resolved that "I do actions for the sake of the Lord, not for my benefit," abandons the fruit of action attains the peace called mokṣa, as the result of devotion, through the following stages: first, purity of the mind; then, attainment of knowledge; then, renunciation of all actions; and lastly, devotion to knowledge. But he who is unsteady is led by desire and is attached to the fruit. He is firmly bound. Wherefore, be thou steady-minded.