Bhagavad Gita 2:47
"You have a right to perform your duties, but you do not have the right to the fruits of your actions."
Context
Duty and detachment reimagined across colonial and anti-colonial contexts
Understanding Through Time
Karma yoga: perform caste duties (varna) without attachment; maintain cosmic order (dharma). Duty according to social position is path to liberation, not escape from action.
Gita interpreted as justification for fatalism and acceptance of British rule. Karma doctrine used to explain inequality and discourage rebellion against colonial hierarchy.
Karma yoga reinterpreted as non-violent resistance to injustice. Action without attachment to results means fighting colonialism without hatred; duty transcends caste and politics.
Detachment from results as psychological liberation and ethical principle. Perform your best work without ego or anxiety about outcomes; universal teaching for all vocations.