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

Classical Hindu Dharma Interpreter500 BCE

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.

Colonial-Era Hindu Apologist1850 CE

Gita interpreted as justification for fatalism and acceptance of British rule. Karma doctrine used to explain inequality and discourage rebellion against colonial hierarchy.

Mahatma Gandhi1920 CE

Karma yoga reinterpreted as non-violent resistance to injustice. Action without attachment to results means fighting colonialism without hatred; duty transcends caste and politics.

Modern Hindu Spiritual Teacher2000 CE

Detachment from results as psychological liberation and ethical principle. Perform your best work without ego or anxiety about outcomes; universal teaching for all vocations.