mayi sarvani karmani

sannyasyadhyatma-cetasa

nirasir nirmamo bhutva

yudhyasva vigata-jvarah?

Translation of Bhagavad Gita 3.30

Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.

Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:

This verse clearly indicates the purpose of the Bhagavad-gita. The Lord instructs that one has to become fully Krishna conscious to discharge duties, as if in military discipline. Such an injunction may make things a little difficult; nevertheless duties must be carried out, with dependence on Krishna, because that is the constitutional position of the living entity. The living entity cannot be happy independent of the cooperation of the Supreme Lord, because the eternal constitutional position of the living entity is to become subordinate to the desires of the Lord. Arjuna was therefore ordered by Sri Krishna to fight as if the Lord were his military commander. One has to sacrifice everything for the good will of the Supreme Lord, and at the same time discharge prescribed duties without claiming proprietorship. Arjuna did not have to consider the order of the Lord; he had only to execute His order. The Supreme Lord is the soul of all souls; therefore, one who depends solely and wholly on the Supreme Soul without personal consideration, or in other words, one who is fully Krishna conscious, is called adhyatma-cetas. Nirasih means that one has to act on the order of the master but should not expect fruitive results. The cashier may count millions of dollars for his employer, but he does not claim a cent for himself. Similarly, one has to realize that nothing in the world belongs to any individual person, but that everything belongs to the Supreme Lord. That is the real purport of mayi, or “unto Me.” And when one acts in such Krishna consciousness, certainly he does not claim proprietorship over anything. This consciousness is called nirmama, or “nothing is mine.” And if there is any reluctance to execute such a stern order, which is without consideration of so-called kinsmen in the bodily relationship, that reluctance should be thrown off; in this way one may become vigata-jvara, or without feverish mentality or lethargy. Everyone, according to his quality and position, has a particular type of work to discharge, and all such duties may be discharged in Krishna consciousness, as described above. That will lead one to the path of liberation.

Every action has defects, just as fire is covered by smoke.  When we walk on the earth, we unknowingly kill millions of tiny living entities.  In our occupational duties, no matter how careful we are in the fulfillment of our duties, we still end up harming the environment and hurting others.  Even if we eat a cup of yogurt, we still incur the sin of destroying the living entities that reside in it.  Some religious sects try to reduce this involuntary killing by tying a cloth over their mouth.  Even this does not fully eliminate the destruction of living entities in our breath. 

When we perform our actions with the intention of fulfilling our self-interest, we are culpable for the sins we commit, knowingly or unknowingly.  In accordance with the law of karma, we have to reap their karmic reactions.  Good works can also be binding because they oblige the soul to go to the celestial abodes to enjoy their results.  Thus, both bad and good karmas result in the continuity of the cycle of birth and death.   However, in this verse, Shree Krishna gives a simple solution for destroying all karmic reactions of work.  He uses the word sanyās yog, meaning renunciation of selfishness.  He says that when we dedicate our actions for the pleasure of the Lord, we are freed from the fetters of both good and bad results. 

Those who establish themselves in such consciousness are called yog yuktātmā (united in consciousness with God).  Such yogis become jīvan mukt (liberated in consciousness) even in this body.  And, upon leaving their mortal frame, they receive a divine body and eternal service in the divine Abode of God. 

Karmanyevadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana

Ma Karma Phala Hetur Bhur Ma Te Sango Stvakarmani

Karmanya means In the work

Eva means Only

Adhikara means Right

Te means Your

Ma means No or not

Phaleshu means In the result or fruit (‘Phal ’ refers to fruit)

Kadachana means At any time or Ever

Ma means No or not

Karmaphala means fruit of the work or result of the work

Heteu means either reason or motive

Bhu means Be

Ma means No or not

Te means Your

Sang means either Attachment or Companion

Astu means Let there be

vakarmani means Be in Action