फल

Phala

phala

The fruit or result of action.

Editorial overviewGita layer: Sadhak Sanjivani

In simple words

Phala means fruit: the result an action produces. The Gita's famous advice is to act fully but not be attached to the results, because results depend on many factors beyond you.

What is it?

Every intentional action, in most Indian systems, bears fruit either visibly or later. Mimamsa focuses on the fruits of ritual action, such as heaven. The Gita teaches that one has a right to action but not to its fruits, and that attachment to fruits binds while relinquishing them frees. Sadhak Sanjivani emphasises that the fruit belongs to the world's order, not to the doer, so desire for it is where bondage lies.

Scholar’s note

Mimamsa explains the delayed fruit of ritual through apurva, an unseen potency. Nyaya argues that Ishvara is needed to dispense the fruits of karma; Mimamsa and Sankhya do not require that. The Gita's term karma-phala-tyaga (relinquishing the fruit of action) is defined in 18.2 and discussed as the essence of tyaga. Buddhist texts speak of vipaka (ripening), determined chiefly by intention.

How its meaning differs

Editorial overview

Each tradition in its own terms. None is ranked.

Purva Mimamsa

Prescribed rituals produce their fruit through an unseen potency (apurva), sometimes long after the act.

Vedanta

Fruit-seeking action keeps one in the cycle; action done as offering, without desire for fruit, purifies the mind for knowledge or devotion.

Nyaya

The just distribution of fruits to agents is one of the arguments for an intelligent Lord (Ishvara).

Buddhist philosophy

Results (vipaka) ripen according to intention; skilful intentions bring pleasant results, but liberation is beyond both.

Jain philosophy

Fruits follow from karmic matter bound to the soul; they are experienced when that karma matures.

In the Bhagavad Gita — as Sadhak Sanjivani explains it

Summary based on Sadhak Sanjivaniसाधक-संजीवनीपर आधारित सार

Swamiji describes two separate departments: action and result. Action is fresh effort and is in our hands; the result is the working out of past actions and is under prarabdha, so our right is only to the action (2.47). It is not the fruit that binds but attachment to it — 'phale sakto nibadhyate' (5.12). Renouncing the fruit really means renouncing the desire for it, because the fruit itself cannot be renounced — the body itself is a fruit of karma (18.11). Even wanting liberation as a result of one's practice is a subtle desire for fruit; the seeker should look at the practice, not at the result, and do it wholeheartedly (5.12). Whether the work gets completed or not, turns out favourable or not, one is to remain even (2.48).

स्वामीजी कहते हैं कि एक कर्म-विभाग है और एक फल-विभाग। कर्म नया पुरुषार्थ होनेसे मनुष्यके अधीन है और फल पूर्वकृत कर्मोंका भोग होनेसे प्रारब्धके अधीन है; इसलिये अधिकार केवल कर्ममें है (२।४७)। बाँधनेवाला फल नहीं, फलकी आसक्ति है — 'फले सक्तो निबध्यते' (५।१२)। कर्मफलके त्यागका अर्थ है फलकी इच्छाका त्याग, क्योंकि फलका त्याग तो हो ही नहीं सकता — शरीर भी कर्मफल ही है (१८।११)। मुक्तिके लिये साधन करना भी सूक्ष्म फलेच्छा है; साधकको फलको न देखकर अपने साधनको देखना चाहिये और तत्पर होकर करना चाहिये (५।१२)। कर्म पूरा हो या न हो, फल अनुकूल हो या प्रतिकूल — उसमें सम रहना है (२।४८)।

एक कर्म-विभाग है और एक फल-विभाग है। मनुष्यका कर्म-विभागमें ही अधिकार है, फल-विभागमें नहीं। कारण कि नया पुरुषार्थ होनेसे कर्म-विभाग (करना) मनुष्यके अधीन है और पूर्वकृत कर्मोंका भोग होनेसे फल-विभाग (होना) प्रारब्धके अधीन है।

Sadhak Sanjivanion Gita 2.47

If I can't control the result, why work hard?How do I deal with failure?Why do bad things happen to good people?What is the meaning of karma?How do I stop worrying about how things will turn out?

Where it appears in the Gita

Full text available

2.47

Your right is to the action — never to its fruit

कर्ममें ही अधिकार है, फलमें कभी नहीं

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।

You are free in doing your duty, never in its fruit; do not become the cause of the fruit, nor be attached to inaction.

कर्तव्य-कर्म करनेमें ही तेरा अधिकार है, फलमें कभी नहीं; तू कर्मफलका हेतु मत बन और कर्म न करनेमें भी तेरी आसक्ति न हो।

2.48

Evenness itself is Yoga

समत्व ही योग है

योगस्थ: कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय।

Giving up attachment, staying even in success and failure, established in Yoga, do your work — for evenness is called Yoga.

आसक्तिका त्याग करके, सिद्धि-असिद्धिमें सम होकर, योगमें स्थित हुआ कर्म कर; क्योंकि समत्व ही योग कहा जाता है।

4.20

त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रय:।

(जो) कर्म और फलकी आसक्तिका त्याग करके आश्रयसे रहित (और) सदा तृप्त है, वह कर्मोंमें अच्छी तरह लगा हुआ भी (वास्तवमें) कुछ भी नहीं करता।

5.12

युक्त: कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम्।

कर्मयोगी कर्मफलका त्याग करके नैष्ठिकी शान्तिको प्राप्त होता है। (परन्तु) सकाम मनुष्य कामनाके कारण फलमें आसक्त होकर बँध जाता है।

12.12

Better than meditation is giving up the fruit — peace follows at once

ध्यानसे कर्मफलत्याग श्रेष्ठ है—त्यागसे तत्काल शान्ति

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते।

Giving up desire for the fruits of all actions is not the lowest means; it brings supreme peace immediately.

सब कर्मोंके फलकी इच्छाका त्याग निम्न साधन नहीं है; उससे तत्काल परमशान्ति मिलती है।

18.9

कार्यमित्येव यत्कर्म नियतं क्रियतेऽर्जुन।

हे अर्जुन! ‘केवल कर्तव्यमात्र करना है’— ऐसा (समझकर) जो शास्त्रविहित कर्म आसक्ति और फलेच्छाका त्याग करके किया जाता है, वही सात्त्विक त्याग माना गया है।

18.11

न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषत:।

कारण कि देहधारी मनुष्यके द्वारा सम्पूर्ण कर्मोंका त्याग करना सम्भव नहीं है। इसलिये जो कर्मफलका त्यागी है, वही त्यागी है— ऐसा कहा जाता है।