Bhagavad Gita on fear of failure
Arjuna’s crisis is a fear of what his action will lead to. Krishna’s answer is the most quoted teaching in the Gita: you have a right to the work, never to its fruit. Read together, these verses separate the effort you control from the result you do not, and say that no honest effort is ever wasted.
Skip to the verse for your situation ↓6 verses from the Gita
- Bhagavad Gita 2.47 · Krishna
Karmanye vadhikaraste: the work is yours, the result never was.
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन । मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥
“You have a right to action alone, never to its fruits. Do not become the cause of the result, and do not cling to inaction.”
कर्तव्यकर्म करनेमें ही तेरा अधिकार है, फलोंमें कभी नहीं । अतः तू कर्मफलका हेतु भी मत बन और तेरी अकर्मण्यतामें भी आसक्ति न हो ॥
There is relief in giving your full effort without carrying the burden of the result.
Meaning and commentary → - Bhagavad Gita 2.48 · Krishna
Act steadily, the same in success and failure.
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय । सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते ॥
“O Dhananjaya, perform actions while established in yoga, abandoning attachment. Remain equal in success and failure, for equanimity is called yoga.”
हे धनञ्जय तू आसक्तिका त्याग करके सिद्धिअसिद्धिमें सम होकर योगमें स्थित हुआ कर्मोंको कर क्योंकि समत्व ही योग कहा जाता है ॥
You can stay calm without stopping action. Inner balance makes effort cleaner and less painful.
Meaning and commentary → - Bhagavad Gita 2.38 · Krishna
Treat gain and loss, victory and defeat alike, and act.
सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ । ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि ॥
“Treat pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat alike. Then enter the battle; you will not incur wrongdoing.”
जयपराजय, लाभहानि और सुखदुःखको समान करके फिर युद्धमें लग जा । इस प्रकार युद्ध करनेसे तू पापको प्राप्त नहीं होगा ॥
Inner steadiness makes hard action possible without guilt or panic.
Meaning and commentary → - Bhagavad Gita 2.40 · Krishna
On this path no effort is lost, and even a little of it protects you.
नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते । स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात् ॥
“In this human world, no effort toward this steady wisdom is ever lost. No harmful result comes from it. Even a little practice of this dharma protects one from great fear.”
मनुष्यलोकमें इस समबुद्धिरूप धर्मके आरम्भका नाश नहीं होता, इसके अनुष्ठानका उलटा फल भी नहीं होता और इसका थोड़ासा भी अनुष्ठान जन्ममरणरूप महान् भयसे रक्षा कर लेता है ॥
You can begin imperfectly without dread. Small practice still counts and still changes you.
Meaning and commentary → - Bhagavad Gita 6.40 · Krishna
One who does good never comes to a bad end, in this life or the next.
श्री भगवानुवाचपार्थ नैवेह नामुत्र विनाशस्तस्य विद्यते । नहि कल्याणकृत्कश्िचद्दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति ॥
“Krishna said: O Partha, there is no destruction for him either here or hereafter. No one who does good ever comes to a bad end, my dear.”
श्रीभगवान् बोले हे पृथानन्दन उसका न तो इस लोकमें और न परलोकमें ही विनाश होता है क्योंकि हे प्यारे कल्याणकारी काम करनेवाला कोई भी मनुष्य दुर्गतिको प्राप्त नहीं जाता ॥
You can keep going without fear that honest effort will be wasted.
Meaning and commentary → - Bhagavad Gita 3.8 · Krishna
Do the work in front of you. Action is better than not acting.
नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः । शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः ॥
“Do the duty prescribed for you. Action is better than inaction, and even your body cannot be sustained by inaction.”
तू शास्त्रविधिसे नियत किये हुए कर्तव्यकर्म कर क्योंकि कर्म न करनेकी अपेक्षा कर्म करना श्रेष्ठ है तथा कर्म न करनेसे तेरा शरीरनिर्वाह भी सिद्ध नहीं होगा ॥
There is relief in moving forward: doing the needed thing is cleaner than freezing in fear.
Meaning and commentary →