Bhagavad Gita 2.50 is Chapter 2, Verse 50, in Sankhya Yoga (The Eternal Soul). Below are the Sanskrit text, a transliteration, a plain-English translation and an explanation.
buddhi-yukto jahātīha ubhe sukṛta-duṣkṛte tasmād yogāya yujyasva yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam
"One who is united with wisdom casts off both good and bad deeds in this very life. Therefore, devote yourself to yoga. Yoga is skill in action."
What This Means:
The wise person transcends even the distinction between 'good' and 'bad' karma, both bind you to the cycle of rebirth. So practice yoga. And what is yoga? It's defined beautifully here: 'skill in action.' Not just doing things, but doing them with mastery and awareness.
Going Deeper:
This verse contains one of the most quoted definitions of yoga: 'yogah karmasu kaushalam' (yoga is skill in action). Yoga isn't about renouncing action, it's about transforming how you act. The skilled yogi acts without creating karmic bondage, whether from 'good' deeds (leading to good rebirth) or 'bad' deeds (leading to suffering). Both are transcended.
How To Apply This:
Become a craftsman of action. Don't just get things done, master how you do them. The quality of attention you bring, the absence of anxiety, the presence in the moment, this is skill. A surgeon who operates with total presence, a teacher who teaches with full attention, this is yoga in action.
Key Sanskrit Terms: