नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते | स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात् ||२-४०||
nehābhikramanāśo.asti pratyavāyo na vidyate . svalpamapyasya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt ||2-40||
Chapter 2 · Verse 40
Sankhya Yoga
सांख्ययोग
In plain words
You should feel encouraged because no effort on this spiritual path is ever wasted. Unlike worldly tasks, even the smallest step in karma, the practice of selfless action, brings immediate inner peace. This sacred path, or dharma, never causes harm and acts as a powerful shield, protecting you from the great fear of endless birth and death.
Translation
2.40 Here, there is no loss of effort, nor any accrual of evil. Even a little of this Dharma (called Karma Yoga) protects a man from the great fear.
Meaning
If a religious ceremony is left uncompleted it is a wastage as the performer cannot realise the fruits. But it is not so in the case of Karma Yoga because every action causes immediate purification of the heart. In agriculture there is uncertainty. The farmer may till the land plough and sow the seed but he may not get a crop if there is no rain. This is not so in Karma Yoga. There is no uncertainty at all. Further there is no chance of any harm coming out of it. In the case of medical treatment great harm will result from the doctors injudicious treatment if he uses a wrong medicine. But it is not so in the case of Karma Yoga. Anything done however little it may be in this path of Yoga the Yoga of action saves one from great fear of being caught in the wheel of birth and death. Lord Krishna here extols Karma Yoga in order to create interest in Arjuna in this Yoga.
Word by word
न not इह in this अभिक्रमनाशः loss of effort अस्ति is प्रत्यवायः production of contrary results न not विद्यते is स्वल्पम् very little अपि even अस्य of this धर्मस्य duty त्रायते protects महतः (from) great भयात् fear.