Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 23

Chapter 18 – Moksha Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषतः कृतम् ।
अफलप्रेप्सुना कर्म यत्तत्सात्त्विकमुच्यते ॥

Transliteration

niyataṃ saṅgarahitamarāgadveṣataḥ kṛtam .
aphalaprepsunā karma yattatsāttvikamucyate ॥

Meaning

Action that is obligatory, free from attachment, done without love or hatred by one who does not crave its fruit, is called sattvic.

Word meanings

नियतम् – obligatory, prescribed
सङ्गरहितम् – free from attachment
अरागद्वेषतः – without attraction or aversion
कृतम् – done
अफलप्रेप्सुना – by one who does not crave the fruit
कर्म – action
यत् – which
तत् – that
सात्त्विकम् – sattvic
उच्यते – is called

Anvaya (word order)

यत् कर्म नियतं सङ्गरहितम् अफलप्रेप्सुना अरागद्वेषतः कृतम्, तत् सात्त्विकम् उच्यते ।

Explanation

After the three kinds of knowledge come the three kinds of action. Sattvic action has four marks. The first is niyatam — prescribed by scripture, dharma and one's own svadharma. Sattvic action is not arbitrary; its basis is duty, not whim.

The second is sanga-rahitam — free from attachment. The doer puts his whole mind into the work but does not cling to it; when the work is done, he lets it go easily. The third is araga-dveshatah kritam — done without attraction or aversion. It is not driven by favouritism towards some or hostility towards others. A sattvic physician, for instance, treats friend and foe alike.

The fourth is aphala-prepsuna — performed by one who does not crave the fruit. Note that this mark describes the doer, not the deed, because the quality of an action is ultimately determined by the disposition of the one who does it. This is the active form of the sattvic relinquishment described in 18.9.

Shankara and Ramanuja agree that such action purifies the mind and does not bind. Ramanuja adds that action done after also offering the sense of doership to the Supreme is sattvic in the fullest sense.

Context

The preceding verses (18.20–22) described the three kinds of knowledge. This verse describes sattvic action. The next two verses describe rajasic (18.24) and tamasic (18.25) action.

Life lesson

Choose your actions on the basis of duty, not liking, disliking or favouritism. Give your full attention to the work, but do not cling to it. Action done without attraction, aversion or craving keeps the mind clear and calm.

Key terms

Sattvic karma: Action that is prescribed, unattached, free of likes and dislikes, and desireless
Sanga-rahita: Free from attachment
Raga-dvesha: Attraction and aversion
Aphala-prepsu: One who does not crave results