Bhagavad Gita BG 18.23
Chapter 18, Verse 23 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
नियतं सङ्गरहितम् अरागद्वेषतः कृतम् । अफलप्रेप्सुना कर्म यत्तत्सात्त्विकमुच्यते ॥
niyatam sanga-rahitam araga-dveshatah krtam aphala-prepsuna karma yat tat sattvikam ucyate
Meaning
Action that is obligatory (niyatam), done without attachment (sanga-rahitam), performed without love or hatred (araga-dveshatah), and without desire for fruit (aphala-prepsuna) — that action is called sattvic.
Understanding
Sattvic karma is characterized by four qualities that form a coherent inner orientation. Niyatam (obligatory, prescribed duty — not optional or voluntary, but what dharma requires). Sanga-rahitam (free of attachment — no clinging to the action itself or to one's identity as the doer). Araga-dveshatah (performed without raga — desire/attraction — and dvesa — aversion/dislike. The action is carried out with complete equanimity regardless of whether the specific task is personally pleasant or unpleasant). Aphala-prepsuna (by one who is not seeking fruit — prepsuna = by one who desires/seeks, with 'a' negating it: the non-seeker of fruit). All four together constitute the sattvic karma: it is done because it must be done, without the self being implicated in the outcome.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| नियतम् | niyatam | obligatory, prescribed, fixed as duty (from ni + yam = to restrain/ordain) |
| सङ्गरहितम् | sanga-rahitam | free of attachment (sanga = clinging, rahita = free of, bereft of) |
| अरागद्वेषतः | araga-dveshatah | without attraction (raga) and aversion (dvesha) — with equanimity |
| अफलप्रेप्सुना | aphala-prepsuna | by one who does not seek/desire the fruit (a = not, phala = fruit, prepsuna = one who desires) |
| सङ्ग-रहितम् | saṅga-rahitam | without attachment |
| अराग-द्वेषतः | arāga-dveṣataḥ | without passion or hatred |
| कृतम् | kṛtam | done |
| अफल-प्रेप्सुना | aphala-prepsunaḥ | by one not desiring results |
| कर्म | karma | action |
| यत् | yat tat | that which |
| सात्त्विकम् | sāttvikam | in goodness |
| उच्यते | ucyate | is called |
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