नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषत: कृतम् ।
अफलप्रेप्सुना कर्म यत्तत्सात्त्विकमुच्यते ॥ २३ ॥
niyataṁ saṅga-rahitam arāga-dveṣhataḥ kṛitam
aphala-prepsunā karma yat tat sāttvikam uchyate
श्लोक २३: जो कर्म बिना किसी आसक्ति के, प्रेम या घृणा से रहित और फल की इच्छा के बिना एक अनिवार्य कर्तव्य के रूप में किया जाता है, वह सात्विक-कर्म माना जाता है।
Shloka 23: The action that is performed as an obligatory duty, without any attachment, devoid of love or hate and without any desire for enjoying the results is considered Sattvik-Karma.
In Bhagavad Gita verse 18.23, Lord Krishna continues His systematic teaching by shifting focus from knowledge to action. Having just explained the three types of knowledge in previous verses, He now begins categorizing actions according to the three gunas or modes of nature: sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance). This verse specifically describes sattvic action—the highest and most purifying type of action.
Krishna defines sattvic action as that which is "niyatam" (prescribed or regulated according to scripture), performed without attachment (sanga-rahitam), free from likes and dislikes (araga-dveshatah), and done without desire for rewards (aphala-prepsuna). These qualities make an action pure and elevating to consciousness. The Sanskrit term "niyatam" is significant—it refers to actions that are prescribed duties, performed regularly and in accordance with dharma rather than random or capricious activities.
The absence of attachment is a crucial element in sattvic action. This doesn't mean performing action without care or attention, but rather acting without being bound by the outcome. When we perform actions with strong attachment, our peace of mind becomes hostage to results. Sattvic action maintains inner equilibrium regardless of success or failure. Similarly, freedom from likes and dislikes (raga-dvesha) means performing action without being swayed by personal preferences or aversions, maintaining objectivity and balance.
Perhaps most challenging is the concept of acting without desire for rewards (aphala-prepsuna). This doesn't mean one shouldn't plan or have goals, but rather that the driving motivation isn't personal gain. A teacher who educates students out of dedication to their growth rather than for praise exemplifies this quality. The action itself becomes its own reward when performed with the right consciousness.
The verse forms part of Krishna's broader guidance on how to act in the world without becoming entangled in it. Sattvic action creates minimal karmic residue because it's performed with awareness and selflessness. It gradually purifies the heart and elevates consciousness, unlike rajasic action (driven by desire and ego) or tamasic action (performed out of ignorance or delusion).
What makes this teaching profound is that Krishna isn't advising withdrawal from action but transformation of how we act. The same external action—teaching, leading, parenting—can be sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic depending on the consciousness behind it. This shifts emphasis from what we do to how and why we do it. The quality of our consciousness during action becomes more important than the action itself.
In a culture obsessed with achievement and results, this verse offers a revolutionary perspective: action performed without attachment, without emotional turbulence, and without craving rewards brings an inner peace that outcome-focused action never can. While rajasic action might bring material success and tamasic action temporary relief, only sattvic action leads to lasting fulfillment and spiritual growth. Krishna is essentially laying out a path where one can remain fully engaged in the world while progressively freeing oneself from its entanglements.
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