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Bhagavad-gītā 18.23

नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषत: कृतम् । अफलप्रेप्सुना कर्म यत्तत्सात्त्विकमुच्यते ॥ २३ ॥
niyataṁ saṅga-rahitam
[niyatam sanga-rahitam]
arāga-dveṣataḥ kṛtam
[araaga-dveshatah kritam]
aphala-prepsunā karma
[aphala-prepsunaa karma]
yat tat sāttvikam ucyate
[yat tat saattvikam uchyate]
Word-for-word
niyatam — regulated saṅga - rahitam — without attachment arāga - dveṣataḥ — without love or hatred kṛtam — done aphala - prepsunā — by one without desire for fruitive result karma — action yat — which tat — that sāttvikam — in the mode of goodness ucyate — is called .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
niyataṁ saṅga-rahitam
niyatam
regulated
saṅga - rahitam
without attachment
arāga - dveṣataḥ
without love or hatred
arāga-dveṣataḥ kṛtam
kṛtam
done
aphala-prepsunā karma
aphala - prepsunā
by one without desire for fruitive result
karma
action
yat tat sāttvikam ucyate
yat
which
tat
that
sāttvikam
in the mode of goodness
ucyate
is called .
Important Words
  • niyatam — regulated, prescribed
    The action is governed by śāstra and dharma, not by mood. Sāttvika karma always lives inside the lines drawn by authoritative instruction.
  • saṅga-rahitam — free of attachment
    Saṅga reappears. The action proceeds without the doer-attaching to it. This is the single most repeated qualifier across the Gītā's analysis of right action.
  • arāga-dveṣataḥ — without love or hatred
    The two-sided clamp of preference. Most action is steered by either rāga (drawing toward) or dveṣa (pushing away). Sāttvika action arises from neither pull.
  • aphala-prepsunā — by one not desiring fruit
    Instrumental. The doer himself is qualified — he is *the one not seeking the fruit*. The disposition of the doer colors the act.
  • sāttvikam — in the mode of goodness
    The classification. The verse compresses 2.47's karma-yoga into a single dense definition of action in goodness — the same teaching, formalized.
That action which is regulated and which is performed without attachment, without love or hatred, and without desire for fruitive results is said to be in the mode of goodness.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Sāttvika action: prescribed (not arbitrary), unattached, free of the affective pull of liking or aversion, done by someone not after fruits. This is the gold-standard karma-yoga move from chapters 2-5 stated in classification form.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Four marks: niyata (regulated, sva-dharmic), saṅga-rahita (non-clinging), arāga-dveṣataḥ (affect-neutral), aphala-prepsu (non-result-seeking). Cross-ref: BG 2.47-48, 3.19, 4.20. The verse describes the textbook karma-yogī's outward act — the inner correlate is sāttvika-tyāga of v. 9.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
यत् नियतं कर्म सङ्ग-रहितम् अराग-द्वेषतः अफल-प्रेप्सुना कृतम्, तत् सात्त्विकम् उच्यते ।
yat niyataṃ karma saṅga-rahitam arāga-dveṣataḥ aphala-prepsunā kṛtam, tat sāttvikam ucyate |
That prescribed action which is performed without attachment, without love or hate, by one not seeking fruit — is called sāttvika.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
नियतं सङ्ग-रहितम् अराग-द्वेषतः कृतम् । अफल-प्रेप्सुना कर्म यत् तत् सात्त्विकम् उच्यते ॥
niyataṃ saṅga-rahitam arāga-dveṣataḥ kṛtam | aphala-prepsunā karma yat tat sāttvikam ucyate ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
नियतम् niyatam नि + √यम् p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. prescribed
सङ्ग-रहितम् saṅga-rahitam tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. free from attachment
अराग-द्वेषतः arāga-dveṣataḥ ind. (abl. force) without love-or-hate
कृतम् kṛtam √कृ p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. done
अफल-प्रेप्सुना aphala-prepsunā bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) ins.sg. (instrumental singular)m. by one not desiring fruit
कर्म karma कर्मन् (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) action
यत् yat यद् (pron. (pronoun)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. which
तत् tat तद् (pron. (pronoun)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. that
सात्त्विकम् sāttvikam सात्त्विक (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. sāttvika
उच्यते ucyate √वच् pres. (present)pass. (passive) 3sg. is called
Purport

Regulated occupational duties, as prescribed in the scriptures in terms of the different orders and divisions of society, performed without attachment or proprietary rights and therefore without any love or hatred, and performed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the satisfaction of the Supreme, without self-satisfaction or self-gratification, are called actions in the mode of goodness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
23. That action which is done regularly, without attachment or repulsion, without desire for results, is called sattvic.
Commentary

Having explained the three types of knowledge, the Lord now explains the three types of action. The work which is performed regularly (niyatam), which is without attachment (saṅga rahitam), performed with neither like or dislike (arāga-dveṣataḥ), done without desire for results (aphala-prepsunā), is called sattvic work.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
23. That action which is done regularly, without the conception of being the agent, without attachment or repulsion, without desire for results, is called sattvika.
Commentary

Now the Lord discusses action according to the three modes in three verses. Action prescribed by ones varṇa and āśrama (niyatam), devoid of the concept of being the agent (saṅga rahitam), which is not done out of attraction for fame or hatred of dishonor, and devoid of the desire for results, performed as worship of the Lord, is called action in the mode of goodness.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

We have already heard in this chapter how Krsna is recommending action or renunciation to be done in the mode of goodness, but see how closely Srila Prabhupada in his Purport equates the mode of goodness exactly with Krsna consciousness, because if one is acting in Krsna consciousness generally he will simply act in the mode of goodness. That is his basic mode of action. So, in his Purport Srila Prabhupada says: "Regulated occupational duties, as prescribed in the scriptures in terms of the different orders and divisions of society, performed without attachment or proprietary rights and therefore without any love or hatred, and performed in Krsna consciousness for the satisfaction of the Supreme, without self‑satisfa or self‑gratification, are called actions in the mo goodness."

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.23 Niyatam, the daily obligatory; karma, action; yat, which; is krtam, performed; sanga-rahitam, without attachment; araga-dvesatah, without likes or dislikes; aphala-prepsuna, by one who does not hanker for rewards, by an agent who is the opposite of one who is desirous of the fruits of action; tat, that (action); ucyate, is said to be; sattvikam, born of sattva.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.23 'Obligatory act' is that which is appropriate to one's own station and stage of life. Doing it 'without attachment' means devoid of attachment to agency etc., and 'without desire or aversion' means that it is not done through desire to win fame and aversion to win notoriety, i.e., is performed without ostentation - when obligatory works are performed in the above-mentioned way by one who is not after their fruits, they are said to be Sattvika.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.23 See Comment under 18.25
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.23 An action which is ordained, which is free from attachment, and which is done without love or hatred by one who is not desirous of any reward that action is declared to be Sattvic.
Commentary

18.23 नियतम् ordained? सङ्गरहितम् free from attachment? अरागद्वेषतः without love or hatred? कृतम् done? अफलप्रेप्सुना by one not desirous of the fruit? कर्म action? यत् which? तत् that? सात्त्विकम् Sattvic (pure)? ुच्यते is declared.Commentary Niyatam Ordained Obligatory. One is not excited to perform an obligatory action through love or hatred.This is a pure act. The performer of such pure action experiences great joy. He does his duty or any other work wholeheartedly not caring for the reward but offering it willingly at the feet of the Lord. He works in accordancw with the dictates of the scriptures. Now I will explain to thee? O Arjuna? the nature of action which is Rajasic or passionate. Do thou listen to Me with rapt attention.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.23 The daily obligatory action which is performed without attachment and without likes or dislikes by one who does not hanker for rewards, that is said to be born of sattva.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.23 An obligatory action done by one who is disinterested, who neither likes nor dislikes it, and gives no thought to the consequences that follow, such an action is Pure.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)
Related verses
BG 2.47 BG 3.9 BG 4.19 SB 11.20.9 SB 11.25.14 SB 7.15.5 CC Madhya 22.124 CC Madhya 8.58 CC Madhya 22.110 BRS 1.2.6 Īśa Upaniṣad 1
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Action regulated, free from attachment, performed without desire or hate, without love for fruits — sattvic action.
Practical Applications
  • Audit your significant actions against this four-fold standard.
  • Aim for at least one fully-sattvic action per day.
  • Honor the standard.
Reflection Questions
  • What action recently met this standard?
  • Which fell short?
Analogy

A river that flows along its prescribed bed irrigates fields without the river itself demanding the crops. Sāttvika karma is exactly such water: regulated, unattached, free of love-and-hatred eddies, and pouring forth without any thirst for the harvest's praise.

Stories
King Janaka and the burning palace

When Janaka was told his palace had caught fire, he is recorded as saying, 'Nothing of mine is lost.' He did not panic, did not cling, did not flare into hate against the fire or yearn after the saved goods.

The same equanimity colored his daily royal duties — niyatam, saṅga-rahitam, arāga-dveṣataḥ, aphala-prepsunā. Every clause of 18.23 finds its illustration in Janaka's kingship.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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