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Bhagavad-gītā 18.26

मुक्तसङ्गोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वित: । सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योर्निर्विकार: कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ॥ २६ ॥
mukta-saṅgo ’nahaṁ-vādī
[mukta-sango ’naham-vaadee]
dhṛty-utsāha-samanvitaḥ
[dhrity-utsaaha-samanvitah]
siddhy-asiddhyor nirvikāraḥ
[siddhy-asiddhyor nirvikaarah]
kartā sāttvika ucyate
[kartaa saattvika uchyate]
Word-for-word
mukta - saṅgaḥ — liberated from all material association anaham - vādī — without false ego dhṛti — with determination utsāha — and great enthusiasm samanvitaḥ — qualified siddhi — in perfection asiddhyoḥ — and failure nirvikāraḥ — without change kartā — worker sāttvikaḥ — in the mode of goodness ucyate — is said to be .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
mukta-saṅgo ’nahaṁ-vādī
mukta - saṅgaḥ
liberated from all material association
anaham - vādī
without false ego
dhṛty-utsāha-samanvitaḥ
dhṛti
with determination
utsāha
and great enthusiasm
samanvitaḥ
qualified
siddhy-asiddhyor nirvikāraḥ
siddhi
in perfection
asiddhyoḥ
and failure
nirvikāraḥ
without change
kartā sāttvika ucyate
kartā
worker
sāttvikaḥ
in the mode of goodness
ucyate
is said to be .
Important Words
  • mukta-saṅgaḥ — freed from attachment
    Past participle compound — 'one who has been released from saṅga.' Not merely working on detachment but settled in it. The worker has already done the inner work.
  • anaham-vādī — not speaking of 'I'
    Beautiful compound. He does not narrate himself as the doer. The first-person singular drops out of his self-description, even when the work is his.
  • utsāha — enthusiasm
    With dhṛti, the two essential ingredients. Steadiness without enthusiasm becomes dullness; enthusiasm without steadiness becomes rajas. Their combination is the sāttvika worker's signature.
  • asiddhyoḥ — in failure
    Locative dual (with siddhi). The two outcome-poles. The worker remains nirvikāra across both — same person before and after either result. The compound is the verse's equipoise test.
  • nirvikāraḥ — without modification
    Without vikāra — change, alteration. Outcomes do not modify him. He arrives at the desk the same person who leaves it, regardless of what happened in between.
One who performs his duty without association with the modes of material nature, without false ego, with great determination and enthusiasm, and without wavering in success or failure is said to be a worker 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)
Five marks of the sāttvika agent: unattached, non-boasting, determined-and-enthusiastic, equanimous toward outcome. Note the inclusion of energy alongside detachment — sāttvika is not withdrawn but actively engaged without ego.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Crucially, the sāttvika doer is not the disinterested ascetic but the spirited, persevering worker who happens to be ego-free. Dhṛti and utsāha are positive virtues actively present, not merely absences of vice. Cross-ref: 2.47-48, 12.17 on sama treatment of success/failure.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
मुक्त-सङ्गः अनहं-वादी धृति-उत्साह-समन्वितः सिद्धि-असिद्ध्योः निर्विकारः कर्ता सात्त्विकः उच्यते ।
mukta-saṅgaḥ anahaṃ-vādī dhṛti-utsāha-samanvitaḥ siddhi-asiddhyoḥ nirvikāraḥ kartā sāttvikaḥ ucyate |
Free from attachment, not self-proclaiming, endowed with determination and enthusiasm, unmoved in success or failure — such a doer is called sāttvika.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
मुक्त-सङ्गः अनहं-वादी धृति-उत्साह-समन्वितः । सिद्धि-असिद्ध्योः निर्विकारः कर्ता सात्त्विकः उच्यते ॥
mukta-saṅgaḥ anahaṃ-vādī dhṛti-utsāha-samanvitaḥ | siddhi-asiddhyoḥ nirvikāraḥ kartā sāttvikaḥ ucyate ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
मुक्त-सङ्गः mukta-saṅgaḥ bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. free from attachment
अनहं-वादी anahaṃ-vādī bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. not boasting of self
धृति-उत्साह-समन्वितः dhṛti-utsāha-samanvitaḥ tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. endowed with grit and enthusiasm
सिद्धि-असिद्ध्योः siddhi-asiddhyoḥ dvandva cpd. (compound) loc.du. (locative dual)f. in success and failure
निर्विकारः nirvikāraḥ bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. unmoved
कर्ता kartā कर्तृ (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) doer
सात्त्विकः sāttvikaḥ सात्त्विक (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. sāttvika
उच्यते ucyate √वच् pres. (present)pass. (passive) 3sg. is called
Purport

A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is always transcendental to the material modes of nature. He has no expectations for the result of the work entrusted to him, because he is above false ego and pride. Still, he is always enthusiastic till the completion of such work. He does not worry about the distress undertaken; he is always enthusiastic. He does not care for success or failure; he is equal in both distress and happiness. Such a worker is situated in the mode of goodness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
26. The agent free from attachment and false ego, endowed with fortitude and enthusiasm, unperturbed in success or failure, is in sattva guṇa.
Commentary

The three types of work have been described. Now, the three types of workers are described.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
26. The agent free from attachment and false ego, endowed with fortitude and enthusiasm, unperturbed in success or failure, is in sattva guṇa.
Commentary

Now the three types of doers are explained. Devoid of desire for results and the concept of being the doer (mukta saṅgaḥ); devoid of self-praise (anahaṁ-vādī); tolerating the unavoidable suffering caused by the fruition of old karmas in this present life (dṛti); having enthusiasm in the performance of the action (utsāha); devoid of happiness or distress (nirvikāraḥ) when he attains or does not attain the results of the action—such a person is an agent in the mode of goodness.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Translation
One who performs his duty without association with the modes of material nature, without false ego, with great determination and enthusiasm, and without wavering in success or failure is said to be a worker in the mode of goodness. PURPORT A person in Krsna consciousness is always transcendental to the material modes of nature. He has no expectations for the result of the work entrusted to him, because he is above false ego and pride. Still, he is always enthusiastic till the completion of such work. He does not worry about the distress undertaken; he is always enthusiastic. He does not care for success or failure; he is equal in both distress and happiness. Such a worker is situated in the mode of goodness. Here again Srila Prabhupada almost equates the two.
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.26 Karta, the agent; who is mukta-sangah, free from attachment-one by whom attachment has been given up; anahamvadi, not egotisic, not given to asserting his ego; dhrti-utsaha-samanvitah, endowed with fortitude and diligenc; and nirvikarah, unperturbed; siddhi-asiddhyoh, by success and failure, in the fruition and non-fruition of any action under-taken-led only by the authority of the scriptures, not by attachment to results etc. [Etc. stands for attachment to work.];-the agent who is such, he is ucyate, said to be; sattvikah, possessed of sattva.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.26 'Muktasangah' is one who is free from attachment to fruits. 'Anahamvadi' is one who is devoid of the feeling of being the agent. He is endued with 'steadiness and zeal.' 'Steadiness' is perseverance in regard to an act that has been begun in spite of the pain that is inevitable till the completion of the work. 'Zeal' is the possession of an active mind. One who is enduded with these, and whose mind remains firm, untouched by success and failure in war etc., and also in gathering the material reisities for the work on hand - such an agent is, of Sattvika nature.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.26 See Comment under 18.28
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.26 An agent who is free from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with firmness and enthusiasm, and unaffected by success or failure, is called Sattvic (pure).
Commentary

18.26 मुक्तसङ्गः who is free from attachment? अनहंवादी nonegoistic? धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितः endowed with firmness and enthusiasm? सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः in success or failure? निर्विकारः unaffected? कर्ता an agent? सात्त्विकः Sattvic (pure)? उच्यते is called.Commentary A pure agent does his actions with his whole heart without feeling proud at the performance. He looks for the proper time and place and in accordance with the behests of the scriptures determines whether such actions are worth doing or not. He develops courage and a powerful will. He never seeks physical comforts. He is ite prepared to sacrifice his life for a noble cause. He is neither elated by success nor grieved by failure. He always keeps a balanced mind when he does any action. O Arjuna? that man is a pure agent who? while working? exhibits such alities.Siddhi Success attainment of the fruit of action performed.Nirvikarah Unaffected as having been urged to act merely by the authority of the scriptures? not by a desire for the sake of the reward.Now I will tell thee? O Arjuna? of the characteristics of a passionate agent.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.26 [Ast. introduces this verse with 'Idanim kartrbhedah ucyate, Now is being stated the distinctions among the agents.'-Tr.] The agent who is free from attachment [Attachment to results or the idea of agentship.], not egotistic, endowed with fortitude and diligence, and unperturbed by success and failure is said to be possessed of sattva.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.26 But when a man has no sentiment and no personal vanity, when he possesses courage and confidence, cares not whether he succeeds or fails, then his action arises from Purity.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 2.48 BG 12.13 BG 6.7 SB 11.25.20 SB 11.11.29 SB 11.19.33 CC Madhya 22.78 CC Madhya 23.87 CC Madhya 24.192 BRS 1.3.45 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.4
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The doer free from material association, free from false ego, with determination and enthusiasm, equipoised in success and failure — sattvic.
Practical Applications
  • Audit yourself as doer against this list.
  • Work on the weakest quality.
  • Cultivate equipoise as ground.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of these qualities is weakest in me as doer?
  • What strengthens it?
Analogy

A long-distance runner who keeps her pace through cheering crowds and silent stretches alike, neither swelling with applause nor flagging at neglect. The track is the duty; her steady breath is dhṛti; her freedom from 'mine' is the mark of the worker in goodness.

Stories
Bhīṣma at his post

Bhīṣma served the Kuru throne for generations through every conceivable upheaval — orphaned princes, regencies, the rise of Duryodhana, the Pāṇḍavas' exile, and finally the war itself. Through all of it he remained mukta-saṅga, anaham-vādī, equipped with dhṛti and utsāha.

Success and failure swept past him — coronations and disasters alike — and he stood nirvikāraḥ. His pledge to the throne was performed in the mode of goodness even when the throne's occupants had drifted into rajas and tamas.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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