श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्ित्रविधं नरैः ।
अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ॥
अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
परम श्रद्धासे युक्त फलेच्छारहित मनुष्योंके द्वारा तीन प्रकारशरीर, वाणी और मन का तप किया जाता है, उसको सात्त्विक कहते हैं ॥
English
That threefold discipline of body, speech, and mind, performed with supreme trust and without craving results, is called sattvic.
What this verse means
Body, speech, and mind are called pure discipline when practiced with trust and without wanting any reward.
Context & commentary
On Kurukshetra, Krishna is still answering Arjuna’s crisis by defining real inner discipline. After describing discipline of body, speech, and mind, he says that such practice is sattvic only when it is done with trust and no hunger for reward.
Why this verse still matters
You keep the promise to train at dawn, then no one sees the effort and the applause never comes. The practice still counts when you were never negotiating for praise.
The takeaway
Real discipline feels lighter when it is not bargaining for payoff.
Word-by-word translation
श्रद्धया (with trust) / परया (supreme) / तप्तं (performed) / तपः (discipline) / तत् (that) / त्रिविधं (threefold) / नरैः (by people) / अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिः (by those not desiring fruit) / युक्तैः (by those joined) / सात्त्विकं (sattvic) / परिचक्षते (they call)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17: Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga — The Three Kinds of Faith, which contains 28 verses.
Explore related themes: shraddha (34 verses), sattva (26 verses), tapas (22 verses)