A declaration · grounding in mood · a little context helps
“The purest action asks for nothing back.”
Action that is guided by duty, free from attachment, and done without craving results is called sattvic.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Tap a word to focus on it.
Read literallyprescribed · free from attachment · without attraction and aversion · done · by one not seeking fruit · action · which · that · sattvic · is called
Action is pure when it follows duty, is free from attachment, and is done without craving the result.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Moksha Sanyasa Yoga" (Liberation through Renunciation).
Verse 23 sits in Chapter 18 of the Bhagavad Gita — Moksha Sanyasa Yoga, "Liberation through Renunciation". The chapter has 78 verses in total.
A district judge hears a land dispute between two families, one of them related to her. Krishna's sattvic action would have her rule by the law, with no pull towards either side and no eye on her reputation.
Did you like this verse?
Sattvic action is prescribed duty done without attachment, without likes and dislikes, and without wanting its fruit.
What this verse means
Action is pure when it follows duty, is free from attachment, and is done without craving the result.
Context & commentary
Krishna now classifies kinds of action, showing that the highest form is duty done without attachment, craving, or inner push and pull.
What it looks like today
A district judge hears a land dispute between two families, one of them related to her. Krishna's sattvic action would have her rule by the law, with no pull towards either side and no eye on her reputation.
“You can act fully without being pulled by wanting. That makes the work clean and steady.”
Explore related themes: sattva (26 verses), attachment (20 verses), duty (13 verses)