The verse

Bhagavad Gita 18.26BG 18.26 · Chapter 18, Verse 26

Moksha Sanyasa Yoga

A declaration · reflective in mood · a little context helps

“Pure action leaves the ego out and stays calm in victory or defeat.”

Wisdom translation, edited by Ankur Shukla. Commentary AI-drafted, human-reviewed. Reviewed June 2026. Methodology →

The verse

मुक्तसङ्गोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितः ।
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योर्निर्विकारः कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ॥

The doer who is free from attachment, free from ego, endowed with steadiness and enthusiasm, and unchanged by success or failure is called sattvic.

— Krishna

Bhagavad Gita · 18.26

Hindi · हिन्दी

जो कर्ता रागरहित, अनहंवादी, धैर्य और उत्साहयुक्त तथा सिद्धि और असिद्धिमें निर्विकार है, वह सात्त्विक कहा जाता है ॥

Themes:Sattva

Word by word

The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Tap a word to focus on it.

मुक्तसङ्गःfree from attachmentअनहंवादीnot speaking 'I'धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितःendowed with steadiness and enthusiasmसिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योःin success and failureनिर्विकारःunchangedकर्ताdoerसात्त्विकःsattvicउच्यतेis called

Read literallyfree from attachment · not speaking 'I' · endowed with steadiness and enthusiasm · in success and failure · unchanged · doer · sattvic · is called

Understanding the verse

The sattvic doer works free of attachment and boasting, with resolve and zeal, unmoved by success or failure.

Built onsattva26 rajas21 tamas18 ahankara10dhriti

In plain words

What this verse means

A truly pure doer works without attachment, ego, or inner disturbance, and remains steady whether the result succeeds or fails.

On the battlefield

Context & commentary

Krishna is now judging the kind of person behind the actions. After describing rajasic and tamasic action, he now shows Arjuna the sattvic doer: steady, humble, energetic, and inwardly even whether victory comes or not.

In your life

What it looks like today

A wrestler trains for months for the district championship and loses in the first round. The sattvic doer Krishna describes would return to the akhara the next morning with the same zeal, neither crushed nor boastful.

The takeaway

“Work with energy and steadiness, and let success or failure leave you the same.”

Carry it with you