niyataḿ sańga-rahitam
arāga-dveṣataḥ kṛtam
aphala-prepsunā karma
yat tat sāttvikam ucyate
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 18.23
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.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
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 Krishna consciousness for the satisfaction of the Supreme, without self-satisfaction or self-gratification, are called actions in the mode of goodness.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
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 (sanga rahitam), performed with neither like or dislike (araga dvesatah), done without desire for results (aphala prepsuna), is called sattvika work.
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
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.
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
Now the three fold influences of the three gunas or modes of material nature in respect to actions will be described by Lord Krishna in three verses. Actions that are prescribed and ordained in the Vedic scriptures and performed as a matter of duty without attachment and without conceptions of attraction, such as love of one’s family nor repulsion such as hatred of one’s enemies and are devoid of the desire for coveting rewards; such actions are known to be situated in sattva guna the mode of goodness.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
In chapter three, verse 30 Lord Krishna spoke of surrendering all actions with mind fixed on the Supreme Lord. This is because not performing actions according to duty, time and circumstance will cause demerits and give obstacles. Thus the performance of prescribed Vedic activities with the results surrendered unto the Supreme Lord due to knowing and appreciating His sublime magnificence as the creator of all is known as regulated duties in sattva guna the mode of goodness.
Now begins the summation.
The statement in verse thirty of fixating the consciousness should be understood in meditating on the principle form of the Supreme Lord one is attracted to. The act of surrendering all actions to the Supreme Lord is such that consciousness is fixed blissfully without cessation. Such actions of communion with the Supreme Lord Krishna or any of His authorised incarnations as revealed in Vedic scriptures is known by the enlightened as situated fully in sattva guna the mode of goodness.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Having described the three types of action dependent upon the knowledge possessed by the performer in each of the three gunas or modes of material nature. Lord Krishna now presents the actions of prescribed Vedic activities beginning with sattva guna the mode of goodness. Those actions that are ordained by the Vedic scriptures as obligatory, that are performed as a matter of duty without attachment, that are executed without an egoic sense of being the doer, that are performed without desire for rewards in the form of name, fame, wealth, honor, adoration, etc. Such actions are deemed by the wise as being situated in sattva guna.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
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.
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
18.23-25 Niyatam etc. : upto Tamasam ucyate. With determination : i.e., it is a thing to be acquired. Abundant in offlictions : spread through by nescience etc. Due to ignorance : i.e. due to that which is born of addiction.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
niyatam sanga-rahitam
araga-dvesatah krtam
aphala-prepsuna karma
yat tat sattvikam ucyate
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
niyatam — regulated; sańga-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.
