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कार्यमित्येव यत्कर्म नियतं क्रियतेऽर्जुन।सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलं चैव स त्यागः सात्त्विको मतः।।18.9।।

kāryam ity eva yat karma niyataṁ kriyate ‘rjuna saṅgaṁ tyaktvā phalaṁ chaiva sa tyāgaḥ sāttviko mataḥ

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 18, Verse 9
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
Whatever obligatory action is done, O Arjuna, merely because it ought to be done, abandoning attachment and also the desire for reward, that renunciation is regarded as sattvic (pure).

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: but one who performs an obligatory duty simply because it should be done, abandoning attachment and desire for the fruit, that relinquishment is regarded as being of the nature of goodness, finally defining the genuine version of this practice clearly, after two verses naming its common counterfeits.

In life: it's genuinely useful that this chapter first names the two common ways people fake this practice before finally defining what the real version actually looks like, the fakes make the genuine article easier to recognize by contrast.

Teaching: use these two named counterfeits, confused avoidance and discomfort-driven escape, as reference points for recognizing when your own attempt at letting go of something is genuine versus when it's actually one of these more common substitutes.

kāryamas a duty
itias
evaindeed
yatwhich
karma niyatamobligatory actions
kriyateare performed
arjunaArjun
saṅgamattachment
tyaktvārelinquishing
phalamreward
chaand
evacertainly
saḥsuch
tyāgaḥrenunciation of desires for enjoying the fruits of actions
sāttvikaḥin the mode of goodness
mataḥconsidered

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
18.9 कार्यम् ought to be done? इति thus? एव even? यत् which? कर्म action? नियतम् obligatory? क्रियते is performed? अर्जुन O Arjuna? सङ्गम् attachment? त्यक्त्वा abandoning? फलम् fruit? च and? एव even? सः that? त्यागः abandonment? सात्त्विकः Sattvic (pure)? मतः is regarded.Commentary A man of pure nature performs actions that have fallen to his lot in accordance with his capacity and his inherent nature. He is not filled with the pride that he is the performer of such actions nor does he hope for any gain therefrom.An ignorant man may think that the obligatory duties may produce their fruits for the performer by causing selfpurification and preventing the sin of omission or nonperformance. This sort of thinking and expectation of rewards also must be abandoned. Abandonment of the rewards of actions is praised in this verse.When a man does obligatory duties without agency and with unselfishness and egolessness his,mind is purified? his Antahkarana is prepared for the reception of the divine light or the dawn of Selfknowledge. He gradually becomes fit for devotion to knowledge (JnanaNishtha).The aspirant or seeker after liberation should be prepared to undergo physical sufferings. All acts of selfdiscipline and selfsacrifice entail physical suffering.This? again? is the central teaching of the Gita -- do your duty without attachment and selfish desires.