Verse 17.11
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते | यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः ||११||
Transliteration (IAST)
aphalākāṅkṣibhir yajño vidhi-diṣṭo ya ijyate | yaṣṭavyam eveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ ||11||
Word-by-Word Meanings
aphala-ākāṅkṣibhiḥ-by those desiring no fruit
yajñaḥ-sacrifice
vidhi-diṣṭaḥ-according to scriptural injunction
ijyate-is performed
yaṣṭavyam-must be performed
manaḥ-mind
samādhāya-having fixed
sāttvikaḥ-sattvic
Translation
That sacrifice which is offered according to scriptural injunction, by those who expect no reward, with the firm conviction that it is a duty - that is sattvic.
Commentary
Shankaracharya explains that sattvic sacrifice has three characteristics: it follows scriptural guidelines, is performed without desire for results, and is motivated purely by duty. Ramanuja emphasizes that the mental attitude (manaḥ samādhāya) is the decisive factor - the same ritual can be sattvic or rajasic depending on the performer's intention.
Themes
karmadharmasurrender