Verse 17.25
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
तदित्यनभिसन्धाय फलं यज्ञतपःक्रियाः | दानक्रियाश्च विविधाः क्रियन्ते मोक्षकाङ्क्षिभिः ||२५||
Transliteration (IAST)
tad ity anabhisandhāya phalaṁ yajña-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ | dāna-kriyāś ca vividhāḥ kriyante mokṣa-kāṅkṣibhiḥ ||25||
Word-by-Word Meanings
Translation
Uttering 'Tat' (That), without aiming at the fruits, the various acts of sacrifice, austerity, and charity are performed by seekers of liberation.
Commentary
Shankaracharya explains that 'Tat' signifies that all actions belong to Brahman (That), not to the individual ego. By uttering Tat, the seeker renounces ownership of the action and its results. Ramanuja interprets this as dedicating all acts to the Supreme Being indicated by 'Tat'. This practice transforms karma into a means of liberation by removing the binding element of selfish desire.