Gita 18.26

Chapter 18: Liberation

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Gita 18.26
मुक्तसङ्गोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितः। सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योर्निर्विकारः कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते॥

mukta-saṅgo 'nahaṁ-vādī dhṛty-utsāha-samanvitaḥ siddhy-asiddhyor nirvikāraḥ kartā sāttvika ucyate

"The agent who is free from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with fortitude and enthusiasm, and unchanged by success or failure—is called sattvic."

What This Means:

A sattvic doer is free from attachment, doesn't boast 'I did it,' has steady courage and energy, and remains the same whether things succeed or fail.

Going Deeper:

Five marks of the sattvic karta: 'Mukta-sanga' - free from attachment; 'Anahamvadi' - without ego-proclamation; 'Dhriti' - fortitude, steady resolve; 'Utsaha' - enthusiasm, energy; 'Nirvikara' - unchanged by outcomes. This describes someone acting from inner fullness rather than need. Success doesn't inflate them; failure doesn't crush them.

How To Apply This:

Cultivate these five qualities: release attachment, drop self-promotion, maintain steady resolve, bring genuine enthusiasm, and stay equanimous with results.

Key Sanskrit Terms:

Mukta-sanga= free from attachmentAnahamvadi= without ego-speech, non-boastingDhriti= fortitude, steadinessUtsaha= enthusiasm, energyNirvikara= unchanged, unaffected