Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 18, Verse 23
नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषतः कृतम्।अफलप्रेप्सुना कर्म यत्तत्सात्त्विकमुच्यते।।
niyataṁ saṅga-rahitam arāga-dveṣataḥ kṛtam
aphala-prepsunā karma yat tat sāttvikam ucyate
also searched as "niyatam sangarahitam aragadveshatah kritam"
Translation
That obligatory act is said to be Sattvika, which is done without attachment, without desire or aversion, and by one who seeks no fruit.
Vāṇi's rendering
Work that is yours to do, done without clinging, without liking or loathing, wanting no reward — that work is clear.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नियतम्niyataṁ | prescribed; the work that is already yours to do |
| सङ्गरहितम्saṅga-rahitam | free of clinging, without the grip of attachment |
| अरागद्वेषतःarāga-dveṣataḥ | not out of liking, not out of loathing |
| कृतम्kṛtam | done, carried out |
| अफलप्रेप्सुनाaphala-prepsunā | by one who is not reaching for a reward |
| कर्मkarma | action, work |
| यत्yat | which |
| तत्tat | that (joined in sandhi with the preceding yat) |
| सात्त्विकम्sāttvikam | clear, luminous, untroubled in quality |
| उच्यतेucyate | is called, is said to be |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18 Verse 23 mean?
It names the quality of clear action. The work is niyatam — already yours, not selected for its appeal. It is done without clinging, without the pull of liking or the push of loathing, and by someone who is not reaching for a result. Nothing is added to the doing. That subtraction is what makes it clear.
What is the meaning of niyatam sangarahitam aragadveshatah kritam?
Krishna is listing what is absent, not what is achieved. No grip on the task, no appetite or aversion steering the hand, no eye on the fruit. The action itself may be hard, dull, or costly. Its clarity comes from how lightly it is carried, not from how well it turns out.
Does sattvic action mean I should not care about results at all?
Care about the work, not about what the work will fetch you. Krishna does not ask for indifference to quality — the arrow is still aimed. He asks that your steadiness stop depending on where it lands. You can plan, measure, and correct without your peace riding on the outcome.
How do I know which work is mine to do?
Usually you already do, and the difficulty is not identification but appetite. Niyatam work is what your place, your capacity and your commitments have handed you. It rarely arrives glamorous. Notice the task you keep postponing while looking for a better one — that hesitation is often the answer speaking.
Themes in this verse
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Commentary
Krishna is not describing pleasant work. Niyatam means the work that is already yours — assigned, unchosen, often inconvenient. What makes it clear is not what it accomplishes but what has been left out of it: the grip, the preference, the eye on the reward. Arjuna wants to know which action is pure, hoping purity means painless. It does not. The archer still shoots. But nothing in him leans forward toward the outcome, and nothing recoils from the doing. You already know which task is yours today. Do that one, and stop checking what it will get you.