Moksha Sanyasa Yoga · Verse 26

Bhagavad Gita 18.26

Pure action leaves the ego out and stays calm in victory or defeat.

Wisdom translation, edited by Ankur Shukla. Commentary AI-drafted, human-reviewed. Reviewed June 2026. Methodology →

मुक्तसङ्गोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितः ।
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योर्निर्विकारः कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
जो कर्ता रागरहित, अनहंवादी, धैर्य और उत्साहयुक्त तथा सिद्धि और असिद्धिमें निर्विकार है, वह सात्त्विक कहा जाता है ॥
English
The doer who is free from attachment, free from ego, endowed with steadiness and enthusiasm, and unchanged by success or failure is called sattvic.

What this verse means

A truly pure doer works without attachment, ego, or inner disturbance, and remains steady whether the result succeeds or fails.

Context & commentary

On Kurukshetra, Krishna is not only judging actions but the kind of person behind them. After describing rajasic and tamasic action, he now shows Arjuna the sattvic doer: steady, humble, energetic, and inwardly even whether victory comes or not.

Why this verse still matters

You sent the message, made the call, and waited for the reply that could change everything. Your chest tightens. This verse asks you to stay clear inside, no matter what answer comes back.

The takeaway

There is relief in acting wholeheartedly without having to defend your pride afterward.

Word-by-word translation

मुक्तसङ्गः (free from attachment) / अनहंवादी (not speaking 'I') / धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितः (endowed with steadiness and enthusiasm) / सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः (in success and failure) / निर्विकारः (unchanged) / कर्ता (doer) / सात्त्विकः (sattvic) / उच्यते (is called)

Explore related themes: sattva (26 verses)

Share this verse X WhatsApp

Related verses