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BG 17.17 — 17.17 This threefold austerity, practised by steadfast men, with the utmost faith, desiring no reward, they call Sattvic.
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श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः |
अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ||१७-१७||

śraddhayā parayā taptaṃ tapastattrividhaṃ naraiḥ . aphalākāṅkṣibhiryuktaiḥ sāttvikaṃ paricakṣate ||17-17||


17.17 This threefold austerity, practised by steadfast men, with the utmost faith, desiring no reward, they call Sattvic.

Word-by-word meanings

17.17 श्रद्धया with faith? परया highest? तप्तम् practised? तपः austerity? तत् that? त्रिविधम् threefold? नरैः by men? अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिः desiring no fruit? युक्तैः steadfast? सात्त्विकम् Sattvic? परिचक्षते (they) declare.Commentary Trividham Threefold -- physical? vocal and mental.Yuktaih Steadfast Balanced in mind? unaffected in success and failure.Sraddhaya With faith With belief in the existence of God? in the words of the preceptor? in the teachings of the scriptures and in ones own Self.

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

17.17 When tat, that; trividham, threefold-based on three factors; tapah, austerity, which is being discussed; is taptam, undertaken, practised; paraya, with supreme, with the highest; sraddhaya, faith, belief in God and the other world; naraih, by people, by its performers; aphala-akanksibhih, who do not hanker after results,who are devoid of desire for results; and yuktaih, who are self-controlled;-that austerity which is of this kind, the noble people paricaksate, speak of it; as sattvikam, born of sattva.

(Showing excerpt)

Swami Gambirananda

17.17 When that threefold austerity is undertaken with supreme faith by people who do not hanker after results and are self-controlled, they speak of it as born of sattva.

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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