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BG 18.26 — 18.26 An agent who is free from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with firmness and enthusiasm, and unaffected by success or failure, is called Sattvic (pu
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मुक्तसङ्गोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितः |
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योर्निर्विकारः कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ||१८-२६||

muktasaṅgo.anahaṃvādī dhṛtyutsāhasamanvitaḥ . siddhyasiddhyornirvikāraḥ kartā sāttvika ucyate ||18-26||


18.26 An agent who is free from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with firmness and enthusiasm, and unaffected by success or failure, is called Sattvic (pure).

Word-by-word meanings

18.26 मुक्तसङ्गः who is free from attachment? अनहंवादी nonegoistic? धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितः endowed with firmness and enthusiasm? सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः in success or failure? निर्विकारः unaffected? कर्ता an agent? सात्त्विकः Sattvic (pure)? उच्यते is called.Commentary A pure agent does his actions with his whole heart without feeling proud at the performance. He looks for the proper time and place and in accordance with the behests of the scriptures determines whether such actions are worth doing or not.

Commentaries

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

Sri Shankaracharya

18.26 Karta, the agent; who is mukta-sangah, free from attachment-one by whom attachment has been given up; anahamvadi, not egotisic, not given to asserting his ego; dhrti-utsaha-samanvitah, endowed with fortitude and diligenc; and nirvikarah, unperturbed; siddhi-asiddhyoh, by success and failure, in the fruition and non-fruition of any action under-taken-led only by the authority of the scriptures, not by attachment to results etc. [Etc. stands for attachment to work.];-the agent who is such, he is ucyate, said to be; sattvikah, possessed of sattva.

(Showing excerpt)

Swami Gambirananda

18.26 [Ast. introduces this verse with 'Idanim kartrbhedah ucyate, Now is being stated the distinctions among the agents.'-Tr.] The agent who is free from attachment [Attachment to results or the idea of agentship.], not egotistic, endowed with fortitude and diligence, and unperturbed by success and failure is said to be possessed 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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