Bhagavad Gita 17.11 meaningYou are what you trust
In simple wordsSo simple a child gets it
“A gift to God given just because it’s right, with no reward wanted, is pure.”
What it means
“An offering made because it's the right thing to do, without wanting a reward and following proper guidance, is clear.”
The original Sanskrit
अफलाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते । यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः ॥
aphalāṅkṣibhiryajño vidhidṛṣṭo ya ijyate yaṣṭavyameveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ
Translations
Literal translation
That sacrifice which is in accordance with the injunctions, (and is) performed by persons who do not hanker after results, and with the mental conviction that it is surely obligatory, is done through sattva.
Swami Gambhirananda
हिंदी अनुवाद
जो यज्ञ शास्त्रविधि से नियन्त्रित किया हुआ तथा जिसे "यह मेरा कर्तव्य है" ऐसा मन का समाधान (निश्चय) कर फल की आकांक्षा नहीं रखने वाले लोगों के द्वारा किया जाता है, वह यज्ञ सात्त्विक है।
Swami Tejomayananda
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Commentaries
How great teachers across 1,200 years have explained this verse.
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Keep reading · 17.12“But an offering made to get something back, or to show off, is restless.”