अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते ।यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः ॥
aphalākāṅkṣibhir yajño vidhidṛṣṭo ya ijyate |yaṣṭavyam eveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ ||
- अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिः · aphalākāṅkṣibhiḥ
- by those not craving a reward
- यज्ञः · yajñaḥ
- sacrifice
- विधिदृष्टः · vidhidṛṣṭaḥ
- offered per rule, as laid down
- इज्यते · ijyate
- is performed
- यष्टव्यम् · yaṣṭavyam
- to be offered, a duty
- एव · eva
- simply, alone
- इति · iti
- thus
- मनः · manaḥ
- the mind
- समाधाय · samādhāya
- having settled, resolved
- सः · saḥ
- that
- सात्त्विकः · sāttvikaḥ
- lucid, of sattva
“Sacrifice offered by those wanting no reward, performed by the rule with the settled mind that 'it is simply to be done' — that is lucid.”
— Original plain-language translation
The sattvic formula for any sacred act: no bargaining, proper form, duty-minded resolve. Yastavyam eva — 'it is to be done, full stop' — is the whole of karma-yoga in three words. Worship becomes offering rather than transaction.
— Reader's notes (original)