Gita 17.11
Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga
अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते | यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः ||११||
aphalākāṅkṣibhir yajño vidhi-diṣṭo ya ijyate | yaṣṭavyam eveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ ||11||
In essence: Sattvic sacrifice is performed according to scriptural injunction, without desire for results, with the simple understanding: 'This ought to be done.'
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Is it possible to truly worship without any desire for results? Even hoping for liberation is a desire."
Guru: "You touch the subtle point. Complete desirelessness is advanced attainment. For most practitioners, the work is progressive: first, reduce gross desires (wealth, success); then subtle desires (spiritual experiences, recognition); finally, even the desire for liberation merges into pure love. Begin where you are - reduce the most obvious result-orientation first."
Sadhak: "What if I follow scripture but secretly hope for blessings?"
Guru: "That's rajasic worship dressed in sattvic form - common and understandable. The teaching isn't condemnation but diagnosis. Acknowledge the hope, don't pretend it isn't there, and keep practicing. Over time, as you experience the joy of pure offering, result-attachment naturally diminishes. The act of worship itself purifies the desire that motivates worship."
Sadhak: "'This ought to be done' sounds like mere duty without feeling."
Guru: "The opposite is true. 'This ought to be done' at the sattvic level arises from deep recognition of truth - not cold obligation but felt rightness. The sattvic person worships because they see the Divine is worthy of worship, because offering is natural to love. Duty without feeling is rajasic at best. Sattvic duty is duty infused with understanding and devotion."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Before beginning morning practice, set explicit intention: 'I offer this practice without seeking any result. It is simply right to offer, and I offer.' Notice if result-desires arise during practice - desire for peace, for progress, for good feelings. Acknowledge them without fighting, but return focus to pure offering.
Apply the sattvic principle to daily work: 'This ought to be done' without excessive focus on outcomes. Work becomes a form of yajna when performed with excellence, offered without grasping at results. The sattvic worker does excellent work because excellence is right, not primarily for recognition or reward.
Review the day's 'offerings' - your work, interactions, practices. Where was result-desire strongest? Where did you act simply because it was right? Don't judge harshly; simply observe the pattern. Set intention for tomorrow to expand the 'ought to be done' motivation and reduce result-grasping.