Arjuna asked: Those who offer their sacrifice with full faith, but with disregard the scriptural injunctions, of what nature is their pursuit - sāttvika, rājasa or tāmasa?

Krishna concluded the earlier chapter by saying that although the śāstras are the first and last word in discerning the good and bad for our life, the āsura people have no regard for śāstras. They do everything driven by their desire and ego, and hence attain neither happiness nor success. Krishna's words touched Arjuna deeply, who instantly raises a relevant question: “Śāstras being so adorable and indispensable, what is the fate of those who devoutly do their worship, but not conforming to the rules of the śāstras?” Are śāstras more important or the faith, attention, and devotion? Obviously all cannot study the śāstras, and follow their commands. At the same time, they cannot forgo their faithful worship too. Arjuna asks: “What is the kind of devotion or faith they have that motivates them to such worship or pursuit as they resort to? Can we categorize their pursuit according to the three guṇas?”

Lord Krishna said: Śraddhā of the embodied is born of his own inherent nature; it is of three kinds – sāttvika, rājasa and tāmasa. Listen about this.Śraddhā of all is according to the essence of their being. Man is an embodiment of his śraddhā. Whatever is one’s śraddhā, he verily is that.

Śraddhā denotes the assiduous application of one’s mind to a given task. This is inward in character. Śraddhā is of three kinds. Krishna calls them sāttvika, rājasa and tāmasa. Everything in Nature is made up of three guṇas – sattva, rajas and tamas. The quality derived from and propelled by sattva, is called sāttvika. That which rajas propels becomes rājasa, and that which is caused by tamas is tāmasa. Every individual has all the three guṇas playing in his personality. But, each has one or the other among the three more prominent or in leading position. It is just like physical features, with which each is born. But, as we go inward, in the case of mind and intelligence, the freedom and choice for transformation are more. By proper pursuit one can improve and purify the inner faculties with considerable success. That is what makes human life distinct and glorious. Kṛṣṇa adds that śraddhā is inseparable from one’s inner being. It is characteristic of the mind, intelligence and ego in each. None can peep into another’s inner being. But from the śraddhā he displays, his inner being can be adduced. Say, a set of devotees go to a temple and worship. They look at the same deity and do the worship alike. Three of them feel happy that God will fulfil their wish. The remaining five feel their worship was not fruitful. What is the difference between them? All went to the same shrine, looked at the same deity, spent the same time for praying. Three felt happy and fulfilled but the rest five did not. Physically their effort was the same. But what a striking difference in the outcome each gained! Obviously it was brought about by an internal invisible factor that shaped their prayer – the śraddhā in each!

Those of sāttvika orientation worship devas (gods), rājasas worship yakshas and rākṣasas (celestial beings and demons), and others of tāmasa temperament worship the spirits of the dead and bhūta-ganas (manes and ghouls).

Though worship is sublimating, each takes to it with a variety of fascinations and choices. The outcome also will be correspondingly different. Nature of worship rests upon what the worshipper relishes and aims at by worshipping. Krishna categorizes worship into three, giving their respective identifications. One's object of worship evidences his tendencies. The sāttvika kind worship godly and divine beings, and thereby inculcate divinity and refinement in themselves. The rājasa kind takes to worshipping yakshas and rakshasas, meaning celestial beings and demons. Their mind's impurity and desires lead to such a selection. The tāmasa chooses to worship the spirits of the dead, manes and ghouls. The first is refining, elevating, while the others are partially or fully putrefying and lowering. The best act, wrongly done with lower cravings, will lead to similar outcomes!

Understand them to be of demonic resolve, who, contrary to scriptural direction, perform fierce austerities with hypocrisy and ego, impelled by the force of passion and desire. Such indiscreet people torture the elements in the body as well as Me, the indwelling Presence.

Good and proper austerities will have their purifying and elevating effects all through. If this is missing, then the austerity lacks in propriety, relevance and benevolence. This is what happens in the case of demonic people. Devoid of basic discretion about the purpose and need of austerity, they blindly take to all kinds of distorted, harmful and degenerative practices, which have no scriptural sanction or support. Their own passions and greed are the motivation for what they do. They care not to evaluate the outcome of the practice. This gives them all freedom to be harsh and cruel in various ways. As a result, they hurt and harm the elements of their own body. But, alas, they think that they are engaged in powerful austerities. No austerity should bring any kind of gross or subtle imbalance, disharmony or harm to the body and its functions. Krishna points out that the demonic people not only torment the bodily elements, but also inflict pain and suffering to the indwelling supreme Presence – a fact they neither know nor are prepared to honour, if told. The reason for all this is the predominance of tamas and rajas in them – their refusal to use their intelligence and reason to evaluate matters. As in secular matters, so also in divine and spiritual matters, the spirit of enquiry and examination should always be kept up. By any action – no matter whether it is austerity, worship, or meditation – there should not be any adverse effect on the body, mind and intelligence. The pursuit should be sublimating, strengthening and rewarding, bestowing joy and clarity in the process. This fundamental awareness Asuric people miss right through. It is a sheer pity. But no caution or persuasion, however timely and strongly given, is able to change the mindset of those with demonic disposition.

The food relished by people is also of three kinds. Likewise, sacrifice (yajña), austerity (tapas) and charity (dāna). Now hear their differences.

Krishna began the dialogue with the immediate aim of relieving Arjuna's scorching grief. To begin with, Krishna showed how hollow it is to grieve unduly over death (2.11), the last biological transformation in life. He then analysed life as a ceaseless interaction between our senses and world objects, showing how one can take to it with harmony and poise. Krishna then brought many a line of thinking to fortify Arjuna's perception and stability to course through all the events he may encounter. Here he categorizes various kinds of people and different aspects of their life on the basis of the three guṇas. The analysis helps us to understand the behaviour of people of various kinds and also shows us how to transform our constitution to gain greater harmony, poise and integration in life. He discusses food as well as other practices, all of which go to enrich one's spiritual knowledge and perfection. Krishna categorizes food into three, explaining when and how it becomes sāttvika, rājasa and tāmasa.

Sāttvika food enhances longevity, spiritual strength, health, happiness and contentment. Food items that are delicious, soothing, sustaining and pleasing to the heart are dear to the sāttvikas.

How briefly but comprehensively does Krishna describe sāttvika food! He does not go into the details of various sāttvika items and how they are to be cooked. He only speaks about the qualities of the food and its effect on the body and mind. Thus, one can select such food and nurture sāttvika refinement. Our body is anna-maya, made of food. Change of food will certainly result in change in the bodily features as well as characteristics of mind and intelligence. It is clear that sāttvika food is the best for the mind as well as the body. Sāttvika food brings greater longevity, inner strength and brilliance. It generates inner spiritual delight and comfort. It is very delicious, soft, and hence easy to take. It is sustaining to life; also pleasing to the heart. Digestion will be comfortable, without causing any hiccup or belching. What more can one desire?

Rājasa people prefer food items which are excessively bitter, sour, saline, extremely hot, pungent, dry and burning, causing suffering, grief and disease.

Three guṇas of Prakṛti permeate everything. The herbal domain, which caters to our food and nourishment, is no exception in this. Each item has its own qualities, taste and consequence. Let not taste rule the selection of food. Tasty items may be harmful to one's body and health. Discrimination must be the watchword in this. Select such items as are conducive to digestion and well-being. Rājasa food, says Krishna, has strong flavours and tastes, none of which is good for the gross body or the subtle mind. Whatever one eats is in the mouth for a few minutes, but for hours in the alimentary canal. All rājasa food is thus harmful to the body. Use tastes discreetly to make the recipe soothing even after eating. A combination of tastes is stimulating indeed. Very good food, delicious and assimilable, can be made with choice items. Here lies the skill and attention in cooking.

Food cooked unduly earlier, tasteless, stinking, stale, left over by someone after eating, impure, is relished by the people of tāmasa temperament.

Preferences and tastes of people differ. It is all a play of Nature's guṇas. Tamo-guṇa is noted for its downgrading effects. This is so in the matter of food too. Every time, food is to be served hot, soon after it is cooked. Any delay in this has adverse effect. Even during feasts, food should not be prepared hours before serving it. When freshness is lost, food becomes stale and hence harmful to the body and mind. Items left over on the plate (after eating) are also defiling. Generally dogs and birds rush to such left over items. Taking impure food is forbidden by our scriptures. Purity and sattva-guṇa of food is all the more important for spiritual seekers. At a subtler level, purity of the food depends on the mind of the cook and the server. One is promoted and demoted in his own hands, by virtue of his own habits and pursuits. Food makes and preserves the body. Food affects one's thoughts and emotions. Its importance cannot be overstated.

The yajña (sacrifice) performed without desire for any result thereof, at the same time as prescribed in the scriptures, considering the performance to be noble, and fixing the mind well on its performance, is said to be sāttvika (yajña).

To anoint human life with the required nobility and purpose, one must embody the triple pursuits of yajña, tapas and dāna. Krishna has already explained that the Creator himself has enjoined yajña on humans (3.10), saying it is verily a wish-yielding cow (kāma-dhenu). Here he describes three-kinds of yajña, performed with different aim, intention, and mindset. In sāttvika sacrifice, the performer has no desire for its acclaimed result. He does it only because he considers it to be a noble act. His sole attention is thus on the performance itself, with the mind fully focussed on its details. To do something good, benign and noble is a great privilege and fortune. Hence no other motivation or expectation should vitiate the mind. The performance itself is so ennobling and elevating that the performer derives all contentment and fulfilment therefrom.

O best of the Bharata clan (Arjuna), know that a yajña performed specifically with the aim of personal gain, and also for ostentation, is a rājasa yajña.

The inner personality is the sole factor in shaping the quality and outcome of whatever one does. An action may be very holy and noble. But if done in an unholy manner, it vitiates the performer. The outcome solely depends upon the performer's mind and attitude. This fundamental fact should be borne in mind with great care and attention. Thus the most noble yajña gets vitiated when performed looking only for some personal gain and with overwhelming ostentation. The great holy act becomes impious, degrading and ignoble. Though the act of yajña is external, and many factors are involved in it, the entire fate changes, when the mind displays wrong attitude and aim. What the mind does alone counts, not what the body and limbs do. Yajña or any other action performed in a rājasa way enhances ego, desire and distraction, and does not lead the mind on the auspicious path.

Yajña done without heeding the rules and procedures śāstras lay down, with no food distributed to those around, without reciting the necessary mantras, without giving adequate dakṣiṇā (offering to priests, etc.), lacking in attention and application, is considered tāmasa.

Vedic yajña is not a secular act. It is a very holy act, rarely done. One performs yajña with a view to inculcating in himself as well as others around a good measure of divinity and sublimity to elevate the inner being. For this, the śāstras' exhortations should be adhered to. That alone brings spiritual touch and feeling. But in tāmasa yajña, all these are totally neglected. No rules and procedures are properly and attentively observed. Feeding people lovingly with good food is an integral part of yajña. If this is shunned, or not done with love and care, then the performer will not have the sublime effect of the performance. Similarly, the priests and attendants whose role is essential in the yajña, are to be properly gifted. Faith, attention and care should be evinced in the whole performance. In tāmasa yajña, these are not done, making the whole pursuit a sheer indulgence in delusion and hypocrisy. The performance becomes unholy and degenerating.

Worshiping devas (divine beings), brāhmaṇas, Guru and the wise, cleanliness, straightforwardness, celibacy and non-hurting constitute bodily austerity.

In front of anyone great and glorious one naturally feels humility and respect. Thus we have the highest sentiments towards devas (powers of Nature), whose kindness and grace mean a great deal to our safety and welfare. Equally so we worship brāhmaṇas, who are devoted to a life of austerity and spiritual wisdom, meant to be a benediction to others. The teacher imparting knowledge is equally worshippable. So also are the wise and the enlightened, from whom one gets guidance and looks for redress in crisis. All of them are equally adorable to an earnest seeker of good. Any good human must inculcate the basic virtues of cleanliness, straightforwardness, celibacy and non-hurting, which constitute bodily austerity, meant to enrich our mind and intelligence, lifting us to a dimension commendable in every way.

Using words that are non-irritating, truthful, endearing and beneficial, and studying scriptures regularly are said to be constituting austerity pertaining to speech.

Austerity is multi-faceted. Human action is in four levels. To begin from outside, we have bodily and sensory activity. This gives rise to bodily austerity. Then comes the oral expression or speech. Thereafter, we come to mental and intelligentional activity. These are the four levels of activity, where austerity should be pursued. Krishna here details the austerity pertaining to speech. Our communication consists of words, sentences, and bhāva (expression). All these should be free from any irritating or offending note. Speech should always be truthful, amiable, evoking fondness and ready reception. Anything to the contrary should be discerned and dispensed with. Regular study of scriptures and allied texts should be a must for a seeker of spiritual perfection. This is an austerity which keeps our mind disciplined and intelligence clear. Regular association with the pure words and thoughts of the scriptures instils purity and peace in our mind.

Cheerful calmness of the mind, gentleness, silence, self-control, attitudinal and emotional purity are held to constitute mental austerity.

Only when one comes to know that he has the freedom to incorporate in him healthy and benevolent qualities and virtues, he can begin to cultivate them. So, timely exposure to the scriptural truths is indispensable. Vyasadeva (the author of Mahabharata) documenting it in the form of Bhagavad Gita thus has a unique role in shaping the quality, growth and enrichment of human life. The mind has the potential to display a variety of moods and dispositions. It is for everyone to cultivate the pleasant ones, by using discretion and ingenuity. Krishna says that one should be cheerful, not gloomy. In the same way, gentleness, not harshness, should grace one’s behaviour and interaction. Instead of being talkative, one should practise silence, which has marvellous salutary effects. One must have control over his senses and mind. Also, he should be alert in practising purity of attitude and emotions. All these go to make mental austerity.

This three-fold austerity, pursued with supreme attention by men, with no desire for any external reward therefrom, is held to be sāttvika.

Krishna first defined the austerities pertaining to the body, speech and mind. In pursuing these, there is again a threefold distinction – sāttvika, rājasa and tāmasa austerity. He defines the sāttvika first. How deftly does Krishna lead the seeker to the intricacies of the mind and intelligence, and make them sharper, more perceptive and evaluative! Spirituality is the science and art of delving deep within the personality and effecting a thorough transformation and enrichment, whereby one becomes pure, benevolent and delightful. Rājasā and tāmasā traits are to be overcome by incorporating and intensifying the sāttvika ones. The process is amazingly enlightening – a very subtle psycho-intellectual analysis, filtering and enriching the inner personality. Krishna says that all the three levels of austerity should be pursued with full care and concern, but with no expectation for any kind of external reward or gain therefrom. Then only the austerity will become sāttvika.

Austerity performed for gaining recognition, adoration and propitiation, exhibiting pomp and ostentation, is regarded here as rājasa, and is unstable and fleeting.

The mind in general is quite shallow, extrovert and trivial. It is averse to think about leading a qualitative life of real enrichment and elevation. At the same time, it has a flair for gaining popular esteem. Thus it gives in to pettiness and ostentation. With a view to winning esteem in the eyes of others, it takes to religious austerity. So the real aim and focus of austerity gets lost. The rājasa nature looks for pomp and flamboyance, to become noticeable to people around. That leads to hankering after special welcome and adoration from others, acclaiming whatever has been done. A dignified human way is to be humble, quiet and unassuming, especially while performing worship and austerity. Only then will the performance be effective and bestow the desired purity. Rājasā instigations are calamitous. Pride and pomp dominate even their religious austerities or spiritual practices, and bring downfall.

Austerity done with foolish and deluded notions, to torture oneself or destroy another, is held to be tāmasa.

As different from the effects of rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa activates utter delusion and foolishness in people. Propelled by it, the performer imposes severe torture or suffering on himself as well as others by his austerities. In the worst case, one takes to austerities only to harm or destroy others, which by no means is justified, and brings downfall to himself. Viveka, discrimination, is the watchword for all human actions. Devotional, religious and spiritual actions are no exception to this. To hurt or harm another is detestable and inexcusable. The entire code of ethics is condensed as: “Do not do to others, what you will not like to be done to you.” Thus hurting another is not permissible at all, as none will like it to be done to himself. Yet this travesty is not uncommon. The reason is tamo-guṇa. Collective thoughts and evaluation should therefore be encouraged, so that individuals may be rightly guided.

Any gift offered considering it is noble to give, and given in the right place, on the right occasion, to the right recipient, looking for no reciprocal benefit, is deemed sāttvika dāna.

Yajña, dāna and tapas are disciplines and practices meant to elevate, enrich and fulfil human life. One should not lead his life like animals, enjoying selfishly whatever sensory comforts he can muster. One should look for inner, spiritual resources the mind and intelligence hold. These alone offer lasting delight and fulfilment. Krishna discusses dāna, offering made to those who need it. The giver should heartily feel that dāna is integral to human nobility. It purifies and enriches the giver amply. Giving should be to the right recipient, when he needs it. The giver should not look for any reciprocal service from the receiver. Or else the offer gets vitiated. While the offering benefits the receiver grossly, it greatly blesses the giver inwardly. True giving enhances the dāna spirit as well as augments the resources of the giver.

Whatever is given unwillingly, keeping in mind some return benefit from the receiver, or expecting some personal gain, is held as rājasa dāna.

If sāttvika gift is pure, desire-free and without expectation, rājasa gift is just the opposite. It has the definite aim of getting some reciprocal benefit from the beneficiary. But any such thought is desecrating. Rajo-guṇa drags the giver to such retrograde instigations. The rājasa giver being possessive, will be very reluctant to spare what he has. He will not give spontaneously out of compassion. Only when love and fondness adorn the giver as well as the receiver, the offering becomes noble, elevating and delightful. Dāna often promises heavenly rewards, which motivate the rājasa giver. But any such thought undermines the whole nobility and sanctity of dāna. True discrimination alone is the real safeguard in the matter.

The dāna given in improper place and time to undeserving people, without due respect and attention, and with contempt, is considered to be tāmasa.

In tāmasa dāna, the degeneration reaches its acme. The giver cares for no discipline, restraint or value in what he does. His moods and whims take over everything else. The giver is averse to considerations like good time, favourable place and deserving recipient. Often he selects the undeserving, a wrong time or place, inviting contempt and ridicule from the gentry. What makes dāna sacred is its relevance, usefulness and benevolence. When the whole performance is subjected to inattention and neglect, it loses all nobility and sublimity. How does the human mind host such utterly contrasting notes, making life a constant challenge for one and all? By delineating the effects of all guṇas, Krishna exhorts everyone to reduce rajas and tamas, and enhance sattva guṇa. This done, life becomes most desirable and a blessing to others as well.

OM, TAT and SAT are spoken of as the triple attributes of Brahman, the supreme Reality. By these were ordained the Brāhmaṇas, Vedas and yajñas, in the ancient times.

To make life meaningful and noble, one has to cultivate discrimination, dropping the undesirable traits and imbibing the desirable ones. Krishna explains the process of developing goodness, nobility and benevolence by presenting three ancient cultural utterances, to be practised with dedication and fervour. These will instil inner purity and enrichment. Their effects are time-tested. Brāhmaṇas are treasure-keepers and disseminators of purity, austerity and spiritual wisdom. Taking up Vedic study and observances right from birth, they distance themselves from sensory pleasures, which breed delusion and distortion. With their daily observances, Gāyatrī recitation and allied disciplines, they unravel the inner splendour, the source of all experiences and knowledge. Others adore Brāhmaṇas, given as they are to austere life of inner absorption and enlightenment. As they do not take up any lucrative profession, the society respectfully looks after their needs, letting them free to pursue their own spiritual excellence for the benefit of the society. OM is a combination of three sounds – A, U and M, representing the three states of being: wakeful (outward, gross), dream (inward, subtle), and deep sleep or sushupti (causal, unmanifest). The syllable as a whole brings in the Fourth (turiya), the transcendental, which is the ever-present Consciousness manifesting the three states. All the three words “Om Tat Sat” individually and collectively define Brahman, the supreme, transcendental Reality. Pronouncing these three words while commencing or performing any activity connects our mind and intelligence to Brahman. It reminds us that whatever we do is an expression of the Divine, is to be offered to the Divine. The utterance “Om Tat Sat” has the mystic power to instil spiritual enrichment in the human. In order to live in this heterogeneous world of multiple tendencies, chant this triplet faithfully, grow with its spiritual grace and grandeur. Besides using these as a regular chant, reflect also on what they mean and denote. Chanting will pacify the mind and reflection will make the intelligence more and more perceptive.

For Vedic followers, therefore, yajña, dāna and tapas, as ordained by śāstras, are always commenced by reciting OM.

Om, Tat and Sat have their collective, graceful effect, like a mantra (sacred aphoristic phrase). In addition, each word carries a special import, which is applied to yajña, dāna and tapas alike. Here Krishna refers to Om specially, saying how effective it is while performing yajña, tapas and dāna. It makes the performance extremely pure, sanctified and powerful to fetch the necessary outcome. But the performances themselves have to be according to what Vedas prescribe. Chanting Om does not mean one can disregard or bypass Vedic injunctions and prescriptions. It is only imbuing an additional note of sanctity and sublimity to the whole performance. In fact, the syllable Om is said to contain and incorporate all the Vedic propositions in the form of hymns, ritualistic mantras, and spiritual revelations as contained in the last portion of Vedas called Upanishads. It has an all-embracing dimension as well as effect. Creation is a handiwork of inner Consciousness. There is nothing Consciousness cannot directly bestow.

By those aspiring for liberation, the various acts of yajña, dāna and tapas are performed uttering ‘Tat’, without looking for any special fruit or result.

Tat (meaning ‘That’) refers to the supreme all-pervading Reality. So, when one’s limbs and lips move, producing Vedic hymns and mantras, the overall presence, ‘Tat’, does not get affected or dislodged. It is like waves surging in the sea, without affecting the sea the least. By uttering ‘Tat’, denoting the supreme all-pervading Presence, an elevating note is instilled into the performance. As no specific result is aimed at, this note gains supremacy. The performer comes to think of the supreme Presence, its fulfilling nature. So, Vedic practitioners are used to uttering the divine ‘Tat’ with other mantras, fetching a wholesome note of sanctity and sublimity throughout. After the performance, when the mind begins to ruminate, it is this note that surfaces more than any other! Everything depends upon the identity one feels, and wishes to generate and preserve in whatever he does.

The word 'Sat' is employed in the sense of the ultimate Truth, Reality, as well as goodness and nobility. O Partha, 'Sat' is also used to refer to any act esteemed for loftiness or auspiciousness.

The word 'Sat' is employed in the sense of the ultimate Truth, Reality, as well as goodness and nobility. O Partha, 'Sat' is also used to refer to any act esteemed for loftiness or auspiciousness (because such work helps one attain the Truth). The third word of the triplet is ‘Sat’. It denotes something good, noble and great. But the main meaning it carries is Truth, Reality, the singular all-pervading changeless Presence. In one sense it indicates Brahman, the Self, the indwelling sentient presence, the ‘I’, which is not subject to any change at all. Sat is used as a prefix to many words, indicating what it refers to is auspicious, lofty or benevolent. The reason is that any such auspicious act or word relates one to the path of ultimate Truth. Sat-karma, Sat-śraddhā, Sat-puruṣa, etc. are words in which ‘Sat’ is prefixed. Like Om and Tat, Sat represents goodness and its derivations. All the three words have the power to instil purity and divinity anywhere, especially while one embarks upon any important undertaking. They are a subtle spiritual force, which can influence an entity, a place or purpose!

To be given steadily to yajña, tapas and dāna is said to be ‘Sat’. Equally so, any action done for the sake of these three is verily called ‘Sat’.

Krishna now summarises his definitions and explanations, by relating ‘Sat’ to yajña, dāna and tapas alike. These three are indispensable in edifying human life, irrespective of time, place and circumstances. One must be given to doing everything with dedication to the Supreme, whose manifestation the world is. Yajña is no religious or devotional act. It is acting without desire, without the usual delusional clinging to the result. When such clinging is dropped, all actions become yajña. One should also joyfully share his resources with the needy around, without looking for any reciprocation. Austerity consists in the discipline of leaving the undesirable and incorporating the desirable. It purifies the body and mind, and makes one fit for realizing the Truth. To be given to the pursuit of yajña, dāna and tapas without desiring personal gain, is to be in the Sat, nay to be the Sat itself. Human attains his ideal when he becomes the Sat!

Whatever is offered to fire (sacrificed) or gifted to another, whatever is performed as an austerity or as a simple action – if done without proper honour and attention, is called ‘asat’ (futile, vain, not based on truth). It is of no purpose either here or elsewhere.

Krishna defined and described Sat in detail. Then what is ‘asat’, the opposite of ‘Sat’? How do we understand it and its bearing for our purposes? Krishna explains that too. Whatever is done with śraddhā, with proper esteem and assiduous application of mind, becomes ‘Sat’. So, whatever is done with neglect, inattention and insufficient application of mind, becomes ‘asat’ (futile, inauspicious). In such asat, Krishna includes all kinds of action, secular and non-secular alike. Even holy sacrifices made into fire, dāna offered to others, or severe austerities undertaken, if devoid of honour and attention, degenerate to be ‘asat’. This applies to all actions in general. By none of them can the actor gain anything here or elsewhere. It is not physical action performed with the body that counts, but the mental association, concern and resolve with which it is done!