Tat removes ego-ownership from action.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
तदित्यनभिसन्धाय फलं यज्ञतपःक्रियाः |दानक्रियाश्च विविधाः क्रियन्ते मोक्षकाङ्क्षिभिः ||१७-२५||
tadityanabhisandhāya phalaṃ yajñatapaḥkriyāḥ . dānakriyāśca vividhāḥ kriyante mokṣakāṅkṣibhiḥ ||17-25||
Use this verse when result-attachment rises.
Meaning
Uttering Tat, seekers of liberation perform sacrifice, austerity, and various acts of charity without aiming at the fruit.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Tat means the action belongs to That, not to ego or reward.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna explains Tat as a purifier of ownership. It reminds the seeker to release personal claim, result-attachment, and ego from sacred action.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna now reveals the meaning of the second word, Tat ('That'). By uttering Tat, the seeker relinquishes all claim to the fruit of the action — anabhisandhaya phalam, without aiming at any reward. Those who long for liberation (moksha-kankshibhih) perform their sacrifices, austerities, and gifts in this spirit, offering them up to 'That' Supreme rather than grasping at personal gain.
While Om dedicates an act to the Divine, Tat releases it of self-interest. The word points to the transcendent Reality, beyond name and form, and in invoking it the doer surrenders the results. This is the heart of the Gita's path of liberation: act fully, then let go.
The one who seeks freedom does not bind themselves with the chains of expectation. By saying 'Tat,' they entrust the outcome to the Absolute and thereby loosen the very attachment that keeps the soul bound.
In daily life
Offer actions to the Supreme without grasping the result.
A person can say Tat before charity to remember this is not mine, not for me.
Try this today
Before one action, say Tat and release the result.
I offer action without ego-ownership.Reflect
What action can I release from ego-ownership?
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Quick check
What does ‘यज्ञ तपः क्रियाः’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on non attachment, in other chapters
- Verse 18.49Mastering the self and releasing all craving brings freedom from the binding power of action.
- Verse 7.14You cannot out-think illusion with the very mind it deludes — but wholehearted refuge in the Divine carries you across.
- Verse 9.28Offer your actions to the Divine and release attachment to their outcomes; this very surrender is what sets you free.
- Verse 12.7Fix your mind on God, and He Himself will swiftly lift you out of the ocean of birth and death.
Swipe left for 17.26 · Sat means being, goodness, and noble action.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 17.25
Who says Bhagavad Gita 17.25, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 17.25, in Chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga (Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 17.25 mean?
Uttering Tat, seekers of liberation perform sacrifice, austerity, and various acts of charity without aiming at the fruit. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 17.25 for daily life?
Offer actions to the Supreme without grasping the result. A person can say Tat before charity to remember this is not mine, not for me.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 17.25 mean?
तत् इति — 'Tat' — thus; अनभिसन्धाय फलम् — without aiming at the fruit / reward; यज्ञ तपः क्रियाः — the acts of sacrifice and austerity; दानक्रियाः च विविधाः — and the various acts of giving; क्रियन्ते — are performed.
Where does verse 17.25 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 25 of 28 in Chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga. The next verse is 17.26.