Sat means being, goodness, and noble action.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
सद्भावे साधुभावे च सदित्येतत्प्रयुज्यते |प्रशस्ते कर्मणि तथा सच्छब्दः पार्थ युज्यते ||१७-२६||
sadbhāve sādhubhāve ca sadityetatprayujyate . praśaste karmaṇi tathā sacchabdaḥ pārtha yujyate ||17-26||
Use this verse as a Sat action filter.
Meaning
The word Sat is used in the sense of existence and goodness; likewise, O Partha, the word Sat is used for an auspicious or praiseworthy action.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Sat points to truth, goodness, and noble action.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna explains Sat as the principle of realness, goodness, and worthy action. It turns attention toward what is true, wholesome, and dharmic.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna turns to the third word, Sat, unfolding its rich layers of meaning. Sat is used in two senses: sad-bhave, denoting reality and existence — that which truly is — and sadhu-bhave, denoting goodness and virtue. Beyond this, the word Sat is also applied to any prashaste karmani, a praiseworthy and auspicious action.
This verse beautifully fuses metaphysics with ethics. The same word that names ultimate Reality also names moral goodness, quietly affirming that truth and goodness are not separate. What is real is good, and what is good participates in the real.
To call a worthy deed 'Sat' is to recognise that it partakes of the very nature of Brahman. Goodness, in this vision, is not arbitrary convention but is rooted in the structure of existence itself — an echo of the Absolute reverberating in righteous action.
In daily life
Ask whether an action is real, good, and worthy.
A person can test a project by asking whether it creates genuine good, not just noise or vanity.
Try this today
Apply the Sat test to one decision.
I choose what is true, good, and worthy.Reflect
Is this action Sat: true, good, and worthy?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘प्रशस्ते कर्मणि’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on goodness, in other chapters
- Verse 6.40No sincere effort toward goodness is ever wasted — one who does good never comes to a bad end.
- Verse 10.36All power flows from the Divine, so consciously align your borrowed strength with resolve, integrity, and goodness.
- Verse 7.28Purified by right living, the heart slips free of likes and dislikes and grows capable of steady, wholehearted devotion.
- Verse 13.8Genuine wisdom shows itself as humility, harmlessness, and self-mastery, not as accumulated facts.
Swipe left for 17.27 · Steadiness in good action is Sat.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 17.26
Who says Bhagavad Gita 17.26, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 17.26, in Chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga (Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 17.26 mean?
The word Sat is used in the sense of existence and goodness; likewise, O Partha, the word Sat is used for an auspicious or praiseworthy action. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 17.26 for daily life?
Ask whether an action is real, good, and worthy. A person can test a project by asking whether it creates genuine good, not just noise or vanity.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 17.26 mean?
सद्भावे — in the sense of reality / existence; साधुभावे च — and in the sense of goodness; सत् इति एतत् प्रयुज्यते — the word 'Sat' is thus used; प्रशस्ते कर्मणि — in an auspicious / praiseworthy act; तथा सत् शब्दः — likewise the word 'Sat'.
Where does verse 17.26 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 26 of 28 in Chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga. The next verse is 17.27.