Shloka 27
Abhimanyu’s Assault on Bhīṣma’s Screen; Banner-Felling and Reinforcements (सौभद्र-भीष्म-समरः)
यज्ञे तपसि दाने च स्थिति: सदिति चोच्यते । कर्म चैव तदर्थीयं सदित्येवाभिधीयते,तथा यज्ञ, तप और दानमें जो स्थिति है, वह भी 'सत' इस प्रकार कही जाती है? और उस परमात्माके लिये किया हुआ कर्म निश्चयपूर्वक सत्--ऐसे कहा जाता है*
yajñe tapasi dāne ca sthitiḥ sad iti cocyate | karma caiva tadarthīyaṃ sad ity evābhidhīyate ||
In sacrifice, austerity, and giving, the steadfast disposition is also called “sat” (“the good/the real”). Likewise, any action undertaken for the sake of That (the Supreme) is indeed designated as “sat.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines “sat” as the mark of authentic spiritual life: steadfast sincerity in sacrifice, austerity, and charity, and any action performed with the Supreme as its aim. It links ethical practice (giving, discipline, worship) with inner truthfulness of intention.
Within the Gītā’s instruction on faith and the classification of religious acts, the teaching clarifies how the term “sat” is applied: it names both the stable, sincere orientation behind sacred practices and the deeds dedicated to the Supreme, distinguishing genuine devotion from merely external performance.