araga-dvesatah krtam

aphala-prepsuna karma

yat tat sattvikam ucyate

niyatam—regulative; saṅga-rahitam—without attachment; arāga-dveṣataḥ—without love or hatred; kṛtam—done; aphala-prepsunā—without fruitive result; karma—acts; yat—that which; tat—that; sāttvikam—in the mode of goodness; ucyate—is called.

As for actions, that action in accordance with duty, which is performed without attachment, without love or hate, by one who has renounced fruitive results, is called action in the mode of goodness.

sahankarena va punah

kriyate bahulayasam

tad rajasam udahrtam

yat—that which; tu—but; kāma-īpsunā—with fruitive result; karma—work; sāhaṅkāreṇa—with ego; vā—or; punaḥ—again; kriyate—performed; bahula-āyāsam—with great labor; tat—that; rājasam—in the mode of passion; udāhṛtam—is said to be.

But action performed with great effort by one seeking to gratify his desires, and which is enacted from a sense of false ego, is called action in the mode of passion.

anapeksya ca paurusam

mohad arabhyate karma

yat tat tamasam ucyate

anubandham—future bondage; kṣayam—distracted; hiṁsām—violence; anapekṣya—without consideration of consequences; ca—also; pauruṣam—distressing to others; mohāt—by illusion; ārabhyate—begun; karma—work; yat—that; tat—which; tāmasam—in the mode of ignorance; ucyate—is said to be.

And that action performed in ignorance and de