|| 17.27 ||
यज्ञे तपसि दाने च स्थितिः सदिति चोच्यते। कर्म चैव तदर्थीयं सदित्येवाभिधीयते।।
yajñe tapasi dāne ca sthitiḥ sad iti cocyate karma caiva tad-arthīyaṁ sad ity evābhidhīyate
Word by Word
yajñe (in sacrifice) tapasi (in penance) dāne (in charity) ca (and) sthitiḥ (steadfastness) sat (Truth) iti (thus) ca (and) ucyate (is said) karma (work) ca (also) eva (certainly) tat-arthīyam (for that purpose) sat (Truth) iti (thus) eva (certainly) abhidhīyate (is called).
Translation
And the word ‘sat’ is also used to indicate the steady performance of sacrifice, penance and charity, and any activity performed for the satisfaction of the Supreme is also called ‘sat’.
Meaning
Kṛṣṇa concludes the meaning of ‘Sat’. He says that steadfastness or steadiness (‘Sthitiḥ’) in the performance of sacrifice, penance, and charity is also called ‘Sat’. Furthermore, any work performed specifically for the sake of the Supreme is also labeled as ‘Sat’. It is the quality of consistency and divine purpose that makes an act eternal.
A one-time act of kindness is good, but it is the ‘Sthitiḥ’ or the steady practice that builds character. Kṛṣṇa is telling us that our persistence in spiritual life is itself a form of Truth. When we are ‘steady’ in our vows, we are participating in the Lord’s own eternal nature. Any ‘Tad-arthīyaṁ’ karma—work done for Him—is elevated from the material to the spiritual plane.
It teaches us that consistency is the key to spiritual success. We don’t have to be perfect, but we must be steady. Our small, daily efforts to be kind and devoted are recognized as ‘Sat’ by the Lord. We should focus on making our whole life ‘Tad-arthīyaṁ’—dedicated to His purpose. This is how we turn a temporary human existence into an eternal spiritual career.