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मुक्तसङ्गोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितः। सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योर्निर्विकारः कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते।।

mukta-saṅgo ’nahaṁ-vādī dhṛty-utsāha-samanvitaḥ siddhy-asiddhyor nirvikāraḥ kartā sāttvika ucyate

mukta-saṅgaḥ (free from attachment) anahaṁ-vādī (without ego) dhṛti (determination) utsāha (enthusiasm) samanvitaḥ (endowed with) siddhi-asiddhyoḥ (in success and failure) nirvikāraḥ (unchanged) kartā (doer) sāttvikaḥ (in the mode of goodness) ucyate (is called).

One who performs his duty without association with the modes of material nature, without false ego, with great determination and enthusiasm, and without wavering in success or failure is said to be a worker in the mode of goodness.

Kṛṣṇa defines the ‘Doer in the Mode of Goodness’. This person is ‘Mukta-saṅgaḥ’—free from material attachment. He is ‘Anahaṁ-vādī’—he doesn’t brag or speak with ego. He possesses two amazing qualities: ‘Dhṛti’ (steady determination) and ‘Utsāha’ (genuine enthusiasm). Most importantly, he remains ‘Nirvikāraḥ’—completely unchanged and balanced—whether he meets with ‘Siddhi’ (success) or ‘Asiddhi’ (failure). This is the profile of the perfect worker. He is not lazy (he has enthusiasm), and he is not a quitter (he has determination). But he doesn’t have a ‘personal stake’ in the result. If the project succeeds, he is not arrogant; if it fails, he is not depressed. He is like a professional soldier who fights with full energy because it is his job, but stays calm regardless of the score. This lack of ego makes him incredibly stable and productive. He is a servant of the process, not a slave to the result. It teaches us how to find ‘Sustainable Enthusiasm’. Usually, our excitement depends on the promise of a win. But a Sāttvika doer finds joy in the ‘Doing’ itself as a service. We should work to remove the ‘Bragging’ and the ‘Ego’ from our professional and spiritual lives. By staying ‘Nirvikāra’ (steady), we become much more reliable and peaceful human beings. This is the highest form of professional and spiritual excellence.