17.26 What Sat means Krishna speaks
सद्भावे साधुभावे च सदित्येतत्प्रयुज्यते
प्रशस्ते कर्मणि तथा सच्छब्दः पार्थ युज्यते
sad-bhāve sādhu-bhāve cha sad ity etat prayujyate
praśhaste karmaṇi tathā sach-chhabdaḥ pārtha yujyate
Sat is used to mean what truly is and what is good. And the word Sat is used, Arjuna, for an act of praise.
Explanation
Sat, and it carries two senses at once.
What truly is, and what is good — and also, the verse adds, the word used for an act of praise.
Those are not three unrelated meanings. In this chapter's argument, being real and being good are the same measure, which is exactly what the last verse will use to dismiss the faithless act.
Word by word
- sat-bhāve
- with the intention of eternal existence and goodness
- sādhu-bhāve
- with auspicious intention
- cha
- also
- sat
- the syllable Sat
- iti
- thus
- etat
- this
- prayujyate
- is used
- praśhaste
- auspicious
- karmaṇi
- action
- tathā
- also
- sat-śhabdaḥ
- the word “Sat”
- pārtha
- Arjun, the son of Pritha
- yujyate
- is used
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