Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 14, Verse 16

कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम् । रजसस्तु फलं दुःखमज्ञानं तमसः फलम्

karmaṇaḥ sukṛtasyāhuḥ sāttvikaṃ nirmalaṃ phalam | rajasastu phalaṃ duḥkhamajñānaṃ tamasaḥ phalam

Translation

The fruit of good action, they say, is Sāttvic and pure; while the fruit of Rajas is pain, and ignorance is the fruit of Tamas.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

karmaṇaḥ

of action

sukṛtasya

(of) well-done

āhuḥ

(they) say

sāttvikam

harmonious

nirmalam

spotless

phalam

the fruit

rajasaḥ

of mobility

tu

but

phalam

the fruit

duḥkham

pain

ajñānam

ignorance

tamasaḥ

of inertia

phalam

the fruit

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

Good action: Sāttvic action. "They": the wise. Rajas means Rājasic action, as this section treats of actions. The fruit of Rājasic actions is only pain, which is Rājasic; for the effect should be consonant with the cause. Tamas means Tāmasic action, adharma or sin.