Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 17, Verse 17

श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः । अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते

śraddhayā parayā taptaṃ tapastattrividhaṃ naraiḥ | aphalākāṅkṣibhiryuktaiḥ sāttvikaṃ paricakṣate

Translation

This threefold austerity, practised by devout men with utmost faith, desiring no fruit, they call Sāttvic.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

śraddhayā

by faith

parayā

(by) highest

taptam

suffered

tapaḥ

austerity

tat

that

trividham

threefold

naraiḥ

by men

aphalākāṅkṣibhiḥ

(by) not-desirous-of-fruit

yuktaiḥ

by balanced

sāttvikam

sāttvic

paricakṣate

(they) declare

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

"Threefold": having respectively to do with the three seats — body, speech, and mind. "With faith": believing in the existence of things taught in the scriptures.