अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते।
यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः।।17.11।।
।।17.11।। जो यज्ञ शास्त्रविधि से नियन्त्रित किया हुआ तथा जिसे यह मेरा कर्तव्य है ऐसा मन का समाधान (निश्चय) कर फल की आकांक्षा नहीं रखने वाले लोगों के द्वारा किया जाता है? वह यज्ञ सात्त्विक है।।
Lord Krishna explains the three fold nature of yagna or performing rituals of propitiation and worship. He begins with sattva guna the mode of goodness. The words aphala-akariksibhih means performing yagna to the Supreme Lord without a desire for any reward. Vidhi-distah means performing it in accordance with the ordinances and injunctions of the Vedic scriptures. Yastavyam eveti means performed as a matter of duty or as bhakti exclusive loving devotion unto the Supreme Lord Krishna or any of His authorised avatars or incarnations and expansions as revealed in Vedic scriptures. Such yagnas must be performed by duly initiated Vaisnavas and brahmanas chanting prescribed Vedic mantras for the exclusive satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. When such a resolve manifests a yagna into reality in this manner it is to be known as situated in sattva guna.
