Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingश्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्ित्रविधं नरैः।
अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते
śhraddhayā parayā taptaṁ tapas tat tri-vidhaṁ naraiḥ
aphalākāṅkṣhibhir yuktaiḥ sāttvikaṁ parichakṣhate
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaWhen that threefold austerity is undertaken with supreme faith by people who do not hanker after results and are self-controlled, they speak of it as being born of sattva.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
फल की आकांक्षा न रखने वाले युक्त पुरुषों के द्वारा परम श्रद्धा से किये गये उस पूर्वोक्त त्रिविध तप को सात्त्विक कहते हैं।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiश्रद् धया परया तप् तम्
तपस् तत् त्रिविधन् नरैः
अफला काङ् षिभिर् युक् तैः
सात् त्विकम् परिचक् षते
॥ १७ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthaśhraddhayāwith faith
parayātranscendental
taptampracticed
tapaḥausterity
tatthat
tri-vidhamthree-fold
naraiḥby persons
aphala-ākāṅkṣhibhiḥwithout yearning for material rewards
yuktaiḥsteadfast
sāttvikamin the mode of goodness
parichakṣhateare designated
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA17.17What makes the threefold austerity sāttvika — practised with what faith, desiring what?
When that threefold austerity is undertaken with supreme faith by people who do not hanker after results and are self-controlled, they speak of it as being born of sattva.
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.