Chapter XVII · Śloka 27
Śrī Kṛṣṇa uvāca
यज्ञे तपसि दाने च स्थितिः सदिति चोच्यते |
कर्म चैव तदर्थीयं सदित्येवाभिधीयते ||
कर्म चैव तदर्थीयं सदित्येवाभिधीयते ||
yajñe tapasi dāne ca sthitiḥ sad iti cocyate |
karma caiva tad-arthīyaṃ sad ity evābhidhīyate ||
karma caiva tad-arthīyaṃ sad ity evābhidhīyate ||
Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity, and charity is also called 'Sat,' and action for the sake of that purpose is likewise called 'Sat.'
Sat is not only the beginning word but the quality of endurance within the sacred act. To persist in right action — to remain steady in sacrifice, austerity, and giving — is itself to embody the Real. The constancy of the devotee is a form of sat.