धृत्या यया धारयते मनःप्राणेन्द्रियक्रियाः | योगेनाव्यभिचारिण्या धृतिः सा पार्थ सात्त्विकी ||
dhṛtyā yayā dhārayate manaḥ-prāṇendriya-kriyāḥ yogenāvyabhicāriṇyā dhṛtiḥ sā pārtha sāttvikī
Translation
The steadfastness by which, through yoga, one holds steady the functions of the mind, the vital force, and the senses — that steadfastness, O Arjuna, is sattvic.
Interpretation
Sattvic dhriti (steadfastness): the sustained, unswerving resolve (avyabhicharini — never deviating) maintained through yoga that holds mind, prana (life force), and senses in their proper discipline. This is not the grim, white-knuckled willpower of mere determination but the natural steady flow of a consciousness aligned with its own deepest truth. The word yoga here suggests that this steadfastness is not achieved by force but by the natural integration that comes through spiritual practice. It is the effortless constancy of one who knows where they are going.