The Yoga of Liberation by Renunciation

Krishna explains sattvic intellect. 'Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca kāryākārye bhayābhaye bandhaṁ mokṣaṁ ca yā vetti'—that intellect (yā buddhiḥ) which understands (vetti) engagement (pravṛttim) and withdrawal (nivṛttim), what should be done (kārya) and what should not be done (akārye), fear (bhaya) and fearlessness (abhaye), bondage (bandham) and liberation (mokṣam). 'Buddhiḥ sā pārtha sāttvikī'—that intellect (sā buddhiḥ) is sattvic (sāttvikī), O Arjuna (pārtha). This is sattvic intellect: clear understanding of what to do and what not to do, when to engage and when to withdraw, what creates bondage and what leads to liberation, what to fear and what not to fear. This is the highest kind of intellect: clear, discerning, understanding the deeper implications of actions and choices. You understand the distinction between duty and non-duty, between what binds and what liberates, between appropriate fear and appropriate fearlessness. This is the path: clear understanding of right action and its consequences.