Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 17: The Three Kinds of Faith

Bhagavad Gita 17.28

aśraddhayā hutaṃ dattaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat | asadityucyate pārtha na ca tatpretya no iha ||

Whatever is offered, given, practised as austerity, or done without faith is called "asat," unreal, Arjuna. It counts for nothing, either after death or here.

Modern context

Whatever is done without faith is 'asat', unreal, and counts for nothing in this life or the next. This brings the chapter full circle. It began with a question about faith and ends with a statement about faith. Actions done mechanically, without belief in their worth, are empty. The same act, done with trust and sincerity, becomes real. Faith is what gives action its substance.