Bhagavad Gita 3.12इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः।तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः ॥
iṣhṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajña-bhāvitāḥ
tair dattān apradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ
Sanskrit recitation
Work as offering · 3.10–3.16 · Teaching
Translation
The gods, nourished by the sacrifice, will give you the desired objects. So, he who enjoys the objects given by the gods without offering anything in return is indeed a thief.
Hindi translation
यज्ञसे भावित (पुष्ट) हुए देवता भी तुमलोगोंको (बिना माँगे ही) कर्तव्य-पालनकी आवश्यक सामग्री देते रहेंगे। इस प्रकार उन देवताओंसे प्राप्त हुई सामग्रीको दूसरोंकी सेवामें लगाये बिना जो मनुष्य स्वयं ही उसका उपभोग करता है, वह चोर ही है।
Meaning
When the gods are pleased with you sacrifices, they will bestow on you all the desired objects such as children, cattle, property, etc. He who enjoys what has been given to him by the gods, i.e., he who gratifies the cravings of his own body and the senses without offering anything to the gods in return is a veritable thief. He is really a dacoit of the property of the gods.
After Swami Sivananda
Work as offering· 3.10–3.16→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 3.10The Creator, having in the beginning created mankind together with sacrifice, said, "By…
- 3.11With this, nourish the gods, and may the gods nourish you; thus, nourishing each other,…
3.12The gods, nourished by the sacrifice, will give you the desired objects. So, he who enjoys…
- 3.13The righteous who eat the remnants of the sacrifice are freed from all sins; but those…
- 3.14From food come forth beings; from rain, food is produced; from sacrifice arises rain, and…
- 3.15Know that action comes from Brahma, and Brahma comes from the Imperishable. Therefore, the…
- 3.16He who does not follow the wheel thus set in motion, who is of sinful life, rejoicing in…
Word-by-word→
- hi
- certainly
- eva
- verily
- saḥ
- they
- vaḥ
- unto you
- yaḥ
- who
- taiḥ
- by them
- bhogān
- necessities of life
- dattān
- things granted
- devāḥ
- the celestial gods
- ebhyaḥ
- to them
- stenaḥ
- thieves
- apradāya
- without offering
- bhuṅkte
- enjoys
- dāsyante
- will grant
- iṣhṭān
- desired
- yajña-bhāvitāḥ
- satisfied by sacrifice
Related verses
- 3.17But for that man who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied with the Self and is…
- 18.1Arjuna said, "O mighty-armed Hrishikesa, I desire to know the essence or truth of…
- 9.21They, having enjoyed the vast heaven, enter the world of mortals when their merit is…
- 16.2Harmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness,…