Bhagavad Gita 17.13विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम्।श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ॥
vidhi-hīnam asṛiṣhṭānnaṁ mantra-hīnam adakṣhiṇam
śhraddhā-virahitaṁ yajñaṁ tāmasaṁ parichakṣhate
Sanskrit recitation
Food, effort, and giving · 17.7–17.22 · Teaching
Translation
They declare that sacrifice to be Tamasic which is contrary to the ordinances of the scriptures, in which no food is distributed, and which is devoid of mantras, gifts, and faith.
Hindi translation
शास्त्रविधिसे हीन, अन्न-दानसे रहित, बिना मन्त्रोंके, बिना दक्षिणाके और बिना श्रद्धाके किये जानेवाले यज्ञको तामस यज्ञ कहते हैं।
Meaning
A sacrifice performed by a Tamasic man is never guided by any consideration for the prescribed rites or incantation. You will find every irregularity in this sacrifice. No food is distributed. No fees which are prescribed in the scriptures are given to the priests. The Mantras are not changed properly. The hymns recited are defective in utterance and accent. Sometimes there is no recitation at all. There is no faith. A man who performs such a sacrifice does not get any merit.
After Swami Sivananda
Food, effort, and giving· 17.7–17.22→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 17.7The food that is dear to each is threefold, as well as sacrifice, austerity, and…
- 17.8The foods that increase life, purity, strength, health, joy, and cheerfulness (good…
- 17.9The foods that are bitter, sour, salty, overly hot, pungent, dry, and burning are liked by…
- 17.10That which is stale, tasteless, putrid, rotten, rejected, and impure is the food liked by…
- 17.11That sacrifice which is offered by men without desire for reward, as enjoined by the…
- 17.12The sacrifice that is offered, O Arjuna, seeking a reward and for show, know that to be a…
17.13They declare that sacrifice to be Tamasic which is contrary to the ordinances of the…
- 17.14Worship of the gods, the twice-born, the teachers, and the wise; purity,…
- 17.15Speech that causes no excitement, is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial; the practice of…
- 17.16Serenity of mind, good-heartedness, self-control, and purity of nature—this is called…
- 17.17This threefold austerity, practiced by steadfast men, with the utmost faith, desiring no…
- 17.18The austerity that is practiced with the aim of gaining good reception, honor, and…
- 17.19That austerity which is practised out of a foolish notion, with self-torture, or for the…
- 17.20That gift which is given to one who does nothing in return, knowing it to be a duty to…
- 17.21And, that gift which is given with the intention of receiving something in return, or…
- 17.22The gift that is given in the wrong place and at the wrong time, to unworthy persons,…
Word-by-word→
- yajñam
- sacrifice
- tāmasam
- in the mode of ignorance
- virahitam
- without
- śhraddhā
- faith
- vidhi-hīnam
- without scriptural direction
- mantra-hīnam
- with no chanting of the Vedic hymns
- adakṣhiṇam
- with no remunerations to the priests
- parichakṣhate
- is to be considered
- asṛiṣhṭa-annam
- without distribution of prasādam
Read this when you feel
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