Bhagavad Gita 17.18सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत्।क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम् ॥
satkāra-māna-pūjārthaṁ tapo dambhena chaiva yat
kriyate tad iha proktaṁ rājasaṁ chalam adhruvam
Sanskrit recitation
Food, effort, and giving · 17.7–17.22 · Teaching
Translation
The austerity that is practiced with the aim of gaining good reception, honor, and worship, and with hypocrisy, is said to be Rajasic, unstable, and transient.
Hindi translation
जो तप सत्कार, मान और पूजाके लिये तथा दिखानेके भावसे किया जाता है, वह इस लोकमें अनिश्चित और नाशवान् फल देनेवाला तप राजस कहा गया है।
Meaning
Penance that is performed with no sincere belief, for mere show, with a view to increase selfimportance, in order that the world may pay respect to the performer and place him in the seat of honour, and that everyone may sing his praise, is declared to be of a passionate nature.Iha In this world Such penance yields fruit only in this world.Satkara Good reception with such words as, Here is a good Brahmana of great austerities.Mana Honour Rising from ones seat to greet, and saluting with reverence.Chalam Unstable Yielding momentary effect or result.Adhruvam Without Niyama or fixity.Penance that is performed in the hope of gaining fame is worse than useless. It bears no fruit. It is abandoned though incomplete, when it is seen that is can result in no gain.
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→
- cha
- also
- eva
- certainly
- iha
- in this world
- tat
- that
- yat
- which
- māna
- honor
- artham
- for the sake of
- chalam
- flickering
- pūjā
- adoration
- kriyate
- is performed
- proktam
- is said
- tapaḥ
- austerity
- adhruvam
- temporary
- dambhena
- with ostentation
- rājasam
- in the mode of passion
- sat-kāra
- respect
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