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Bhagavad Gita 17.19मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः।परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥

mūḍha-grāheṇātmano yat pīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ

parasyotsādanārthaṁ vā tat tāmasam udāhṛitam

Sanskrit recitation

Food, effort, and giving · 17.7–17.22 · Teaching

Translation

That austerity which is practised out of a foolish notion, with self-torture, or for the purpose of destroying another, is declared to be of the Tamasic nature.

Hindi translation

जो तप मूढ़तापूर्वक हठसे अपनेको पीड़ा देकर अथवा दूसरोंको कष्ट देनेके लिये किया जाता है, वह तप तामस कहा गया है।

Meaning

Some burn sulphur in a pot and place it on their head. Some thrust hooks of iron into their flesh. Some hang themselves with their head downwards over fire and swallow smoke. Some stand in cold water immersed up to the neck. Some torture the body by lighting fires on the four sides (with the sun as the fifth fire -- this is known as the Panchagni Tapas). Some sit in the centre of a circle of fire. Such austerities are Tamasic. These will not help one to attain knowledge of the Self.

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.

Word-by-word→
tat
that
vā
or
yat
which
kriyate
is performed
parasya
of others
tapaḥ
austerity
mūḍha
those with confused notions
tāmasam
in the mode of ignorance
grāheṇa
with endeavor
pīḍayā
torturing
ātmanaḥ
one’s own self
udāhṛitam
is described to be
utsādana-artham
for harming

Read this when you feel

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