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Bhagavad Gita · 3.13 · Path of Selfless Service·13 of 43

यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैःभुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात्

yajña-śhiṣhṭāśhinaḥ santo muchyante

sarva-kilbiṣhaiḥ bhuñjate te tvaghaṁ pāpā ye pachantyātma-kāraṇāt

Sanskrit recitation

Work as offering · 3.10–3.16 · Teaching

Translation

The righteous who eat the remnants of the sacrifice are freed from all sins; but those sinful ones who cook food solely for their own sake indeed consume sin.

Meaning

Those who, after performing the five great sacrifices, eat the remnants of the food are freed from all the sins committed by these five agents of insect slaughter, viz., (1) the pestle and mortar, (2) the grinding stone, (3) the fireplace, (4) the place where the waterpot is kept, and (5) the broom. These are the five places where injury to life is daily committed. The sins are washed away by the performance of the five MahaYajnas or great sacrifices which every Dvija(twicorn or the people belonging to the first three castes in Hindu society, especially the Brahmin) ought to perform1. DevaYajna Offering sacrifices to the gods which will satisfy them,2. BrahmaYajna or RishiYajna Teaching and reciting the scriptures which will satisfy Brahman and the Rishis,3. PitriYajna Offering libations of water to ones ancestors which will satisfy the manes,4. NriYajna The feeding of the hungry and the guests, and,5. BhutaYajna The feeding of the subhuman species, such as animals, birds, etc.

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.

Word-by-word
te
they
tu
but
ye
who
agham
sins
sarva
all kinds of
pachanti
cook (food)
santaḥ
saintly persons
bhuñjate
enjoy
muchyante
are released
pāpāḥ
sinners
aśhinaḥ
eaters
kilbiṣhaiḥ
from sins
ātma-kāraṇāt
for their own sake
yajña-śhiṣhṭa
of remnants of food offered in sacrifice

Related verses

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