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Bhagavad Gita · 16.17 · Yoga through Discerning the Divine and Demoniac Natures·17 of 24

आत्मसम्भाविताः स्तब्धा धनमानमदान्विताःयजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाविधिपूर्वकम्

ātma-sambhāvitāḥ stabdhā dhana-māna-madānvitāḥ

yajante nāma-yajñais te dambhenāvidhi-pūrvakam

Sanskrit recitation

Choose a guide wiser than impulse · 16.17–16.24 · Teaching

Translation

Self-conceited, stubborn, filled with pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices in name only for ostentation, contrary to scriptural ordinances.

Meaning

They are puffed up with unbounded pride. They esteem themselves very highly. They are not esteemed or honoured as such by the righteous or pious persons. They have a very high opinion of their own greatness. They esteem themselves as possessed of all the virtuous attributes. They are not humble. They have no humility or meekness. Their minds are entirely filled with a sense of their own importance. They treat others with contempt. They think that others are inferior to them. They never bend their heads and make prostrations to elders or superiors or spiritual teachers and monks. They stand erect like a pillar or iron post, intoxicated as they are with the wine of wealth. They pretend to perform Yajnas.They do not care for an altar, a sacrifical bower or a receptacle for the fire, or any of the proper materials to be used in the sacrifices. They do not pay any attention to the prescribed rules. They do sacrifices in order to increase their own fame. They will not hear even the mentioning of the name of God or Brahmana. How can God or a Brahmana attend their sacrifices They perform sacrifices without paying attention to the several parts of them and the obligations enjoined in the scriptural ordinances such as the recitation of the Mantras, worship of the gods, giving of the fees, etc. They will not do the sacrifices with reverence and faith

After Swami Sivananda

Choose a guide wiser than impulse· 16.17–16.24

Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.

Word-by-word
te
they
mada
arrogance
dhana
wealth
māna
pride
nāma
in name only
yajante
perform sacrifice
dambhena
ostentatiously
anvitāḥ
full of
yajñaiḥ
sacrifices
stabdhāḥ
stubborn
avidhi-pūrvakam
with no regards to the rules of the scriptures
ātma-sambhāvitāḥ
self-conceited

Related verses

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