MindKshetraby LogitsLab
← Chapter 17

Bhagavad Gita · 17.12 · Yoga through Discerning the Three Divisions of Faith·12 of 28

अभिसंधाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत्इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम्

abhisandhāya tu phalaṁ dambhārtham api chaiva yat

ijyate bharata-śhreṣhṭha taṁ yajñaṁ viddhi rājasam

Sanskrit recitation

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

Translation

The sacrifice that is offered, O Arjuna, seeking a reward and for show, know that to be a Rajasic Yajna.

Meaning

If anyone performs a sacrifice in order to obtain, heaven, son, wealth, or name and fame, then it is a sacrifice of a Rajasic nature. The performer of this kind of sacrifice has the motive of increasing his own importance, for popularising his own name in the world, for gaining some reward, for showing himself off as a great, pious and learned man, for making an exhibition of his riches for his own glorificaion. He has no aspiration for attaining the 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
tu
but
api
also
cha
and
eva
certainly
tam
that
yat
that which
artham
for the sake of
dambha
pride
ijyate
is performed
phalam
the result
viddhi
know
yajñam
sacrifice
rājasam
in the mode of passion
abhisandhāya
motivated by
bharata-śhreṣhṭha
Arjun, the best of the Bharatas

Related verses

Your reflection

Sign in to save reflections.

Sign in