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Bhagavad Gita · 17.14 · Yoga through Discerning the Three Divisions of Faith·14 of 28

देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम्ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते

deva-dwija-guru-prājña- pūjanaṁ śhaucham

ārjavam brahmacharyam ahinsā cha śhārīraṁ tapa uchyate

Sanskrit recitation

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

Translation

Worship of the gods, the twice-born, the teachers, and the wise; purity, straightforwardness, celibacy, and non-injury are all called the austerities of the body.

Meaning

Tapas Austerity or selfdiscipline.Using the feet in pilgrimage to the sacred temples using the hands in cleaning the temples, in collecting the materials of worship of God, and in performing worship prostrations to the Brahmanas, preceptors and the wise continence and noninjury, constitute physical austerity. The body is used in the service of the parents and preceptors, the poor and the sick. This is also bodily austerity. That austerity which is done by the body is physical austerity. The physical body is the chief agent in doing such austerity. Hence this is called physical austerity. The practice of nonstealing and noncovetousness are also included in physical austerity.He who has realised I am Brahman is a wise man (Prajna). A Sudra also may be a wise man. Though Vidura was a Sudra he was a sage. That is the reason why the Lord has made a separate mention of the wise.Brahmacharya means control but not suppression of the sexdesire or sexforce. If the mind is filled with sublime thoughts by meditation, Japa (repetition of a Mantra), prayer, study of holy scriptures, enquiry of Who am I, and contemplation of the sexless, pure Self, the sexdesire will be devitalised by the withdrawal of the mind. The mind also will be thinned out. Suppressed sexdesire will attack you again and again and will produce wetdreams, irritability and restlessness of the mind

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
cha
and
deva
the Supreme Lord
guru
the spiritual master
dwija
the Brahmins
ahinsā
non-violence
tapaḥ
austerity
uchyate
is declared as
prājña
the elders
pūjanam
worship
ārjavam
simplicity
śhaucham
cleanliness
śhārīram
of the body
brahmacharyam
celibacy

Related verses

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