Chap-XVII-Verse-18-28

Bhagawad Geeta

VERSE 18
????????????????? ??? ?????? ??? ?????
??????? ???? ???????? ????? ????????????

satkara-mana-pujartham
tapo dambhena caiva yat
kriyate tad iha proktam
rajasam calam adhruvam

SYNONYMS
satk?ra—respect; m?na—honor; p?j?-artham—for worship; tapa?—austerity; dambhena—with pride; ca—also; eva—certainly; yat—which is; kriyate—performed; tat—that; iha—in this world; proktam—is said; r?jasam—in the mode of passion; calam—flickering; adhruvam—temporary.

TRANSLATION
Those ostentatious penances and austerities which are performed in order to gain respect, honor and reverence are said to be in the mode of passion. They are neither stable nor permanent.

---

VERSE 19
???????????????? ???????? ??????? ????
????????????????? ?? ??????????????????

mudha-grahenatmano yat
pidaya kriyate tapah
parasyotsadanartham va
tat tamasam udahrtam

SYNONYMS
m??ha—foolish; gr?he?a—with endeavor; ?tmana?—of one’s own self; yat—which; p??ay?—by torture; kriyate—is performed; tapa?—penance; parasya—to others; uts?dan?rtham—causing annihilation; v?—or; tat—that; t?masam—in the mode of darkness; ud?h?tam—is said to be.

TRANSLATION
And those penances and austerities which are performed foolishly by means of obstinant self-torture, or to destroy or injure others, are said to be in the mode of ignorance.

---

VERSE 20
?????????? ??????? ????????????????
???? ???? ? ?????? ? ??????? ?????????? ?????????

datavyam iti yad danam
diyate ‘nupakarine
dese kale ca patre ca
tad danam sattvikam smrtam

SYNONYMS
d?tavyam—worth giving; iti—thus; yat—that which; d?nam—charity; d?yate—given; anupak?ri?e—to any person irrespective of doing good; dese—in place; k?le—in time; ca—also; p?tre—suitable person; ca—and; tat—that; d?nam—charity; s?ttvikam—in the mode of goodness; sm?tam—consider.

TRANSLATION
That gift which is given out of duty, at the proper time and place, to a worthy person, and without expectation of return, is considered to be charity in the mode of goodness.

---

VERSE 21
????? ???????????????? ??????????? ?? ?????
????? ? ??????????? ??????? ????? ?????????

yat tu pratyupakarartham
phalam uddisya va punah
diyate ca pariklistam
tad danam rajasam smrtam

SYNONYMS
yat—that which; tu—but; prati-upak?ra-artham—for the sake of getting some return; phalam—result; uddi?ya—desiring; v?—or; puna?—again; d?yate—is given in charity; ca—also; parikli??am—grudgingly; tat—that; d?nam—charity; r?jasam—in the mode of passion; sm?tam—is understood to be.

TRANSLATION
But charity performed with the expectation of some return, or with a desire for fruitive results, or in a grudging mood, is said to be charity in the mode of passion.

---

VERSE 22
???????? ??????????????????? ??????
??????????????? ??????????????????

adesa-kale yad danam
apatrebhyas ca diyate
asat-krtam avajnatam
tat tamasam udahrtam

SYNONYMS
adesa—unpurified place; k?le—unpurified time; yat—that which is; d?nam—charity; ap?trebhya?—to unworthy persons; ca—also; d?yate—is given; asatk?tam—without respect; avajñ?tam—without proper attention; tat—that; t?masam—in the mode of darkness; ud?h?tam—is said to be.

TRANSLATION
And charity performed at an improper place and time and given to unworthy persons without respect and with contempt is charity in the mode of ignorance.

---

VERSE 23
? ???????? ???????? ????????????????? ???????
?????????????? ??????? ???????? ??????? ?????

om tat sad iti nirdeso
brahmanas tri-vidhah smrtah
brahmanas tena vedas ca
yajnas ca vihitah pura

SYNONYMS
om—indication of the Supreme; tat—that; sat—eternal; iti—that; nirde?a?—indication; br?hma???—of the Supreme; tri-vidha?—three kinds; sm?ta?—consider; brahma?a?—the br?hma?as; tena—therefore; ved??—the Vedic literature; ca—also; yajñ??—sacrifice; ca—also; vihit??—sacrifice; pur?—formerly.

TRANSLATION
From the beginning of creation, the three syllables-om tat sat-have been used to indicate the Supreme Absolute Truth [Brahman]. They were uttered by br?hma?as while chanting Vedic hymns and during sacrifices, for the satisfaction of the Supreme.

---

VERSE 24
???????????????????? ?????????? ????????
??????????? ?????????? ???? ????????????????

tasmad om ity udahrtya
yajna-dana-tapah-kriyah
pravartante vidhanoktah
satatam brahma-vadinam

SYNONYMS
tasm?t—therefore; om—beginning with om; iti—thus; ud?h?tya—indicating; yajña—sacrifice; d?na—charity; tapa?—penance; kriy??—performances; pravartante—begins; vidh?na-ukt??—according to scriptural regulation; satatam—always; brahma-v?din?m—of the transcendentalists.

TRANSLATION
Thus the transcendentalists undertake sacrifices, charities, and penances, beginning always with om, to attain the Supreme.

---

VERSE 25
??????????????? ??? ???????????????
??????????????????? ????????? ?????????????????

tad ity anabhisandhaya
phalam yajna-tapah-kriyah
dana-kriyas ca vividhah
kriyante moksa-kanksibhih

SYNONYMS
tat—that; iti—they; anabhisandh?ya—without fruitive result; phalam—result of sacrifice; yajña—sacrifice; tapa?—penance; kriy??—activities; d?na—charity; kriy??—activities; ca—also; vividh??—varieties; kriyante—done; mok?a-k??k?ibhi?—those who actually desire liberation.

TRANSLATION
One should perform sacrifice, penance and charity with the word tat. The purpose of such transcendental activities is to get free from the material entanglement.

---

VERSE 26-27
??????? ???????? ? ????????????????????
???????? ?????? ??? ???????? ????? ????????
????? ???? ???? ? ??????? ????? ????????
???? ??? ???????? ????????????????

sad-bhave sadhu-bhave ca
sad ity etat prayujyate
prasaste karmani tatha
sac-chabdah partha yujyate
yajne tapasi dane ca
sthitih sad iti cocyate
karma caiva tad-arthiyam
sad ity evabhidhiyate

SYNONYMS
sat-bh?ve—in the sense of the nature of the Supreme; s?dhu-bh?ve—in the sense of the nature of devotion; ca—also; sat—the Supreme; iti—thus; etat—this; prayujyate—is used; pra?aste—bona fide; karma?i—activities; tath?—also; sat-?abda?—sound; p?rtha—O son of P?th?; yujyate—is used; yajñe—sacrifice; tapasi—in penance; d?ne—charity; ca—also; sthiti?—situated; sat—the Supreme; iti—thus; ca—and; ucyate—pronounced; karma—work; ca—also; eva—certainly; tat—that; arth?yam—are meant; sat—Supreme; iti—thus; eva—certainly; abhidh?yate—is practiced.

TRANSLATION
The Absolute Truth is the objective of devotional sacrifice, and it is indicated by the word sat. These works of sacrifice, of penance and of charity, true to the absolute nature, are performed to please the Supreme Person, O son of P?th?.

---

VERSE 28
????????? ???? ????? ????????? ???? ? ?????
????????????? ????? ? ? ?????????? ?? ???

asraddhaya hutam dattam
tapas taptam krtam ca yat
asad ity ucyate partha
na ca tat pretya no iha

SYNONYMS
a?raddhay?—without faith; hutam—performed; dattam—given; tapa?—penance; taptam—executed; k?tam—performed; ca—also; yat—that which; asat—falls; iti—thus; ucyate—is said to be; p?rtha—O son of P?th?; na—never; ca—also; tat—that; pretya—after death; no—nor; iha—in this life.

TRANSLATION
But sacrifices, austerities and charities performed without faith in the Supreme are nonpermanent, O son of P?th?, regardless of whatever rites are performed. They are called asat and are useless both in this life and the next.