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Bhagavad Gita / Chapter 17 / Verse 5
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Bhagavad Gita 17.5

Sanskrit
Hindi
Sanskrit

अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जनाः | दम्भाहंकारसंयुक्ताः कामरागबलान्विताः

Transliteration

aśāstravihitaṃ ghoraṃ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ . dambhāhaṃkārasaṃyuktāḥ kāmarāgabalānvitāḥ

English

Those persons who, given to ostentation and pride, and possessed of passion, attachment and strength, undertake severe austerities not sanctioned in the scriptures;

हिन्दी

जो लोग शास्त्रविधि से रहित घोर तप करते हैं तथा दम्भ, अहंकार, काम और राग से भी युक्त होते हैं।।

Explanation — English

There are some who think that the mortification of the body is the proper means to attain the goal of life. They do this in order to attract the people and get money for the gratification of their senses. They stand on one leg with raised hands. This is not real Tapas. This is Tamasic Tapas. Bodily torture will not bring emancipation. These men are not acainted with even the first elements of the scriptures. They mock at the religious practices of the wise? elderly persons and jeer at learned men. They are puffed up with the vanity of their own greatness. They are proud of their wealth. They perform unauthorised austerities. These persons do severe austerities contrary to the scriptures on the strength of desire and attachment.They take even the lives of children to propitiate their deity. Instead of killing their egoism? they kill many innocent animals in the name of sacrifice but in reality they kill them to satisfy their own palate. Most horrible indeed They speak ill of the scriptures and wander about in the forest of delusion and infatuation. They follow the dictates of passion. They inflict pain on themselves and on others. They practise austerities which cause pain to themselves and to other living beings. Pitiable indeed is their lot. They are doomed to destruction.Kamaragabalanvitah may also be interpreted as possessed of lust? attachment and power.Dambha Ostentation The man of Dambha is desirous that all people should take him for a virtuous man and so he expresses to others his righteous nature. In reality he is not virtuous. He pretends to be what he is not.Ahankara Egoism The egoistic man thinks and feels that he is superior to others in the possession of all virtuous alities.Raga Extreme attachment to sensual objects.Bala Great power of enduring severe pain on account of Raga for sensual objects (pain that accrues from exertion in attaining and preserving the objects).Kama Lust Desire for any object.

Explanation — हिन्दी

See Commentary under 17.6

Sanskrit
English
अशास्त्रविहितम्
not enjoined by the scriptures
घोरम्
terrific
तप्यन्ते
practise
ये
who
तपः
austerity
जनाः
men
दम्भाहङ्कारसंयुक्ताः
given to hypocrisy and egoism
कामरागबलान्विताः
by the force of lust and attachment.
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More from Chapter 17

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17.1Arjuna said But, ['But' is used to present a standpoint distinct from the earlier ones understand from 16.23-4.-S.] O Krsna, what is the state [i.e., where do the rites undertaken by them end?] of those who, endued with faith, adore [Adore-perform sacrifices, distribute wealth etc. in honour of gods and others.] by ignoring the injunctions of the scriptures? Is it sattva, rajas or tamas?17.2The Blessed Lord said That faith of the embodied beings, born of their own nature, is threefold-born of sattva, rajas and tamas. Hear about it.17.3O scion of the Bharata dynasty, the faith of all beings is in accordance with their minds. This person is made up of faith as the dominant factor. He is verily what his faith is.17.4Those having the sattva ality worship the gods; those having rajas, the demi-gods and ogres; and other people possessed of tamas worship ghosts and the hosts of spirits.17.6(And who,) being non-discriminating, torture, all the organs in the body as also even Me who reside in the body,-know them as possessed of demoniacal conviction.17.7Food also, which is dear to all, is of three kinds; and so also are sacrifices, austerity and charity. Listen to this classification of them.17.8Foods that augment life, firmless of mind, strength, health, happiness and delight, and which are succulent, oleaginous, substantial and agreeable, are dear to one endowed with sattva.17.9Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, very hot, pungent, dry and burning, and which production pain, sorrow and disease, are dear to one having rajas.17.10Food which is not properly cooked, lacking in essence, putrid and stale, and even ort and that which is unfit for sacrifice, is dear to one possessed of tamas.17.11That sacrifice which is in accordance with the injunctions, (and is) performed by persons who do not hanker after results, and with the mental conviction that it is surely obligatory, is done through sattva.