Bhagavad-gītā 16.17
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
आत्मसम्भाविताः स्तब्धा धनमानमदान्विताः।यजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाविधिपूर्वकम्।।16.17।।
ātma-sambhāvitāḥ stabdhā dhana-māna-madānvitāḥ yajante nāma-yajñais te dambhenāvidhi-pūrvakam
Self-conceited, haughty, filled with the pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices in name, out of ostentation, disregarding ordinance;
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| ātma-sambhāvitāḥ | self-conceited |
| stabdhāḥ | stubborn |
| dhana | wealth |
| māna | pride |
| mada | arrogance |
| anvitāḥ | full of |
| yajante | perform sacrifice |
| nāma | in name only |
| yajñaiḥ | sacrifices |
| te | they |
| dambhena | ostentatiously |
| avidhi-pūrvakam | with no regards to the rules of the scriptures |
Read the Sanskrit as a connected thought built from ātma-sambhāvitāḥ (self-conceited), yajante (perform sacrifice), and avidhi-pūrvakam (with no regards to the rules of the scriptures). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to divine and destructive dispositions. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 16.17.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Compare divine and destructive dispositions, their actions and consequences without converting the lists into weapons for judging others.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Self-conceited, haughty, filled with the pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices in name, out of ostentation, disregarding ordinance
- 2
ātma-sambhāvitāḥ: self-conceited
- 3
yajante: perform sacrifice
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Cover
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 16.17, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 16.17 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 16.17 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 16.17 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 16.17, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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