Bhagavad-gītā 17.18
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सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत्।क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम्।।17.18।।
satkāra-māna-pūjārthaṁ tapo dambhena chaiva yat kriyate tad iha proktaṁ rājasaṁ chalam adhruvam
Austerity coupled with hypocrisy, or performed for the sake of self-glorification, popularity, or vanity, comes from passion, and its result is always uncertain and temporary.
English rendering by Shri Purohit Swami. Each source voice remains named.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| sat-kāra | respect |
| māna | honor |
| pūjā | adoration |
| artham | for the sake of |
| tapaḥ | austerity |
| dambhena | with ostentation |
| cha | also |
| eva | certainly |
| yat | which |
| kriyate | is performed |
| tat | that |
| iha | in this world |
| proktam | is said |
| rājasam | in the mode of passion |
| chalam | flickering |
| adhruvam | temporary |
Penance that is performed with no sincere belief, for mere show, with a view to increase selfimportance, in order that the world may pay respect to the performer and place him in the seat of honour, and that everyone may sing his praise, is declared to be of a passionate nature. Iha In this world Such penance yields fruit only in this world.
Attributed explanatory witness: Swami Sivananda. Chapter lens: Trace how faith, worship, food, sacrifice, austerity and gift are described under the three guṇas.
Three named reading witnesses
Śaṅkara edition witness
Swami GambiranandaThat austerity which is undertaken for earning a name, being honored and worshipped, and also ostentatiously:that is spoken of as born of rajas, belonging to this world, uncertain, and transitory.
Rāmānuja edition witness
Swami AdidevanandaThat austerity, practiced with ostentation for the sake of gaining respect, praise, and reverence, is here said to be Rajasa. It is unsteady and impermanent.
Sivananda commentary witness
Swami SivanandaPenance that is performed with no sincere belief, for mere show, with a view to increase selfimportance, in order that the world may pay respect to the performer and place him in the seat of honour, and that everyone may sing his praise, is declared to be of a passionate nature. Iha In this world Such penance yields fruit only in this world.
These are concise, attributed reading witnesses from identified editions. They are presented for comparison and are not merged into one anonymous interpretation.
Meaning map
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- 1
Austerity coupled with hypocrisy, or performed for the sake of self-glorification, popularity, or vanity, comes from passion
- 2
its result is always uncertain and temporary
- 3
sat-kāra: respect
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