Bhagavad-gītā 3.12
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः। तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः।।3.12।।
iṣhṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajña-bhāvitāḥ tair dattān apradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ
"The Devas, cherished by Yajna, will give you desired-for objects." So, he who enjoys objects given by the Devas without offering (in return) to them, is verily a thief.
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 |
|---|---|
| iṣhṭān | desired |
| bhogān | necessities of life |
| hi | certainly |
| vaḥ | unto you |
| devāḥ | the celestial gods |
| dāsyante | will grant |
| yajña-bhāvitāḥ | satisfied by sacrifice |
| taiḥ | by them |
| dattān | things granted |
| apradāya | without offering |
| ebhyaḥ | to them |
| yaḥ | who |
| bhuṅkte | enjoys |
| stenaḥ | thieves |
| eva | verily |
| saḥ | they |
Keep the verse in view while connecting iṣhṭān (desired), dattān (things granted), and saḥ (they). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to work offered without possessiveness. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 3.12.
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: Distinguish action, duty, sacrifice, example, desire and attachment without treating karma-yoga as inactivity.
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
"The Devas, cherished by Yajna, will give you desired-for objects
- 2
" So, he who enjoys objects given by the Devas without offering (in return) to them, is verily a thief
- 3
iṣhṭān: desired
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 3.12, 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 3.12 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 3.12 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 3.12 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 3.12, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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