🪷 Bhagavad-Gītā · 17.18

Chapter 17 · श्रद्धात्रयविभागयोग · Śraddhā-Traya-Vibhāga-Yoga · "The Yoga of the Three Types of Faith" · Verse 18 of 28

← BG 17.17↑ Chapter 17 hub · Bhagavad-Gītā indexBG 17.19 →
सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत्।क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम्।।17.18।।
— Bhagavad-Gītā 17.18 · the yathārtha śloka (Devanāgarī Sanskrit · canonical)

🪷 English Translations

Five authentic English voices · each from a distinct sampradāya · together revealing the verse's full śabda-tattva.

Shri Purohit Swami · Poetic English · 1935 · public domain · Cosmo Press tradition
17.18 Austerity coupled with hypocrisy or performed for the sake of self-glorification, popularity or vanity, comes from Passion, and its result is always doubtful and temporary.
Swami Sivananda · Direct prose · Divine Life Society
17.18 The austerity which is practised with the object of gaining good reception, honour and worship, and with hypocrisy, is here said to be Rajasic, unstable and transitory.
Swami Gambīrānanda · Word-key glosses · Advaita Ashrama · Śaṅkara-school
17.18 Yat, that; tapah, austerity; which is kriyate, undertaken; satkara-mana-pujartham, for earning a name, being honoured and worshipped-for earning a name, (i.e.) for being spoken of thus: 'This Brahmana, who is given to austerity, is pious'; for being honoured by (others') standing up respectfully, salutation, etc.; for being worshipped with washing of feet, adoration, feeding, etc.; for these-; ca eva, and also, (that) austerity which is performed dambhena, ostentatiously; tat, that; proktam, is spoken of; as rajasam, born of rajas; iha, belonging to this world; [i.e. yielding fruits only in this world.] calam, uncertain-its result being unpredictable; and adhruvam, transitory.
Swami Ādidevānanda · Śrī-Vaiṣṇava perspective · Rāmānuja school
17.18 'Respect' means recognition by others. 'Praise' means verbal adulation. 'Reverence' means corporeal actions such as prostration etc. That austerity, practised with expectation of rewards like respect, etc., mentioned above - it is here said to be Rajasa. It is unsteady and impermanent, because of the temporary nature of its rewards like heaven etc.; 'unsteadiness' is the result of the fear of falling. 'Impermanent' means the tendency to perish.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Academic precision · modern scholarly
17.18. The austerity that is practised for gaining respect, honour and reverence and with sheer showing-that is called here [austerity] of the Rajas and it is unstable and impermanent.

🪷 Hindi Translation · हिन्दी अनुवाद

For the Hindi-aware seer · Pūjya Swami Rāmsukhdās ji's translation · a high-readability modern Hindi rendering · Gītā-Press Gorakhpur tradition. (→ Full Mahāpurusha-detail page for the 102-year-living Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī Mahātmā.)

🪷 Swami Rāmsukhdās · Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī tradition · Gītā-Press Gorakhpur · highest modern Hindi reading
।।17.18।।जो तप सत्कार, मान और पूजाके लिये तथा दिखानेके भावसे किया जाता है, वह इस लोकमें अनिश्चित और नाशवान् फल देनेवाला तप राजस कहा गया है।

🪷 English Commentaries · The Ācārya Voices

The classical commentary tradition rendered in English · each ācārya speaks from their own sampradāya · the seer chooses the depth of darśana.

Swami Sivananda · Verse-by-verse word-keys with Sanskrit anchors
17.18 सत्कारमानपूजार्थम् with the object of gaining good reception? honour and worship? तपः austerity? दम्भेन with hypocrisy? च and? एव even? यत् which? क्रियते is practised? तत् that? इह here? प्रोक्तम् is said? राजसम् Rajasic? चलम् unstable? अध्रुवम् transitory.Commentary 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.Satkara Good reception with such words as? Here is a good Brahmana of great austerities.Mana Honour Rising from ones seat to greet? and saluting with reverence.Chalam Unstable Yielding momentary effect or result.Adhruvam Without Niyama or fixity.Penance that is performed in the hope of gaining fame is worse than useless. It bears no fruit. It is abandoned though incomplete? when it is seen that is can result in no gain.
Swami Gambīrānanda · Advaita-school commentary (Śaṅkara tradition)
17.18 Yat, that; tapah, austerity; which is kriyate, undertaken; satkara-mana-pujartham, for earning a name, being honoured and worshipped-for earning a name, (i.e.) for being spoken of thus: 'This Brahmana, who is given to austerity, is pious'; for being honoured by (others') standing up respectfully, salutation, etc.; for being worshipped with washing of feet, adoration, feeding, etc.; for these-; ca eva, and also, (that) austerity which is performed dambhena, ostentatiously; tat, that; proktam, is spoken of; as rajasam, born of rajas; iha, belonging to this world; [i.e. yielding fruits only in this world.] calam, uncertain-its result being unpredictable; and adhruvam, transitory.
Swami Ādidevānanda · Rāmānuja Śrī-Vaiṣṇava commentary
17.18 'Respect' means recognition by others. 'Praise' means verbal adulation. 'Reverence' means corporeal actions such as prostration etc. That austerity, practised with expectation of rewards like respect, etc., mentioned above - it is here said to be Rajasa. It is unsteady and impermanent, because of the temporary nature of its rewards like heaven etc.; 'unsteadiness' is the result of the fear of falling. 'Impermanent' means the tendency to perish.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Modern academic scholarship
17.18 See Comment under 17.19
Swami Chinmayānanda · Chinmaya Mission · modern Vedantic teaching
।।17.18।। वस्तुत तपाचरण का प्रयोजन अपनी शक्तियों का संचय करके उनके द्वारा आत्मविकास करना है। परन्तु जो लोग तप का अनुष्ठान केवल समाज से सत्कार? सम्मान और पूजा प्राप्त करने के लिए? अथवा अपने गुण प्रदर्शनमात्र के लिए करते हैं? उनका तप राजस कहलाता है। भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण ने इसके पूर्व ऐसे लोगों को मिथ्याचारी भी कहा था।इस प्रकार के तप से क्या हानि होती है इसका उत्तर यह है कि ऐसा तप चलम् अर्थात् अस्थिर होने से इसका फल भी अध्रुवम् अर्थात् अनिश्चित या क्षणिक ही होता है। किसी भी कर्म का फल कालान्तर में ही प्राप्त होता है। इसलिए कर्म का अनुष्ठान स्थिरता और सातत्य की अपेक्षा रखता है परन्तु? सत्कार अथवा प्रदर्शन के हीन उद्देश्य से किये गये तप में ये दोनों ही गुण नहीं हो सकते। इस प्रकार जब तप ही क्षणिक हो? तो उसका फल चिरस्थायी कैसे हो सकता है राजस तप चलम् और अध्रुवम होने से त्याज्य ही समझना चाहिए।

🪷 Hindi Vyākhyā · हिन्दी व्याख्या

Pūjya Swami Rāmsukhdās ji's Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī · one of the great modern Hindi vyākhyās of the Gītā · direct, pure, deeply Vedāntic · the modern Sanātana-jāgaraṇa. (→ Full Mahāpurusha-detail page · 1904-2005 · Corner 1 Mādhurya operational anchor · whose 6-lakṣaṇa-śaraṇāgati IS Constitutional Principle 24.)

🪷 Swami Rāmsukhdās · Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī · Hindi vyākhyā · the modern bilingual anchor
।।17.18।। व्याख्या -- सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपः क्रियते -- राजस मनुष्य सत्कार? मान और पूजाके लिये ही तप किया करते हैं जैसे -- हम जहाँकहीं जायँगे? वहाँ हमें तपस्वी समझकर लोग हमारी अगवानीके लिये सामने आयेंगे। गाँवभरमें हमारी सवारी निकालेंगे। जगहजगह लोग हमें उत्थान देंगे? हमें बैठनेके लिये आसन देंगे? हमारे नामका जयघोष करेंगे? हमसे मीठा बोलेंगे? हमें अभिनन्दनपत्र देंगे इत्यादि बाह्य क्रियाओंद्वारा हमारा सत्कार करेंगे। लोग हृदयसे हमें श्रेष्ठ मानेंगे कि ये बड़े संयमी? सत्यवादी? अहिंसक सज्जन हैं? वे सामान्य मनुष्योंकी अपेक्षा हमारेमें विशेष भाव रखेंगे इत्यादि हृदयके भावोंसे लोग हमारा मान करेंगे। जीतेजी लोग हमारे चरण धोयेंगे? हमारे मस्तकपर फूल चढ़ायेंगे? हमारे गलेमें माला पहनायेंगे? हमारी आरती उतारेंगे? हमें प्रणाम करेंगे? हमारी चरणरजको सिरपर चढ़ायेंगे और मरनेके बाद हमारी वैकुण्ठी निकालेंगे? हमारा स्मारक बनायेंगे और लोग उसपर श्रद्धाभक्तिसे पत्र? पुष्प? चन्दन? वस्त्र? जल आदि चढ़ायेंगे? हमारे स्मारककी परिक्रमा करेंगे इत्यादि क्रियाओंसे हमारी पूजा करेंगे।दम्भेन चैव यत् -- भीतरसे तपपर श्रद्धा और भाव न होनेपर भी बाहरसे केवल लोगोंको दिखानेके लिये आसन लगाकर बैठ जाना? माला घुमाने लग जाना? देवता आदिका पूजन करने लग जाना? सीधेसरल चलना? हिंसा न करना आदि।तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम् -- राजस तपका फल चल और अध्रुव कहा गया है। तात्पर्य है कि जो तप सत्कार? मान और पूजाके लिये किया जाता है? उस राजस तपका फल यहाँ चल अर्थात् नाशवान् कहा गया है और जो तप केवल दिखावटीपनके लिये किया जाता है? उसका फल यहाँ अध्रुव अर्थात् अनिश्चित (फल मिले या न मिले? दम्भ सिद्ध हो या न हो) कहा गया है।इह प्रोक्तम् पदोंका तात्पर्य यह है कि इस राजस तपका इष्ट फल प्रायः यहाँ ही होता है। कारण कि सात्त्विक पुरुषोंका तो ऊर्ध्वलोक है? तामस मनुष्योंका अधोलोक है और राजस मनुष्योंका मध्यलोक है (गीता 14। 18)। इसलिये राजस तपका फल न स्वर्ग होगा और न नरक होगा किन्तु यहाँ ही महिमा होकर? प्रशंसा होकर खत्म हो जायगा।राजस मनुष्यके द्वारा शारीरिक? वाचिक और मानसिक तप हो सकता है क्या फलेच्छा होनेसे वह देवता आदिका पूजन कर सकता है। उसमें कुछ सीधासरलपन भी रह सकता है। ब्रह्मचर्य रहना मुश्किल है।,अहिंसा भी मुश्किल है। पुस्तक आदि पढ़ सकता है। उसका मन हरदम प्रसन्न नहीं रह सकता और सौम्यभाव भी हरदम नहीं रह सकता। कामनाके कारण उसके मनमें संकल्पविकल्प होते रहेंगे। वह केवल सत्कार? मान? पूजा और दम्भके लिये ही तप करता है? तो उसके भावकी संशुद्धि कैसे होगी अर्थात् उसके भाव शुद्ध कैसे होंगे अतः राजस मनुष्य तीन प्रकारके तपको साङ्गोपाङ्ग नहीं कर सकता।

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BG 17.18local Bhagavad-Gītā verse route and source-anchor sectionChapter 17 hubŚraddhā-Traya-Vibhāga-Yoga · The Yoga of the Three Types of FaithMBh 6.39.18exact Bhīṣma-Parva source route for this Gītā verse/bhagavad-gitamaster index for all 18 chapters and 701 verse routesBhīṣma-ParvaMahābhārata narrative home where the Bhagavad-Gītā is received/mahabharatafull Itihāsa source spine for Vyāsa Maharṣi's MahābhārataBG 1 · Arjuna-Viṣāda YogaTVAM-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Arjuna-Viṣāda YogaBG 2 · Sāṅkhya YogaTVAM-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Sāṅkhya YogaBG 3 · Karma YogaTVAM-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Karma YogaBG 4 · Jñāna-Karma-SannyāsaTVAM-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Jñāna-Karma-SannyāsaBG 5 · Karma-Sannyāsa YogaTVAM-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Karma-Sannyāsa YogaBG 6 · Dhyāna YogaTVAM-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Dhyāna YogaBG 7 · Krishna-Tattva (Jñāna-Vijñāna)TAT-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Krishna-Tattva (Jñāna-Vijñāna)BG 8 · Akṣara-Brahma YogaTAT-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Akṣara-Brahma YogaBG 9 · Rāja-Vidyā Rāja-GuhyaTAT-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Rāja-Vidyā Rāja-GuhyaBG 10 · Vibhūti YogaTAT-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Vibhūti YogaBG 11 · Viśvarūpa-Darśana YogaTAT-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Viśvarūpa-Darśana YogaBG 12 · Bhakti YogaTAT-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Bhakti YogaBG 13 · Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña YogaANTYA-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña YogaBG 14 · Guṇa-Traya-VibhāgaANTYA-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Guṇa-Traya-VibhāgaBG 15 · Puruṣottama YogaANTYA-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Puruṣottama YogaBG 16 · Daivāsura-Sampad-VibhāgaANTYA-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Daivāsura-Sampad-VibhāgaBG 18 · Mokṣa-Sannyāsa Yoga (Carama-Śloka)ANTYA-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Mokṣa-Sannyāsa Yoga (Carama-Śloka)BG 2.47niṣkāma-karma-yoga action disciplineBG 4.34praṇipāta · paripraśna · sevā before tattva-darśī teachersBG 7.7mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat · no source higher than KrishnaBG 9.17Krishna as father, mother, supporter, and grandfatherBG 10.30Krishna as Time among reckonersBG 13.23Paramātmā as witness, permitter, supporter, enjoyer, and LordBG 15.15Krishna seated in every heart as memory, knowledge, and forgetfulnessBG 18.61Īśvara situated in the heart of all beingsBG 18.66Carama-Śloka surrender discipline and final refuge/vishwaroopa-darshanaall 18 Gītā chapters rendered as one chart-aware darśana/vishvarupa-chartBG 11 chart-as-Viśvarūpa-darśana aperture/bija-sutrasfounder-curated bīja-pada exposition layer inside selected Gītā verse pages/binduDiamond of Darśanas frame for Gītā source recognition/philosophyKrishna = Paramaatma = Parabrahman constitutional foundation/llms.txtbrief AI-agent source map/llms-full.txtcomprehensive AI-agent access map
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सर्वम् कृष्णार्पणम् — this verse is one maṇi (jewel) on Krishna's thread (BG 7.7)