Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17, Verse 18 (BG 17.18) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

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.

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

Modern

The true purpose of austerity is to gather and strengthen one's inner capacities and thereby achieve spiritual unfoldment. However, those who practice austerity merely to gain respect, honor, and worship from society, or simply to display their virtues, engage in what is called rajasic austerity. Lord Sri Krishna has previously called such people deceitful. What harm comes from such austerity? The answer is this: because such austerity is unstable and wavering, its fruits too are uncertain and fleeting. The results of any action are realized only in due course of time. Therefore, the practice of any action requires steadiness and continuity. Yet austerity undertaken with the base purpose of gaining recognition or displaying oneself cannot possess these two qualities. When austerity itself is unstable and temporary, how can its fruits be enduring? Rajasic austerity, being unstable and impermanent, should be understood as something to be abandoned.