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इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः |
तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः ||३-१२||

iṣṭānbhogānhi vo devā dāsyante yajñabhāvitāḥ . tairdattānapradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ ||3-12||


3.12 The gods, nourished by the sacrifice, will give you the desired objects. So, he who enjoys the objects given by the gods without offering (in return) to them, is verily a thief.

Word-by-word meanings

3.12 इष्टान् desired? भोगान् objects? हि so? वः to you? देवाः the gods? दास्यन्ते will give? यज्ञभाविताः nourished by sacrifice? तैः by them? दत्तान् give? अप्रदाय without offering? एभ्यः to them? यः who? भुङ्क्ते enjoys? स्तेनः thief? एव verily? सः he.Commentary When the gods are pleased with you sacrifices? they will bestow on you all the desired objects such as children? cattle? property? etc. He who enjoys what has been given to him by the gods? i.e.? he who gratifies the cravings of his own

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

3.12 'Yajna-bhavitah, being nourished, i.e. being satisfied, by sacrifices; devah, the gods; dasyante hi, will indeed give, will distribute; among vah, you; the istan, coveted; bhogan, enjoyments, such as wife, childeren and cattle. Sah, he; is eva, certainly; a stenah, thief, a stealer of the wealth of gods and others; yah, who; bhunkte, enjoys, gratifies only his own body and organs; with dattan, what enjoyable things have been given; taih, by them, by the gods; apradaya, without offering (these); hyah, to them, i.e. without repaying the d  [The three kinds of d -to the gods, to the rsis (sage), and to the manes-are repaid by satisfying them through sacrifices, celibacy (including study of the Vedas, etc.), and procreation, respectively. Unless one repays these d s, he incurs sin.] to them.'

(Showing excerpt)

Swami Gambirananda

3.12 'Being nourished by sacrifices, the gods will indeed give you the coveted enjoyments. He is certainly a theif who enjoys what have been given by them without offering (these) to them.'

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

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BG 3.12 — 3.12 The gods, nourished by the sacrifice, will give you the desired objects. So, he who enjoys the objects given by the gods without offering (in return)