Speaker: Śrī Kṛṣṇa
विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम् ।
श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ॥१३॥
vidhi-hīnam asṛṣṭānnaṁ
mantra-hīnam adakṣiṇam
śraddhā-virahitaṁ yajñaṁ
tāmasaṁ paricakṣate
Word for word (synonyms)
- vidhi-hīnam
- without scriptural direction
- asṛṣṭa-annam
- without distribution of *prasādam*
- mantra-hīnam
- with no chanting of the Vedic hymns
- adakṣiṇam
- with no remunerations to the priests
- śraddhā
- faith
- virahitam
- without
- yajñam
- sacrifice
- tāmasam
- in the mode of ignorance
- paricakṣate
- is to be considered
Translation
And that sacrifice performed in defiance of scriptural injunctions, in which no spiritual food is distributed, no hymns are chanted and no remunerations are made to the priests, and which is faithless—that sacrifice is of the nature of ignorance.
Defined in the Gītā
Sacrifice
Which sacrifice is the greatest?
O chastiser of the enemy, the sacrifice of knowledge is greater than the sacrifice of material possessions. O son of Pṛthā, after all, the sacrifice of work culminates in transcendental knowledge.
Purport
Faith in the mode of darkness or ignorance is actually faithlessness. Sometimes people worship some demigod just to make money and then spend the money for recreation, ignoring the scriptural injunctions. Such ceremonial shows of religiosity are not accepted as genuine. They are all in the mode of darkness; they produce a demoniac mentality and do not benefit human society.
What this verse teaches
The study note for this verse is in editorial review.
- Section
- Sacrifices in three modes
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.