Speaker: Śrī Kṛṣṇa
मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः ।
परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥१९॥
mūḍha-grāheṇātmano yat
pīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ
parasyotsādanārthaṁ vā
tat tāmasam udāhṛtam
Word for word (synonyms)
- mūḍha
- foolish
- grāheṇa
- with endeavor
- ātmanaḥ
- of one's own self
- yat
- which
- pīḍayā
- by torture
- kriyate
- is performed
- tapaḥ
- penance
- parasya
- to others
- utsādanārtham
- causing annihilation
- vā
- or
- tat
- that
- tāmasam
- in the mode of darkness
- udāhṛtam
- is said to be
Translation
And those penances and austerities which are performed foolishly by means of obstinant self-torture, or to destroy or injure others, are said to be in the mode of ignorance.
Defined in the Gītā
Austerity
What is austerity of body, speech and mind?
The austerity of the body consists in this: worship of the Supreme Lord, the brāhmaṇas, the spiritual master, and superiors like the father and mother. Cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy and nonviolence are also austerities of the body.
Purport
There are instances of foolish penance undertaken by demons like Hiraṇyakaśipu, who performed austere penances to become immortal and kill the demigods. He prayed to Brahmā for such things, but ultimately he was killed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To undergo penances for something which is impossible is certainly in the mode of ignorance.
What this verse teaches
The study note for this verse is in editorial review.
- Section
- Austerity in three modes
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.