Chapter 17, Verse 12 (Bhagavad Gita 17.12)
Chapter 17: Śhraddhā Traya Vibhāg Yog – Yoga through Discerning the Three Divisions of Faith
Sanskrit Shloka
अभिसंधाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत्।इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम्
Transliteration
abhisandhāya tu phalaṁ dambhārtham api chaiva yat ijyate bharata-śhreṣhṭha taṁ yajñaṁ viddhi rājasam
Word Meanings
abhisandhāya—motivated by; tu—but; phalam—the result; dambha—pride; artham—for the sake of; api—also; cha—and; eva—certainly; yat—that which; ijyate—is performed; bharata-śhreṣhṭha—Arjun, the best of the Bharatas; tam—that; yajñam—sacrifice; viddhi—know; rājasam—in the mode of passion
Translation
O Arjuna, know that the sacrifice which is performed for the sake of reward and with ostentation, is declared to be Rajasic.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound instruction, Lord Krishna reveals the nature of actions born from the mode of passion. When a seeker performs sacred duties not for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord, but to satisfy the ego or to gain social recognition, the spiritual essence of the act is lost. Shri Krishna warns that such Rajasic sacrifices bind the soul to the cycle of material desire rather than liberating it. By seeking the fruit of one's actions, the devotee distances themselves from the selfless surrender that characterizes true devotion. Ultimately, the Divine invites the seeker to transcend this outward show and perform every act as an unblemished offering unto Him.