Chapter 17, Verse 19 (Bhagavad Gita 17.19)
Chapter 17: Śhraddhā Traya Vibhāg Yog – Yoga through Discerning the Three Divisions of Faith
Sanskrit Shloka
मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः।परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्
Transliteration
mūḍha-grāheṇātmano yat pīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ parasyotsādanārthaṁ vā tat tāmasam udāhṛitam
Word Meanings
mūḍha—those with confused notions; grāheṇa—with endeavor; ātmanaḥ—one’s own self; yat—which; pīḍayā—torturing; kriyate—is performed; tapaḥ—austerity; parasya—of others; utsādana-artham—for harming; vā—or; tat—that; tāmasam—in the mode of ignorance; udāhṛitam—is described to be
Translation
That austerity which is performed out of a foolish notion, with self-torture, or for the purpose of destroying another, is declared to be of the Tamasic nature.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound revelation on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Bhagwan Shri Krishna illuminates the nature of misguided spiritual practice. He warns Arjuna that when austerity is rooted in ignorance, ego, or the desire to inflict pain upon others, it severs the soul from divine grace. Such practices, performed in the mode of darkness, only strengthen the shackles of material bondage rather than leading to liberation. Shri Krishna invites the seeker to look within and purify their intentions, for any act lacking the light of wisdom and compassion cannot be a path toward the Supreme. True tapasya must be a bridge of love toward the Divine, not a weapon of malice or a tool for self-delusion.