BHAGAVAD-GITA 17:5-6

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 17:5-6

 

asastra-vihitam ghoram

tapyante ye tapo janah

dambhahankara-samyuktah

kama-raga-balanvitah

 

karsayantah sarira-stham

bhuta-gramam acetasah

mam caivantah sarira-stham

tan viddhy asura-niscayan

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

asastra--not in the scriptures; vihitam--directed; ghoram--harmful to

others; tapyante--undergo; ye--those who; tapah--austerities;

janah--persons; dambha--with pride; ahankara--and egoism;

samyuktah--engaged; kama--of lust; raga--and attachment; bala--by the

force; anvitah--impelled; karsayantah--tormenting;

sarira-stham--situated within the body; bhuta-gramam--the combination

of material elements; acetasah--having a misled mentality; mam--Me;

ca--also; eva--certainly; antah--within; sarira-stham--situated in the

body; tan--them; viddhi--understand; asura-niscayan--demons.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Those who undergo severe austerities and penances not recommended in

the scriptures, performing them out of pride and egoism, who are

impelled by lust and attachment, who are foolish and who torture the

material elements of the body as well as the Supersoul dwelling

within, are to be known as demons.

 

PURPORT

 

There are persons who manufacture modes of austerity and penance which

are not mentioned in the scriptural injunctions. For instance, fasting

for some ulterior purpose, such as to promote a purely political end,

is not mentioned in the scriptural directions. The scriptures

recommend fasting for spiritual advancement, not for some political

end or social purpose. Persons who take to such austerities are,

according to Bhagavad-gita, certainly demoniac. Their acts are against

the scriptural injunctions and are not beneficial for the people in

general. Actually, they act out of pride, false ego, lust and

attachment for material enjoyment. By such activities, not only is the

combination of material elements of which the body is constructed

disturbed, but also the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself living

within the body. Such unauthorized fasting or austerities for some

political end are certainly very disturbing to others. They are not

mentioned in the Vedic literature. A demoniac person may think that he

can force his enemy or other parties to comply with his desire by this

method, but sometimes one dies by such fasting. These acts are not

approved by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He says that those

who engage in them are demons. Such demonstrations are insults to the

Supreme Personality of Godhead because they are enacted in

disobedience to the Vedic scriptural injunctions. The word acetasah is

significant in this connection. Persons of normal mental condition

must obey the scriptural injunctions. Those who are not in such a

position neglect and disobey the scriptures and manufacture their own

way of austerities and penances. One should always remember the

ultimate end of the demoniac people, as described in the previous

chapter. The Lord forces them to take birth in the wombs of demoniac

persons. Consequently they will live by demoniac principles life after

life without knowing their relationship with the Supreme Personality

of Godhead. If, however, such persons are fortunate enough to be

guided by a spiritual master who can direct them to the path of Vedic

wisdom, they can get out of this entanglement and ultimately achieve

the supreme goal.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.