BHAGAVAD-GITA 17:28

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 17:28

 

asraddhaya hutam dattam

tapas taptam krtam ca yat

asad ity ucyate partha

na ca tat pretya no iha

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

asraddhaya--without faith; hutam--offered in sacrifice; dattam--given;

tapah--penance; taptam--executed; krtam--performed; ca--also;

yat--that which; asat--false; iti--thus; ucyate--is said to be;

partha--O son of Prtha; na--never; ca--also; tat--that; pretya--after

death; na u--nor; iha--in this life.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Anything done as sacrifice, charity or penance without faith in the

Supreme, O son of Prtha, is impermanent. It is called asat and is

useless both in this life and the next.

 

PURPORT

 

Anything done without the transcendental objective--whether it be

sacrifice, charity or penance--is useless. Therefore in this verse it

is declared that such activities are abominable. Everything should be

done for the Supreme in Krsna consciousness. Without such faith, and

without the proper guidance, there can never be any fruit. In all the

Vedic scriptures, faith in the Supreme is advised. In the pursuit of

all Vedic instructions, the ultimate goal is the understanding of

Krsna. No one can obtain success without following this principle.

Therefore, the best course is to work from the very beginning in Krsna

consciousness under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. That

is the way to make everything successful.

 

In the conditional state, people are attracted to worshiping demigods,

ghosts, or Yaksas like Kuvera. The mode of goodness is better than the

modes of passion and ignorance, but one who takes directly to Krsna

consciousness is transcendental to all three modes of material nature.

Although there is a process of gradual elevation, if one, by the

association of pure devotees, takes directly to Krsna consciousness,

that is the best way. And that is recommended in this chapter. To

achieve success in this way, one must first find the proper spiritual

master and receive training under his direction. Then one can achieve

faith in the Supreme. When that faith matures, in course of time, it

is called love of God. This love is the ultimate goal of the living

entities. One should therefore take to Krsna consciousness directly.

That is the message of this Seventeenth Chapter.

 

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Seventeenth Chapter of the

Srimad Bhagavad-gita in the matter of the Divisions of Faith.

 

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.