Chapter 17 · Verse 13 · Sraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 17.13
Sanskrit
विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम्।श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते।।17.13।।
Transliteration
vidhi-hīnam asṛiṣhṭānnaṁ mantra-hīnam adakṣhiṇam śhraddhā-virahitaṁ yajñaṁ tāmasaṁ parichakṣhate
Word by Word
When sacrifice becomes mere ritual without reverence, without the proper invocation of sacred knowledge, without generosity to those who serve, and most crucially, without the living faith that connects the offering to the Divine — it descends into tamasic action, a mechanical shell devoid of spiritual substance. The Gita teaches us that every act, even the most formal ceremony, is only truly sacred when it flows from sincere trust in something greater than ourselves.
In modern life, this warns us against going through the motions of spirituality, whether prayer, study, or service, without the inner alignment of heart and conviction that transforms duty into devotion.
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Bhagavad Gita 17.13 — BG 17.13
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