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Chapter 17 · Verse 28 · Sraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga

Bhagavad Gita 17.28

philosophical Karma & Action Bhakti & Devotion Jnana & Wisdom

Sanskrit

अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत्।असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह।।17.28।।

Transliteration

aśhraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ tapas taptaṁ kṛitaṁ cha yat asad ity uchyate pārtha na cha tat pretya no iha

Word by Word

aśhraddhayā without faith
hutam sacrifice
dattam charity
tapaḥ penance
taptam practiced
kṛitam done
cha and
yat which
asat perishable
iti thus
uchyate are termed as
pārtha Arjun, the son of Pritha
na not
cha and
tat that
pretya in the next world
na u not
iha in this world
Simplified Perspective

Krishna reveals a subtle truth that transcends morality: action without faith is like a seed cast on barren soil—it may move the body, but it cannot nourish the soul or bear fruit in any world. Faith is not blind belief but the living recognition that our actions matter because they connect us to something sacred within and beyond ourselves.

When we act from genuine faith—whether in dharma, the Divine, or our own highest nature—every deed becomes a prayer; without it, even our greatest efforts remain hollow and cannot serve our evolution here or hereafter. In modern life, this invites us to examine not just what we do, but the inner trust and meaning we bring to it.

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Bhagavad Gita 17.28 — BG 17.28

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Sanskrit text from the Bhagavad Gita (public domain). Commentary © Mahakatha.

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