Verse-19
Chapter 17 — Shraddhatreya Vibhag Yoga
Verse 19
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
mūḍhagrāheṇātmano yatpīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ
parasyotsādanārthaṁ vā tattāmasamudāhṛtam
🕉 English Translation
Mann vani aur tanko hee pidaa hee,
Pahunchaye jo kashta auron ko bhi.
Hath karke jo mudhta se karein,
Tapp tamasi hee hai kehte useh.
📜 Translation
English
The austerity which is performed with deluded obstinacy by self-torture and for causing harm to others-that austerity has been called tamasic.
The word austerity is in itself significant. But just the opposite attitude creates a very perverse question mark on this significance. In which there is no benefit for oneself nor that of others what kind of austerity can it be? The Gita has put it in the category of austerity but giving it the title of the tamasic austerity.
The spirit of enduring suffering for giving happiness to others is the nobility and glory of life. Along with the happiness of others to take care of one's own happiness is a normal and usual situation. Any action taken which causes torture to oneself and also is detrimental and inauspicious for others even if it is some form of austerity, is the irony of life. Ravana, Kumbhkaran, Meghnaad, Hiranyakashyapu, etc. also undertook austerities but what was its essence, gain and its implication? It is known to all. To bear the heat of five fires, to keep standing on one feet and cause the body to shrivel, at some impure unholy place, by using unholy means for just causing harm or for troubling others, engaging in obstinate bodily torture-this is the deluded persuance. Intellect is fully veiled by its own imagined unrighteous convictions. Time has been devoted, austerity has also been performed; but think-for what purpose? After describing in detail the three kinds of austerities now follows the description of three types of charity. First of all comes the nature of satvic charity.