Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 17: Śhraddhā Traya Vibhāg Yogam Verse 5 & 6:
Some People Engage In Harsh Penance Practices That Are Not Required By The Scriptures But Are Carried Out Of Hypocrisy And Egotism Instead
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अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जना: |
दम्भाहङ्कारसंयुक्ता: कामरागबलान्विता: || 17.5||
कर्षयन्त: शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतस: |
मां चैवान्त:शरीरस्थं तान्विद्ध्यासुरनिश्चयान् || 17.6||
aśhāstra-vihitaṁ ghoraṁ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ
dambhāhankāra-sanyuktāḥ kāma-rāga-balānvitāḥ|| 17.5||
karṣhayantaḥ śharīra-sthaṁ bhūta-grāmam achetasaḥ
māṁ chaivāntaḥ śharīra-sthaṁ tān viddhy āsura-niśhchayān|| 17.6||
Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 17- Ver. 5 & 6:
Some people practise severe penances that are not mandated by the scriptures but are instead driven by hypocrisy and egotism. They torture their body’s elements as well as me, who is inside them as the Supreme Soul, since they are driven by want and attachment. Be aware that these people have demonic intentions.
Explanation
The practise of foolish austerities is done in the name of spirituality. Some people perform horrific rituals for mastery over material life by lying on beds of thorns or sticking spikes into their bodies. Some people believe that by keeping one hand lifted for an extended period of time, they will develop mystic skills. Some people stare at the sun nonstop without considering the damage it does to their eyes. Others go on prolonged fasts, wasting their bodies for fictitious material advantages.
O Arjun, you inquired about the situation of those who practise faith-based devotion while disobeying the commands of the scriptures. I’m telling you that while faith is evident in those who practise extreme austerity, it lacks a solid foundation in knowledge. These people certainly have a strong belief in the effectiveness of their methods, but their faith is based on ignorance. The Supreme Soul that lies within is disrespected by those who mistreat and torture their own physical bodies. All of these run counter to the route that the Scriptures advise.
Verse & what we can learn
Before discussing the subject of diving into the nature of our religion, Shri Krishna uses this shloka and the one that follows to issue us a caution.
This warning is quite straightforward. We should avoid such people whenever we witness them physically or emotionally torturing themselves or others out of devotion. In the unlikely event that we have been led astray to act in such a manner, we should cease right away.
This self-inflicted punishment could be as simple as depriving oneself of food and water to the detriment of one’s health, or it could be as horrific as sticking oneself with pins and needles. No scripture authorises any of this.
Why would someone endure such gruelling hardships? Many of these people, according to Shri Krishna, are overly proud of physical prowess like walking through burning charcoal. They want to put on a show in order to state their desire for extravagance and to boast about their achievements. Others get so focused on achieving a material goal that they pledge to fast continuously without thinking about their health. Generally speaking, these people fail to achieve their goals and injure both themselves and those around them.
The elements, or the organs, in a person’s body are weakened when the body and mind are tortured in the name of austerity. The Scripture never commands us to do anything bad to our bodies. He goes even further by stating that these individuals are harming Ishvara personally. Ishvara resides in each and every one of us as the sakshi, the observer of our thoughts and deeds,
Such people are referred to as achetesaaha by Shri Krishna, which is an uninformed or even unconscious term. They made the decision to disregard Ishvara’s teachings found in the Vedas. They don’t believe in anything save themselves and their own survival. They are just motivated by ego and desire. As was said in the last chapter, it should come as no surprise that their intentions and decisions will be asuric . So, the warning is crystal apparent for us. We should not in any way try to imitate these people while we examine our faith. We ought to steer clear of them.
To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.
There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There is also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.
In the next shloka Shri Krishna explains After describing the three types of faith, Shree Krishna goes on to explain the types of food, activities, sacrifices, charities, and so on that correspond to each of these.
Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…