Shloka
सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत् |
क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम् ||१७-१८||Transliteration
satkāramānapūjārthaṃ tapo dambhena caiva yat .
kriyate tadiha proktaṃ rājasaṃ calamadhruvam ||17-18||Translations
Dr.S.Sankaranarayan
17.18. The austerity that is practised for gaining respect, honour and reverence and with sheer showing-that is called here [austerity] of the Rajas and it is unstable and impermanent.
Shri Purohit Swami
17.18 Austerity coupled with hypocrisy or performed for the sake of self-glorification, popularity or vanity, comes from Passion, and its result is always doubtful and temporary.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
17.18 See Comment under 17.19
Sri Ramanuja
17.18 ‘Respect’ means recognition by others. ‘Praise’ means verbal adulation. ‘Reverence’ means corporeal actions such as prostration etc. That austerity, practised with expectation of rewards like respect, etc., mentioned above - it is here said to be Rajasa. It is unsteady and impermanent, because of the temporary nature of its rewards like heaven etc.; ‘unsteadiness’ is the result of the fear of falling. ‘Impermanent’ means the tendency to perish.
Sri Shankaracharya
17.18 Yat, that; tapah, austerity; which is kriyate, undertaken; satkara-mana-pujartham, for earning a name, being honoured and worshipped-for earning a name, (i.e.) for being spoken of thus: ‘This Brahmana, who is given to austerity, is pious’; for being honoured by (others’) standing up respectfully, salutation, etc.; for being worshipped with washing of feet, adoration, feeding, etc.; for these-; ca eva, and also, (that) austerity which is performed dambhena, ostentatiously; tat, that; proktam, is spoken of; as rajasam, born of rajas; iha, belonging to this world; [i.e. yielding fruits only in this world.] calam, uncertain-its result being unpredictable; and adhruvam, transitory.
Swami Adidevananda
17.18 That austerity, pracitsed with ostentation for the sake of gaininng respect, praise and reverence, is here said to be Rajasa. It is unsteady and impermanent.
Swami Gambirananda
17.18 That austerity which is undertaken for earning a name, being honoured and worshipped, and also ostentatiously,-that is spoken of as born of rajas, belonging to this world, uncertain and transitory.
Swami Sivananda
17.18 The austerity which is practised with the object of gaining good reception, honour and worship, and with hypocrisy, is here said to be Rajasic, unstable and transitory.
Commentaries
Swami Sivananda
17.18 सत्कारमानपूजार्थम् with the object of gaining good reception? honour and worship? तपः austerity? दम्भेन with hypocrisy? च and? एव even? यत् which? क्रियते is practised? तत् that? इह here? प्रोक्तम् is said? राजसम् Rajasic? चलम् unstable? अध्रुवम् transitory.Commentary Penance that is performed with no sincere belief? for mere show? with a view to increase selfimportance? in order that the world may pay respect to the performer and place him in the seat of honour? and that everyone may sing his praise? is declared to be of a passionate nature.Iha In this world Such penance yields fruit only in this world.Satkara Good reception with such words as? Here is a good Brahmana of great austerities.Mana Honour Rising from ones seat to greet? and saluting with reverence.Chalam Unstable Yielding momentary effect or result.Adhruvam Without Niyama or fixity.Penance that is performed in the hope of gaining fame is worse than useless. It bears no fruit. It is abandoned though incomplete? when it is seen that is can result in no gain.