अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् |
असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह || 28||
aśhraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ tapas taptaṁ kṛitaṁ cha yat
asad ity uchyate pārtha na cha tat pretya no iha
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; no—not; iha—in this world
Translation:
Whatever sacrifice or gift is made, whatever austerity is practised, whatever ceremony is observed— it is all called “asat,” “non-existent,” if it is done without faith. It is of no account here or hereafter.
Commentary:
Faith (sraddha) is the Key-note of success either in worldly life or in spiritual life. Without it, nothing is achieved even in small matters concerning everyday life. In spiritual life where man tries to ascend to the highest state the need for unswerving faith is greatly emphasised. That is why the Lord insists on faith in many places and He has devoted a whole Discourse to elaborate on the theme of faith (sraddha). Whatever may be the act performed by either Yajna or Dana or Tapas, or other good works, If there is no faith in the heart of the doer, it becomes utterly useless. It does not acquire the status of ‘Sat’. It is just ‘Asat’ (i.e.) something equal to zero, something not performed at all. Such acts bring no good either here or hereafter. A person may gather all materials for preparing food, and yet, if the cook has no ‘sraddha‘ in what he is doing, the whole thing goes to waste. So also, in the spiritual field, whatever other qualities the aspirants may possess, if he is void of faith, his austerities, sacrifices and charities bear no fruit at all. It remains only in the realm of the ‘Asat’ and cannot be transformed into ‘Sat’. Therefore it is the duty of all seekers to do their ‘sadhana’ with faith and realise the goal. Even a little of such ‘sadhana’ with faith will help to realise the Self. And such ‘sadhana’ does not at all go in vain. Thus, holding on to faith as the support, propelling force, and guiding light, man has to march forward towards the ultimate reality, the supreme Brahman.
One day the Holy Mother invited Amzad for lunch and served him on the porch of her house. Owing to caste prejudices, Nalini, the Mother’s niece, threw the food at Amzad’s leaf plate from a distance. Holy Mother noticed this and said: “How can one enjoy food when it is served with such scorn? Let me wait on him properly.” After Amzad had finished his meal, Holy Mother cleaned the place where he had sat with her own hands. Nalini shrieked: “Aunt, you have lost your caste!”
“Keep quiet,” the Mother scolded her. Then she added: “As Sharat is my son, exactly so is Amzad.” Sharat was a direct disciple of Ramakrishna, the secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission, and a monk endowed with saintly virtues; Amzad was a Muslim and a convicted robber. Thus Holy Mother demonstrated that she is the Mother of the good and the bad. She also showed that kind treatment can enkindle faith in the heart of a weak, lowly man and prove to him that he is a son of the Divine Mother. Her example brought to life the words of Krishna: “I am the same towards all beings; to Me there is none hateful or dear. But those who worship Me with devotion—they are in Me, and I too am in them.”
One morning in Jayrambati while the Mother was rubbing her body with oil, someone was sweeping the courtyard. After the work was done, that person threw the broomstick aside. At this the Mother said: “What is this? You have thrown away the broomstick with such disrespect when the work is done. It takes the same amount of time to put it gently in a corner as it does to throw it aside. One should not trifle with a thing though it may be very insignificant. If you respect a thing, the thing also respects you. Will you not again need that broomstick? Besides, it is also a part of this family. From that standpoint also, it deserves to be treated with respect. Even a broomstick should be treated with respect. One should perform even an insignificant task with respect.”
Question: What will be the effect of Yajna, Dana, and Tapas, if they are performed without faith?
Answer: They yield no fruit. They are ‘Asat’, as acts not performed at all.
Question: Do they bear fruit in the next world?
Answer: No, Neither here nor hereafter do they bring any good.
Question: What then is man’s duty?
Answer: Everyone should carry on his Sadhana with redoubled confidence and faith, and reach the goal quickly.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 17 🔻 (28 Verses)
