Shloka 17.14 “Worship of gods, Brahmins, gurus, and the wise; purity, uprightness, celibacy, nonviolence—these are bodily austerity.” Key Teaching: Bodily austerity includes worship, purity, and nonviolence. Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Karma Yoga. Description: Krishna defines bodily austerity as worship of gods, Brahmins, gurus, and the wise, along with purity, uprightness, celibacy, and […]

Shloka 17.13 “Sacrifice without scriptural rules, without mantras, offerings, faith, or proper rites is tamasic.” Key Teaching: Tamasic sacrifice lacks scriptural basis and faith. Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Karma Yoga. Description: Krishna describes tamasic sacrifice as lacking scriptural rules, mantras, offerings, faith, or proper rites. This verse, continuing 17.12, addresses Arjuna’s quest

Shloka 17.12 “Sacrifice performed for show or with desire for reward, O Bharata, know that to be rajasic.” Key Teaching: Rajasic sacrifice is driven by show or reward. Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Karma Yoga. Description: Krishna describes rajasic sacrifice as performed for show or with desire for reward. This verse, continuing 17.11,

Shloka 17.11 “Sacrifice performed according to scriptures, with a focused mind, without desire for reward, is sattvic.” Key Teaching: Sattvic sacrifice is scripturally guided, selfless, and focused. Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Karma Yoga. Description: Krishna describes sattvic sacrifice as performed per scriptures, with a focused mind and no desire for reward. This

Shloka 17.10 “Food that is stale, tasteless, putrid, rotten, impure, or others’ leftovers is dear to the tamasic.” Key Teaching: Tamasic foods are impure and harmful. Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga. Description: Krishna describes tamasic foods as stale, tasteless, putrid, rotten, impure, or leftovers, favored by tamasic people. This verse, continuing 17.9, addresses

Shloka 17.9 “Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry, burning, causing pain, grief, and disease, are dear to the rajasic.” Key Teaching: Rajasic foods cause pain and disease. Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga. Description: Krishna describes rajasic foods as bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry, and burning, causing pain, grief, and

Shloka 17.8 “Foods that promote life, vitality, strength, health, joy, and cheerfulness, savory, mild, substantial, agreeable, are dear to the sattvic.” Key Teaching: Sattvic foods promote vitality and health. Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga. Description: Krishna describes sattvic foods as those promoting life, vitality, strength, health, joy, and cheerfulness, being savory, mild, substantial,

Shloka 17.7 “The food each prefers is also threefold, as are sacrifice, austerity, and charity; hear their distinctions.” Key Teaching: Food, sacrifice, austerity, and charity are threefold, based on gunas. Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga. Description: Krishna states that food, sacrifice, austerity, and charity are threefold, based on gunas, and will explain their

Shloka 17.6 “They, weakening the body’s elements, also torment Me, the dweller in the body; know them as demonic in resolve.” Key Teaching: Unscriptural austerities harm the body and Krishna within. Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Bhakti Yoga. Description: Krishna warns that those weakening the body’s elements through unscriptural austerities also torment Him,

Shloka 17.5 “Those who perform severe austerities not enjoined by scriptures, driven by hypocrisy and ego, impelled by desire and passion.” Key Teaching: Unscriptural austerities driven by ego and desire are flawed. Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Karma Yoga. Description: Krishna describes those performing severe, unscriptural austerities driven by hypocrisy, ego, desire, and