अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर् यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते ॥
यष्टव्यम् एवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः ॥
अभिसंधाय तु फलं दम्भार्थम् अपि चैव यत् ॥
इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम् ॥
विधिहीनम् असृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनम् अदक्षिणम् ॥
श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ॥
aphalākāṅkṣibhir yajño vidhidṛṣṭo ya ijyate ||
yaṣṭavyam eveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ ||
abhisaṃdhāya tu phalaṃ dambhārtham api caiva yat ||
ijyate bharataśreṣṭha taṃ yajñaṃ viddhi rājasam ||
vidhihīnam asṛṣṭānnaṃ mantrahīnam adakṣiṇam ||
śraddhāvirahitaṃ yajñaṃ tāmasaṃ paricakṣate ||
"The sacrifice which is performed according to injunction by those who do not desire fruit, fixing the mind on the thought 'this must be done,' is sattvic. But know as rajasic, O best of the Bharatas, the sacrifice that is performed for the sake of a result or for the sake of display. A sacrifice without rule, without distribution of food, without mantras, without dakshina, and without faith is called tamasic."
2ce35cacdca1 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:02:20 PM UTC
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The same outward form may belong to different gunas. Sacrifice becomes pure when it is performed as a duty before the Supreme, without bargaining over its fruit and without a desire for self-glorification.