Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 17, Verse 12
अभिसंधाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत्।इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम्।।
abhisandhāya tu phalaṁ dambhārtham api caiva yat
ijyate bharata-śreṣṭha taṁ yajñaṁ viddhi rājasam
also searched as "abhisandhaya tu phalam dambhartham api chaiva yat"
Translation
But that sacrifice which is offered with the intention of gaining a reward and for the sake of show, know it, O Arjuna, to be Rajasic.
Vāṇi's rendering
An offering made with an eye on the reward, or to be seen making it — know that offering as restless.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| अभिसंधायabhisandhāya | having aimed at, with the intention of getting |
| तुtu | but |
| फलंphalaṁ | the fruit, the return |
| दम्भdambha- | show, display, pretence |
| अर्थम्-artham | for the sake of (joined to dambha- as one compound) |
| अपिapi | even |
| चca | and (sandhi: ca + eva = caiva) |
| एवeva | indeed |
| यत्yat | which |
| इज्यतेijyate | is offered, is performed |
| भरतbharata- | of the Bharatas |
| श्रेष्ठ-śreṣṭha | best one — Krishna's address to Arjuna |
| तंtaṁ | that |
| यज्ञंyajñaṁ | offering, sacrifice |
| विद्धिviddhi | know |
| राजसम्rājasam | restless in nature, driven by wanting |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17 Verse 12 mean?
It names the second kind of offering. The act is complete, the ritual correct — but the doer is aiming at a return, or aiming at an audience. Krishna calls this rājasa: restless. Not condemned, only diagnosed. The offering happens; the peace of offering does not.
What does abhisandhaya tu phalam dambhartham api chaiva yat teach?
That motive is part of the act. Two motives are singled out — abhisandhāya phalam, aiming at the fruit, and dambhārtham, doing it to be seen. Either one turns giving into trading. You still get the result you bargained for. You do not get quiet.
Is it wrong to want something from my worship or charity?
Krishna does not say wrong. He says restless. Wanting a return keeps you tethered to the return, so the mind stays out ahead of the act, checking. The offering made without that tether is called sāttvika in the verse before. The difference is felt, not measured.
How do I know if my giving is done for show?
Ask what would change if nobody ever learned of it. If the impulse thins, dambha was in it. This is not cause for shame; it is information. Krishna gives Arjuna these grades so he can see where he stands, and then stand somewhere better.
Read every verse this way, held — inside Vāṇi.
View on the App Store
Commentary
Two eyes are named here, and neither is on the offering. One looks ahead at what will come back. The other looks sideways, to see who is watching. Krishna does not call this wrong — he calls it rājasa, restless, the middle grade. He addresses Arjuna as best of the Bharatas while describing the second-best offering. It still gets done. The fire still burns. Only the doer is somewhere else the whole time, calculating. Notice this the next time you give something away and want it noticed. The gift is real. Ask where your eyes were.