Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17, Verse 28

Chapter 17 – Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् ।
असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह ॥

Transliteration

aśraddhayā hutaṃ dattaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat .
asadityucyate pārtha na ca tatprepya no iha ॥

Meaning

Whatever is offered in sacrifice, given in charity, practised as austerity or done in any other way without faith is called 'Asat', O Partha; it is of no avail either hereafter or here.

Word meanings

अश्रद्धया – without faith
हुतम् – offered in sacrifice
दत्तम् – given in charity
तपः – austerity
तप्तम् – practised
कृतम् – done
च – and
यत् – whatever
असत् – Asat, unreal, fruitless
इति – thus
उच्यते – is called
पार्थ – O Partha
न च – neither
तत् – that
प्रेत्य – hereafter, after death
नो इह – nor here

Anvaya (word order)

पार्थ, अश्रद्धया यत् हुतं, दत्तं, तप्तं तपः, यत् च कृतम् — (तत्) ‘असत्’ इति उच्यते; तत् न प्रेत्य (फलदम्), नो इह च ।

Explanation

This is the closing verse of Chapter 17, and it ties the whole chapter back to its beginning. The chapter opened with Arjuna's question about those who set aside scripture but worship with faith. Having analysed the kinds of faith throughout the chapter, Krishna finally speaks of the absence of faith.

Ashraddhaya hutam dattam tapas taptam kritam cha yat: whatever is offered in sacrifice, given, practised as austerity, or done as any other good work, without faith. Such acts may follow the procedure perfectly and involve great wealth and effort, yet if faith is missing, Krishna says, asad ity uchyate: they are called Asat.

Asat is the opposite of Sat: what is unreal, fruitless and empty. The previous verses showed that Sat means reality, goodness and auspicious action. Action without faith is none of these. It is like an empty husk with no seed inside.

Na cha tat pretya no iha: it bears no fruit either hereafter or here. Shankara explains that such action does not even bring a good name in this world, since the wise disapprove of it, nor does it yield any merit in the next. Effort made without faith is entirely wasted.

The verse contains the whole conclusion of the chapter. Faith is what breathes life into action. Verse 3 declared that a person is made of faith; here is the other side of that truth: without faith, action is lifeless. The seeker should therefore make his faith sattvic, link his actions with Om Tat Sat, and do every act from the heart.

With this, Chapter 17 comes to an end. In the next chapter Arjuna will ask about the true meaning of sannyasa and tyaga, renunciation and relinquishment, and the Gita will reach its final conclusion.

Context

The preceding verses explained how Om Tat Sat sanctifies action; this final verse declares that without faith everything is Asat, giving the ultimate answer to the chapter's opening question (17.1). In Chapter 18 Arjuna asks about renunciation and relinquishment.

Life lesson

No action, however grand, costly or correctly performed, has substance without faith. Whatever you do, do it with your whole heart and conviction; faith is the life of action.

Key terms

Ashraddha: Absence of faith
Asat: Unreal, fruitless, empty
Pretya: After death, hereafter