Verse 17.13
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम् | श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ||१३||
Transliteration (IAST)
vidhi-hīnam asṛṣṭānnaṁ mantra-hīnam adakṣiṇam | śraddhā-virahitaṁ yajñaṁ tāmasaṁ paricakṣate ||13||
Word-by-Word Meanings
Translation
That sacrifice which is performed without regard for scriptural injunctions, without distribution of food, without mantras, without gifts to the priests, and devoid of faith - that is declared to be tamasic.
Commentary
Shankaracharya lists five deficiencies that characterize tamasic sacrifice: absence of proper procedure, no feeding of others, no sacred chanting, no dakṣiṇā (priestly remuneration), and most critically, absence of faith. Ramanuja emphasizes that śraddhā-virahitam is the most damning quality - even imperfect ritual performed with faith has value, but faithless ritual is spiritually barren.