Verse 17.5
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जनाः | दम्भाहंकारसंयुक्ताः कामरागबलान्विताः ||५||
Transliteration (IAST)
aśāstra-vihitaṁ ghoraṁ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ | dambhāhaṁkāra-saṁyuktāḥ kāma-rāga-balānvitāḥ ||5||
Word-by-Word Meanings
aśāstra-vihitam-not enjoined by scripture
ghoram-terrible/severe
tapyante-perform
tapaḥ-austerity
dambha-hypocrisy
ahaṁkāra-egoism
kāma-rāga-desire and attachment
bala-anvitāḥ-impelled by force
Translation
Those who practice terrible austerities not enjoined by the scriptures, given to hypocrisy and egoism, impelled by the force of desire and attachment -
Commentary
Verses 5-6 form a single sentence describing those who perform extreme penances motivated by ego rather than spiritual growth. Shankaracharya warns against austerities performed for show or driven by desire, as these torment both the body and the indwelling Self. Ramanuja connects this to the demoniac nature described in Chapter 16.
Themes
dharmakarma