Verse 17.28

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 17.28:

अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस् तप्तं कृतं च यत् ।
असद् इत्य् उच्यते पार्थ न च तत् प्रेत्य नो इह ॥ २८ ॥

aśraddhayā hutaṃ dattaṃ tapas taptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat |
asad ity ucyate pārtha na ca tat pretya no iha || 28 ||

aśraddhayā–without faith; hutam–sacrificial fire (as an oblation to Śrī Bhagavān); dattam–charity; tapaḥ–austerity; taptam–undergone; kṛtam–done; ca–and; yat–which; asat–impermanent; iti–as; ucyate–is described; pārtha–O son of Pṛthā; na–nor; ca–and whatever else; tat–that; pretya–in the next world; na–nor; iha–in this world.

O son of Pṛthā, sacrifice, austerity, charity or any other acts performed without faith are called asat. Such activities give no transcendental result, either in this world or the next.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

“I have heard about sat-karma, spiritually virtuous deeds, but what is asat-karma?” Expecting this question from Arjuna, Śrī Bhagavān is speaking this verse beginning with aśraddhayā. All fire yajñas (hutam), charity (dattam), penances (tapaḥ) and anything else that is done without faith, is asat. This means that although yajña may be performed, it is not a yajña in truth; charity may be given, but it is not really charity; austerities may be performed, but it is not actually austerity; and whatever else may be done is in fact useless, if performed without faith. It does not even give good results in this world, what to speak of the next: tat na pretya no iha.

The present chapter explains that the various types of prescribed activities performed with śraddhā in the mode of goodness lead to liberation, or mokṣa.

Thus ends the bhāvānuvāda of Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura’s
Sārārtha-varṣiṇī-ṭīkā (the commentary that gives pleasure
to the devotees and is accepted by all saintly persons)
on the Seventeenth Chapter of Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

All activities performed with the purpose of serving Bhagavān, śrī guru and the Vaiṣṇavas, such as collecting alms, digging wells and ponds, making flower and Tulasī gardens, planting trees and building temples, are tad-arthīyaṃ-karma, activities performed for His satisfaction, and they are sat.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura quotes Kṛṣṇa as saying, “O Arjuna, all activities, sacrifices, charity and austerities that are performed without nirguṇā-śraddhā, faith that is transcendental to the modes, are asat, temporary and useless. Such activities never bring any benefit either now in this world, or in the future, in the next world. Therefore, scripture instructs us in nirguṇā-śraddhā. If one discards the injunctions of scripture, it means that he has abandoned nirguṇā-śraddhā, which is the seed of the wish-fulfilling creeper of devotion.”

Thus ends the Sārārtha-varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti
by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja,
on the Seventeenth Chapter of Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā.