Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingसत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत्।
क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम्
satkāra-māna-pūjārthaṁ tapo dambhena chaiva yat
kriyate tad iha proktaṁ rājasaṁ chalam adhruvam
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaThat austerity which is undertaken for earning a name, being honored and worshipped, and also ostentatiously—that is spoken of as born of rajas, belonging to this world, uncertain, and transitory.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
जो तप सत्कार, मान और पूजा के लिए अथवा केवल दम्भ (पाखण्ड) से ही किया जाता है, वह अनिश्चित और क्षणिक तप यहाँ राजस कहा गया है।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiसत् कारमान पूजार् थम्
तपो दम् भेन चैव यत्
क्रियते तदिहप् रोक् तम्
राजसञ् चलमध् रुवम्
॥ १८ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthasat-kārarespect
mānahonor
pūjāadoration
arthamfor the sake of
tapaḥausterity
dambhenawith ostentation
chaalso
evacertainly
yatwhich
kriyateis performed
tatthat
ihain this world
proktamis said
rājasamin the mode of passion
chalamflickering
adhruvamtemporary
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA17.18What austerity is rājasika — performed for what rewards, and how stable is it?
That austerity which is undertaken for earning a name, being honored and worshipped, and also ostentatiously—that is spoken of as born of rajas, belonging to this world, uncertain, and transitory.
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.