Devanagari
सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत् ।
क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम् ॥ १८ ॥
Verse text
satkāra-māna-pūjārthaṁ
tapo dambhena caiva yat
kriyate tad iha proktaṁ
rājasaṁ calam adhruvam
Synonyms
sat-kāra
—
respect
;
māna
—
honor
;
pūjā
—
and worship
;
artham
—
for the sake of
;
tapaḥ
—
austerity
;
dambhena
—
with pride
;
ca
—
also
;
eva
—
certainly
;
yat
—
which
;
kriyate
—
is performed
;
tat
—
that
;
iha
—
in this world
;
proktam
—
is said
;
rājasam
—
in the mode of passion
;
calam
—
flickering
;
adhruvam
—
temporary.
Translation
Penance performed out of pride and for the sake of gaining respect, honor and worship is said to be in the mode of passion. It is neither stable nor permanent.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
18. Austerity undertaken for praise from others and for respect from others, or undertaken for show alone, is said to be rajasic. It is temporary and uncertain.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
18. Austerity undertaken with the aim of getting verbal praise, bodily respect, and offerings from others, and for show alone, is said to be rajasic. It is temporary and uncertain.
Purport
Sometimes penance and austerity are executed to attract people and receive honor, respect and worship from others. Persons in the mode of passion arrange to be worshiped by subordinates and let them wash their feet and offer riches. Such arrangements artificially made by the performance of penances are considered to be in the mode of passion. The results are temporary; they can be continued for some time, but they are not permanent.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The austerity performed with ostentation, for the purpose of verbal respect by others who will say he is a great man, for the purpose of gaining bodily respect from others by having them stand up when he approaches, and for the purpose of gaining mental respect from others which will manifest in the future as gifts of money and other things, is rajasic austerity. Its results are very temporary (calam) if they appear at all, and it is uncertain (adhruvam) that they will appear.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
Sat kāra means to earn praise from others (words), such as “He is a great ascetic.” Māna means receiving respect using the body, such as rising up when the person approaches. Pūja means worship in the form of such things as getting ones feet washed or receiving gifts of money. Austerity performed for those purposes, and the ostentation (dambhena) is called austerity in the mode of passion. It is temporary (calam) and its results, such as getting praise, are uncertain (adhruvam). One may or may not get those results.