Devanagari
मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तप: ।
परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥ १९ ॥
Verse text
mūḍha-grāheṇātmano yat
pīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ
parasyotsādanārthaṁ vā
tat tāmasam udāhṛtam
Synonyms
mūḍha
—
foolish
;
grāheṇa
—
with endeavor
;
ātmanaḥ
—
of one’s own self
;
yat
—
which
;
pīḍayā
—
by torture
;
kriyate
—
is performed
;
tapaḥ
—
penance
;
parasya
—
to others
;
utsādana-artham
—
for the sake of causing annihilation
;
vā
—
or
;
tat
—
that
;
tāmasam
—
in the mode of darkness
;
udāhṛtam
—
is said to be.
Translation
Penance performed out of foolishness, with self-torture or to destroy or injure others, is said to be in the mode of ignorance.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
19. Austerity performed out of foolishness, inflicting pain on oneself, or for the purpose of harming others, is tamasic austerity.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
19. Austerity performed out of blind attachment, inflicting pain on oneself, or for the purpose of harming or destroying others, is tamasic austerity.
Purport
There are instances of foolish penance undertaken by demons like Hiraṇyakaśipu, who performed austere penances to become immortal and kill the demigods. He prayed to Brahmā for such things, but ultimately he was killed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To undergo penances for something which is impossible is certainly in the mode of ignorance.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Mūḍha-graheṇa means to be performed out of foolishness. Parasya utsadana artha m means performed with the intention of harming others.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
Muda grahena means the austerity is performed with stubborn attachment to material enjoyment because of no discernment. Austerity performed in that way, and with pain for the body and senses (ātmanaḥ), or with the intention of harming or destroying others (parasya utsādana artham), is austerity in the mode of ignorance.