Chapter 17: The Divisions of Faith
Bg 17.13
TEXT 13
vidhi-hinam asrstannam
mantra-hinam adaksinam
sraddha-virahitam yajnam
tamasam paricaksate
mantra-hinam adaksinam
sraddha-virahitam yajnam
tamasam paricaksate
SYNONYMS
vidhi-hinam—without scriptural direction; asrsta-annam—without distribution of prasadam; mantra-hinam—with no chanting of the Vedic hymns; adaksinam—with no remunerations to the priests; sraddha—faith; virahitam—without; yajnam—sacrifice; tamasam—in the mode of ignorance; paricaksate—is to be considered.
TRANSLATION
And that sacrifice performed in defiance of scriptural injunctions, in which no spiritual food is distributed, no hymns are chanted and no remunerations are made to the priests, and which is faithless-that sacrifice is of the nature of ignorance.
PURPORT
Faith in the mode of darkness or ignorance is actually faithlessness. Sometimes people worship some demigod just to make money and then spend the money for recreation, ignoring the scriptural injunctions. Such ceremonial shows of religiosity are not accepted as genuine. They are all in the mode of darkness; they produce a demoniac mentality and do not benefit human society.
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Copyright (c) 1972 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada