Bhagavad Gita Study 168 - Chap.17 - Verses 5-12 - Video

Swami hosts regular talks and each covers some area of spiritual insight. In this series, Swami is exploring the Bhagavad Gita chapter by chapter and verse by verse. The Gita is one of the world's most read and revered spiritual texts - and offers timeless wisdom.

The Bhagavad Gita itself is an ancient text of Indian origin and written in Sanskrit. We are using the following three books which are translations and commentaries on the original Gita. They are listed in the order of how often they are referenced in our discussions. Included further below are today’s verses as translated in this first book.
1) The Living Gita by Swami Satchidananda.
2) The Song of God by Swami Venkatesananda.
3) The Holy Geeta by Swami Chinmayananda

We hope you find this "Pilgram's Gita" series enriching.
You can find out more about Swami, our ashram and our online offerings here:
https://www.DivineGraceYoga.org

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The Gita Dhyanam (the daily invocation):
Om,
O Bhagavad Gita, by which Arjuna was illumined by Lord Krishna himself and which was composed of eighteen chapters within the Mahabharata by the ancient sage Vyasa;
O Divine Mother, Destroyer of rebirth, who showers the nectar of oneness on us; O Bhagavad Gita, my affectionate Mother, on Thee I meditate.
All the Upanishads are the cows, the milker is the cowherd boy, Krishna; Arjuna is the calf; people of purified intellect are the drinkers; the milk is the supreme nectar of the Gita,
My salutations to the Lord who is the source of supreme bliss, whose Grace makes the mute eloquent and the crippled cross mountains.
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Verses:

5. Those who choose extreme or violent austerities, not advised in scripture, are hypocrites motivated by ego, lust and personal attachments.

6. They are fools to torture their innocent bodies so, for in their demonic resolve, they also torture me, because I live in their very bodies.

7. Those with one of these three differing qualities of faith also prefer three different types of food, perform their duties and take on disciplines in three different ways. They each give charity in their own way. Listen, and I will distinguish one from the other.

8. Those of tranquil temperament (sattvic) prefer foods that increase vitality, longevity and strength; foods that enhance physical health and make the mind pure and cheerful; foods with substance and natural flavor; foods that are fresh, with natural oils and agreeable to the body.

9. Those of a restless, compulsive temperament (rajasic) prefer foods that are very spicy or very sour, piping hot, bitter-dry or quite salty. Such foods give rise to discomfort, pain and disease and, therefore, dismay.

10. Those of a dull and lazy temperament (tamasic) choose foods that are stale and tasteless, overcooked or left overnight, spoiled, rotting or even putrid. Such foods have lost their vitality and nutrition.

11. Any devoted action offered up without desire for reward, but with the entire mind focused on the action for its own sake, is in the true spirit of scripture and is a pure (sattvic) sacrifice.

12. However, Arjuna, any offering made with expectation of a reward for doing so, or for show, is motivated by a restless and desirous (rajasic) mental tendency.