Sanskrit

आत्मसम्भाविताः स्तब्धा धनमानमदान्विताः ।

यजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाविधिपूर्वकम् ॥

16.17

Transliteration

ātmasambhāvitāḥ stabdhā dhanamānamadānvitāḥ |

yajante nāmayajñaiste dambhenāvidhipūrvakam ||

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3

Translation

Self-conceited, stubborn, filled with the pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices in name out of ostentation, contrary to scriptural ordinances.

From the owner's sheet · +1 more

Word by word

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08

Explanation

Here Krishna returns to religious practice. Puffed up with self-regard, rigid, and intoxicated with wealth and status, such people perform sacrifices (yajña) only in name, for show and without following the proper rule. The criticism is not of ritual itself but of ritual turned into self-advertisement. The verse links naturally to the next chapter, where Krishna will distinguish sacrifice, austerity and giving by the qualities of the person who performs them.

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08