Verse-13
Chapter 3 — Karma Yoga
Verse 13
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
yajñaśiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarvakilbiṣaiḥ
bhuñjate te tvaghaṁ pāpā ye pacantyātmakāraṇāt
🕉 English Translation
📜 Translation
English
The righteous persons who eat the food which is left over from the sacrifice are freed from all sins and the sinful ones who cook for nourishing themselves only, verily eat sin.
To eat after serving others is a marvellous tradition of the eternal Indian culture. With this tradition is found associated the faith of family of devoted believers. This is a good and healthy belief. In this belief where on one hand humanity is found to blossom, on the other had the feeling of well being, morality, welfare of others gains natural expression. From the limited western thought which is centred on the physical body, is altogether different this noble dignity of the Indian culture.
This very dignity gives the ideals and values of life a high status and superiority, and at the same time plays an important role in building a healthy society with a feeling of goodwill amongst all. Lord Krishna while glorifying this feeling of nobility prompts one towards an excellent spiritual gain. The righteous persons who eat the food which is left over from the sacrifice are freed from all sins.
Where action is done with the feeling of egoism and selfishness there exists sinfulness. Sacrifice is an activity free from selfishness and egoism. On getting rid of selfishness and egoism the vices are naturally extinguished, the inner state becomes pure. The yoga of selfless action of the Gita stands for these very noble inspirations, which ridding one of sins, purifying the inner-self is capable of taking one to the state of being in union with the Supreme. The longing for sensual objects takes us away from the Supreme. In the activity done with the Lord in mind, the sin can never exist.