मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः।परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥

Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.

• 17.7The food that is dear to each is threefold, as well as sacrifice, austerity, and almsgiving. Hear the distinction of these.
• 17.8The foods that increase life, purity, strength, health, joy, and cheerfulness (good appetite), which are savory, oily, substantial, and agreeable, are dear to the Sattvic (pure) people.
• 17.9The foods that are bitter, sour, salty, overly hot, pungent, dry, and burning are liked by the Rajasic and are productive of pain, grief, and disease.
• 17.10That which is stale, tasteless, putrid, rotten, rejected, and impure is the food liked by the Tamasic.
• 17.11That sacrifice which is offered by men without desire for reward, as enjoined by the ordinance (scripture), with a firm faith that doing so is their duty, is Sattvic or pure.
• 17.12The sacrifice that is offered, O Arjuna, seeking a reward and for show, know that to be a Rajasic Yajna.
• 17.13They declare that sacrifice to be Tamasic which is contrary to the ordinances of the scriptures, in which no food is distributed, and which is devoid of mantras, gifts, and faith.
• 17.14Worship of the gods, the twice-born, the teachers, and the wise; purity, straightforwardness, celibacy, and non-injury are all called the austerities of the body.
• 17.15Speech that causes no excitement, is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial; the practice of studying the Vedas is called austerity of speech.
• 17.16Serenity of mind, good-heartedness, self-control, and purity of nature—this is called mental austerity.
• 17.17This threefold austerity, practiced by steadfast men, with the utmost faith, desiring no reward, is called Sattvic.
• 17.18The austerity that is practiced with the aim of gaining good reception, honor, and worship, and with hypocrisy, is said to be Rajasic, unstable, and transient.

• 17.19That austerity which is practised out of a foolish notion, with self-torture, or for the purpose of destroying another, is declared to be of the Tamasic nature.

• 17.20That gift which is given to one who does nothing in return, knowing it to be a duty to give in a suitable place and time to a worthy person, is held to be Sattvic.
• 17.21And, that gift which is given with the intention of receiving something in return, or expecting a reward, or begrudgingly, is considered to be Rajasic.
• 17.22The gift that is given in the wrong place and at the wrong time, to unworthy persons, without respect or with insult, is declared to be of a Tamasic nature.

mūḍha

those with confused notions

grāheṇa

with endeavor

ātmanaḥ

one’s own self

yat

which

pīḍayā

torturing

kriyate

is performed

tapaḥ

austerity

parasya

of others

utsādana-artham

for harming

vā

or

tat

that

tāmasam

in the mode of ignorance

udāhṛitam

is described to be