Chapter 17: Sraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga, verse 28
अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत्।
असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह ॥
Say itaśhraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ tapas taptaṁ kṛitaṁ cha yat
asad ity uchyate pārtha na cha tat pretya no iha
Translation
Whatever is sacrificed, given, or performed, and whatever austerity is practiced without faith, it is called 'Asat', O Arjuna; it is of no value here or hereafter (after death).
Swami Sivananda
O son of Prtha, whatever is offered in sacrifice and given in charity, as also whatever austerity is undertaken or whatever is done without faith, is said to be of no avail. And it is of no consequence after death, nor here.
Swami Gambirananda
Follows the commentary of Shankara (Advaita).
Whatever offering or gift is made, whatever austerity is practiced, and whatever action is performed without faith, that is called Asat, O Arjuna. It is of no value here or hereafter.
Swami Adidevananda
Follows the commentary of Ramanuja (Vishishtadvaita).
Without faith, whatever oblation is offered, whatever gift is made, whatever austerity is practiced, and whatever action is undertaken, that is called ASAT and it is of no avail after one's death or in this world.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
Follows the commentary of Abhinavagupta (Kashmir Shaivism).
Whatever is done without faith, whether it be sacrifice, austerity, gift, or anything else, is called Asat (meaning "Unreal"), for it is the negation of Sat, O Arjuna! Such an act has no significance, here or hereafter.
Shri Purohit Swami
हे पार्थ ! अश्रद्धासे किया हुआ हवन, दिया हुआ दान और तपा हुआ तप तथा और भी जो,कुछ किया जाय, वह सब 'असत्' -- ऐसा कहा जाता है। उसका फल न यहाँ होता है, न मरनेके बाद ही होता है अर्थात् उसका कहीं भी सत् फल नहीं होता।
Swami Ramsukhdas
हे पार्थ ! जो यज्ञ, दान, तप और कर्म अश्रद्धापूर्वक किया जाता है, वह 'असत्' कहा जाता है; वह न इस लोक में (इह) और न मरण के पश्चात् (उस लोक में) लाभदायक होता है।
Swami Tejomayananda
Classical commentariesFor deeper study. Most are in the original Sanskrit.
Advaita
Non-dual: the self and the absolute are one.
Vishishtadvaita
Qualified non-dual: souls are real parts of the divine.
Dvaita
Dual: the soul and God are eternally distinct.
Shuddhadvaita
Pure non-dual, centred on grace and devotion.
Kashmir Shaivism
The Gita read through Trika Shaiva philosophy.
Modern teachers
20th-century teachers writing for today's readers.