आहारस्त्वपि सर्वस्य त्रिविधो भवति प्रियः ।
यज्ञस्तपस्तथा दानं तेषां भेदमिमं श्रृणु ॥
यज्ञस्तपस्तथा दानं तेषां भेदमिमं श्रृणु ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
आहार भी सबको तीन प्रकारका प्रिय होता है और वैसे ही यज्ञ, दान और तप भी तीन प्रकारके होते हैं अर्थात् शास्त्रीय कर्मोंमें भी तीन प्रकारकी रुचि होती है, तू उनके इस भेदको सुन ॥
English
Food, sacrifice, charity, and austerity are each of three kinds. Listen to these distinctions.
What this verse means
Food, sacrifice, charity, and austerity all come in three kinds. Krishna asks Arjuna to listen to the differences.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna is frozen, and Krishna begins explaining how even sacred acts can differ in quality. After condemning harsh, lawless austerity, he now introduces the threefold nature of food, sacrifice, charity, and discipline.
Why this verse still matters
You choose a meal, make a donation, or push through a hard practice and assume the act itself is enough. Krishna says the inner quality behind it matters just as much.
The takeaway
Not every noble act has the same quality. The inner motive changes everything.
Word-by-word translation
आहारः (food) / तु (indeed) / अपि (also) / सर्वस्य (of everyone) / त्रिविधः (threefold) / भवति (is) / प्रियः (dear) / यज्ञः (sacrifice) / तपः (austerity) / तथा (and likewise) / दानम् (charity) / तेषाम् (of them) / भेदम् (difference) / इमम् (this) / श्रृणु (listen)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17: Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga — The Three Kinds of Faith, which contains 28 verses.
Explore related themes: yajna (32 verses), sattva (26 verses), rajas (21 verses)