Skip to content

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 13 (3.13)

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 13 (3.13)

यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः । भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् | | ३-१३ | |

yajñaśhiṣhṭāśhinaḥ santo muchyante sarvakilbiṣhaiḥ bhuñjate te tvaghaṁ pāpā ye pachantyātmakāraṇāt

Word-by-word guide:
Line 1:
  • यत् (yat) — जो कि(that which)
  • (na) — नहीं(not)
  • si joined in yajñaśhiṣhṭāśhinaḥ
  • अस्ति (asti) — है(is)
  • asi joined in yajñaśhiṣhṭāśhinaḥ
  • (na) — नहीं(not)
  • h joined in yajñaśhiṣhṭāśhinaḥ
  • सत (santah) — यज्ञ(good people who eat what remains after sacrifice)
  • उयए (muchyante) — मुक्त(are freed from all faults)
  • सव-इइशइ (sarva-kilbishaih) — मुक्त(are freed from all faults)
Line 2:
  • उजए (bhunjate) — आत्मा(the selfish eat sin)
  • ते (te) — आत्मा(the selfish eat sin)
  • तु (tu) — आत्मा(the selfish eat sin)
  • अघ (agham) — आत्मा(the selfish eat sin)
  • पप (papah) — आत्मा(the selfish eat sin)
  • ये (ye) — जो(those who cook only for themselves)
  • पचइ (pachanti) — पचइ(those who cook only for themselves)
  • अम-करन (atma-karanat) — अम-करन(those who cook only for themselves)

English: The sages who enjoy the food that remains after the worship is made are freed from all wrongdoing; but the selfish who spread their feast only for themselves feed on wrongdoing only.

💡 Commentary Note

Eating the remnants of Yajna means enjoying resources only after sharing and fulfilling one's duties. Cooking or working solely for oneself is spiritually degrading and leads to suffering.

Learnings from Shloka 13:
  • Sharing Before Consuming:: Joy and resources are purified when they are shared with others first.
  • Overcoming Selfishness:: Living purely for personal gratification isolates us and leads to negative consequences.

Gita/Sanskrit Language Quiz

Practice this shloka vocabulary

Match Sanskrit words from shloka 3.13 with their Hindi and English meanings.

Practice vocabulary