17.14 Austerity of the body Krishna speaks
देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम्
ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते
deva-dwija-guru-prājña- pūjanaṁ śhaucham ārjavam
brahmacharyam ahinsā cha śhārīraṁ tapa uchyate
Honouring the gods, the twice-born, teachers and the wise; cleanliness, straightness, continence and harmlessness — this is austerity of the body.
Explanation
Austerity of the body, and it is mostly conduct.
Honouring the gods, teachers and the wise; cleanliness, straightness, continence, harmlessness.
Not one item involves discomfort. What the Gita means by bodily austerity turns out to be how the body is used among other people — which is why 17.19 can classify self-torture as its opposite rather than its excess.
Word by word
- deva
- the Supreme Lord
- dwija
- the Brahmins
- guru
- the spiritual master
- prājña
- the elders
- pūjanam
- worship
- śhaucham
- cleanliness
- ārjavam
- simplicity
- brahmacharyam
- celibacy
- ahinsā
- non-violence
- cha
- and
- śhārīram
- of the body
- tapaḥ
- austerity
- uchyate
- is declared as
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