Chapter 3 Shloka 13

यज्ञशिष्टाशिन: सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषै:।

भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात्।।१३।।

Those elevated souls who partake of

the remnants of sacrificial offerings (yagyashesh),

transcend all sins. Those who cook

for themselves alone, partake of sin.

Chapter 3 Shloka 13

यज्ञशिष्टाशिन: सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषै:।

भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात्।।१३।।

Those elevated souls who partake of the remnants of sacrificial offerings (yagyashesh), transcend all sins. Those who cook for themselves alone, partake of sin.

Those who partake of yagyashesh are absolved of sin. Let us understand once again what is that remnant of yagya, partaking of which one becomes sinless?

1. Yagya is constituted of those acts which are offered as an oblation in the fire of knowledge, consuming therein all desires for the fruit of action. All deeds performed thereafter with complete effort and concentration in the service of others, are a yagya.

2. Every deed of the sadhak is purified by the fire of knowledge in the yagya of his life.

Such a sadhak:

a) is steadfast in the attitude of selflessness;

b) is practising an attitude of equanimity towards the fruits of actions;

c) is endeavouring to transcend the feelings of ‘I’ and ‘mine’;

d) desires to be an Atmavaan.

Greed, attachment and desire, likes and dislikes do not touch him. As a result, he is utterly pure. He lives on whatever he receives as a result of his selfless deeds. This is yagyashesh.

One who partakes of yagyashesh

1. He partakes of the sublime bliss that arises from self sacrifice.

2. That One who surrenders at the feet of the Supreme, is satiated with love.

3. The food of the one who is Justice itself, can only be Impartiality and Truth.

4. He loves the food of forbearance and patience.

5. Compassion, forgiveness, fortitude, endurance, sobriety and tolerance are the food partaken of by that one who is immersed in acts of yagya.

6. His yagyashesh is fragrant with supreme happiness, divine prowess, friendship and love.

He performs yagya with courage and fearlessness, and consequently, he is embellished with divine qualities. These divine attributes are the actual nutrients of such elevated souls. Partaking of this nourishment, the strength of divinity within him is increased and he proceeds towards godliness.

a) Steadily, he becomes established in selflessness.

b) He is uninfluenceable.

c) He is detached and devoid of moha.

d) He is impartial and has transcended his own body.

e) Thereafter, he renounces his intellect which supported his individualistic desires and becomes an Atmavaan.

The Lord says that such people become sinless.

Opposed to these ‘sinless souls’ are those who only ‘cook’ for themselves.

1. All their actions are selfish in nature.

2. They only work to establish themselves.

3. Every action is performed with a view to satisfying their own desires.

4. Their own body and its needs comes before all else.

They have no regard for others and even resort to false accusations in order to promote their own reputation. They do nothing for the other – yet they can destroy the other to satiate their own greed for wealth. They think nothing of destroying the other’s reputation just to provide themselves with a little entertainment. They are immoral themselves and cast aspersions upon others’ characters. They consider themselves to be the wisest, even when confronted with the Lord Himself!

1. Such people enjoy belittling and subjugating the other.

2. Even if they befriend the other, it is with a motive of self establishment. The moment they find themselves denigrated in any way, they promptly break off the relationship.

Little one, they cook only that hash within the vessels of their body, which will sustain their ego and they will not even share the fruit of their cooking with anyone else.

The Lord declares that such people abide in sin. They cook sin and eat sin.