BG 17.28
अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत्
असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह
aśraddhayā hutaṃ dattaṃ
tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat
asad ity ucyate pārtha
na ca tat pretya no iha
SYNONYMS
aśraddhayā: without faith | hutam: offering/sacrifice | dattam: given | tapaḥ: austerity | taptam: practised | kṛtam: performed | ca: and | yat: whatever | asat: Asat | iti: thus | ucyate: is called | pārtha: O Arjuna | na: not | ca 1: and | tat: that | pretya: hereafter | no: nor | iha: here |
TRANSLATION
Whatever offering or gift is made, whatever austerity is practised and whatever action is performed without faith, that is called Asat, O Arjuna. It is naught here or hereafter.
PURPORT
Offerings etc., when performed without faith, are Asat (i.e., unreal, bereft of efficiency), although they might be what has been enjoined by the Shastras. Why so? Because it is naught here or hereafter; it will not lead to release nor to any desirable result in Samsara.