Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 17, Verse 18

सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत् । क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम्

satkāramānapūjārthaṃ tapo dambhena caiva yat | kriyate tadiha proktaṃ rājasaṃ calamadhruvam

Translation

That austerity which is practised with the object of gaining good reception, honour and worship, and with hypocrisy, is said to be of this world, to be Rājasic, unstable and uncertain.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

satkāramānapūjārtham

respect, and, honour, and, worship, and, of these, for the sake

tapaḥ

austerity

dambhena

by hypocrisy

ca

and

eva

even

yat

which

kriyate

is done

tat

that

iha

here

proktam

is said

rājasam

rājasic

calam

movable

adhruvam

unsteady

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

Good reception: in such words as 'Here is a good brāhmaṇa of great austerities.' Honour: the act of rising to greet, of making a reverential salutation, etc. Worship: the washing of feet, adoring and feeding. Unstable: as productive of a transient effect.