🛑 Enjoy Without Giving Back? That’s Stealing, Says the Gita | Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Shloka 12 Explained

📜 श्लोक (Sanskrit)

इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः ।
तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः ॥ 12 ॥

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🔤 IAST Transliteration

iṣṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajña-bhāvitāḥ
tair dattān apradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ ॥ 12 ॥

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🇮🇳 हिन्दी अनुवाद (Hindi Translation)

यज्ञ से प्रसन्न हुए देवता तुम्हें इच्छित भोग प्रदान करेंगे। परंतु जो व्यक्ति उन देवताओं को उनका भाग अर्पित किए बिना भोगों का उपभोग करता है, वह वास्तव में चोर (स्तेन) है।

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🌐 English Translation

The gods, nourished by Yajña (sacrifice), will bestow upon you the enjoyments you desire. But one who enjoys these gifts without offering in return to them is surely a thief.

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🧠 व्याख्या (Detailed Explanation in Hindi)

इस श्लोक में श्रीकृष्ण यज्ञ के नैतिक और सामाजिक महत्व को और गहराई से स्पष्ट करते हैं।

जब हम निःस्वार्थ भाव से यज्ञ (कर्म, सेवा, दान, भक्ति) करते हैं, तब देवता—अर्थात् प्रकृति की शक्तियाँ—हमें भोग (वर्षा, अन्न, समृद्धि, स्वास्थ्य आदि) प्रदान करती हैं।

परंतु यदि कोई व्यक्ति—

• केवल भोगों का उपभोग करता है,

• और उन्हें प्रदान करने वाली शक्तियों (प्रकृति, समाज, ईश्वर) को कोई आभार या अर्पण नहीं करता,

तो वह चोर (स्तेन) कहलाता है।

यह श्लोक हमें सिखाता है कि संसाधनों का उपयोग बिना कर्तव्य और आभार के अधार्मिक होता है। हर आनंद, हर सुविधा जो हमें मिलती है—वह किसी न किसी रूप में समाज, प्रकृति या परमात्मा की देन है।

यदि हम केवल लेने में लगे रहें और देने की भावना न रखें, तो हम धर्म से दूर होते चले जाते हैं।

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📖 Detailed Explanation in English

Krishna builds on the previous verse’s idea of mutual cooperation between humans and the divine. He says: When the gods are pleased through Yajña (selfless offerings), they bestow blessings and enjoyments upon you.

But if you consume those enjoyments without offering anything back—whether through gratitude, service, or duty—you are stealing.

That’s a harsh but powerful truth: enjoying nature’s gifts without contributing to the system makes one a thief, not a rightful recipient.

This principle reflects deep ecological and spiritual wisdom. Nature thrives when there is balance. If humans only extract and never give back, imbalance, suffering, and destruction follow.

So Krishna is teaching us to live not as consumers, but as caretakers of what we receive.

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💡 Life Lessons / Practical Takeaways

• 🔄 Give before you take. Gratitude and giving back are part of spiritual integrity.

• 🌱 Nature isn’t free—it’s sacred. Respect its gifts by honoring your responsibilities.

• 🔥 Yajña is not just a ritual—it’s a way of living in balance and contribution.

• 💔 Selfish consumption is theft. If you only take and don’t offer, you're disrupting dharma.

• 🧘 Offer your actions, time, and resources as service—to God, people, and nature.

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🔚 Conclusion

This shloka delivers a strong ethical and spiritual message: We are not independent enjoyers—we are participants in a divine cycle. If we take from nature, society, or God, we must also give back through karma, devotion, and service.

Enjoyment without offering becomes exploitation. But when we live with Yajña bhāva—a spirit of offering—life becomes sacred, balanced, and fulfilling.

Krishna now prepares to explain how those who live in harmony with this divine cycle experience peace, while others move deeper into bondage.