🍽️ Sacred Eating vs. Selfish Consumption — What the Gita Says | Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Shloka 13 Explained

📜 श्लोक (Sanskrit)

यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः ।
भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् ॥ 13 ॥

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🔤 IAST Transliteration

yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ
bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt ॥ 13 ॥

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🇮🇳 हिन्दी अनुवाद (Hindi Translation)

जो संतजन यज्ञ के शेष अन्न को ग्रहण करते हैं, वे समस्त पापों से मुक्त हो जाते हैं; परन्तु जो व्यक्ति केवल अपने लिए ही भोजन पकाते हैं, वे पाप का ही भक्षण करते हैं।

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🌐 English Translation

The righteous who eat the remnants of sacrifice are freed from all sins. But those sinful ones who cook food for themselves alone—verily, they eat only sin.

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🧠 व्याख्या (Detailed Explanation in Hindi)

इस श्लोक में श्रीकृष्ण भोजन और जीवन की पवित्रता को समझा रहे हैं।

वह कहते हैं कि:

• "यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तः" — जो संत या सज्जन व्यक्ति यज्ञ के बाद का शुद्ध अन्न (प्रसाद) ग्रहण करते हैं,

• वे "सर्वकिल्बिषैः मुच्यन्ते" — सभी पापों से मुक्त हो जाते हैं।

यहाँ "यज्ञ" का अर्थ केवल अग्नि में आहुति देना नहीं है।
यह प्रतीक है निःस्वार्थ कर्म, सेवा, दान और भक्ति का।

जब भोजन ईश्वर को अर्पित करके और सामूहिक कल्याण की भावना से तैयार किया जाता है, तब वह पवित्र हो जाता है—और उसका सेवन करने से मन भी पवित्र होता है।

वहीं दूसरी ओर:

• जो लोग केवल "आत्मकारणात्" — अपने निजी सुख के लिए ही भोजन बनाते हैं,

• वे "पापं भुञ्जते" — पाप का ही सेवन करते हैं।

कृष्ण का आशय यह है कि जब हम जीवन में केवल स्वार्थवश कार्य करते हैं, तो वह धार्मिक दृष्टि से अपवित्र हो जाता है—even if it's something as basic as food.

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📖 Detailed Explanation in English

Krishna beautifully explains the spiritual value of intention behind action, using the example of food.

Those who:

• Prepare and consume food as a sacred offering,

• Or eat what is left after sacrifice (Yajña),

• Are called santo—righteous—and they are freed from all sins.

Why? Because their actions are rooted in devotion, gratitude, and selflessness.

In contrast, those who cook and eat only for themselves, with no offering, no sharing, and no sense of service, are considered selfish and sinful—and Krishna says they are literally eating sin.

This highlights a key theme of the Gita: intention sanctifies action. Even a daily act like eating can be a spiritual activity—or a selfish indulgence—depending on how we do it.

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💡 Life Lessons / Practical Takeaways

• 🙏 Offer your food before eating. A small prayer of gratitude turns meals into sacred nourishment.

• 🤝 Share what you have. Feeding others—even spiritually—is purifying.

• 🧘 Every act, even eating, can be spiritual if done without ego and with devotion.

• ⚠️ Living only for oneself is not dharma—it’s adharma.

• 🔄 What you consume affects your karma. Choose selfless living over selfish indulgence.

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🔚 Conclusion

This shloka reminds us that even the smallest actions, like eating, carry deep karmic significance. When done with devotion, gratitude, and a spirit of offering, they liberate us. But when done selfishly, they bind us.

Krishna emphasizes that true spirituality is not about big rituals—it’s about the consciousness behind everyday actions. Live not just for yourself, but for something greater—and even your meals will become a path to moksha.