Chapter 3 · Verse 13

Path of Selfless Service

यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः। भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात्

yajña-śhiṣhṭāśhinaḥ santo muchyante sarva-kilbiṣhaiḥ bhuñjate te tvaghaṁ pāpā ye pachantyātma-kāraṇāt

Word Meanings

yajña-śhiṣhṭa — of remnants of food offered in sacrifice; aśhinaḥ — eaters; santaḥ — saintly persons; muchyante — are released; sarva — all kinds of; kilbiṣhaiḥ — from sins; bhuñjate — enjoy; te — they; tu — but; agham — sins; pāpāḥ — sinners; ye — who; pachanti — cook (food); ātma-kāraṇāt — for their own sake

Language:

Translation

The righteous who eat the remnants of sacrifice are freed from all sins, but the sinful who cook only for themselves truly feed upon sin.

Commentary

यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः who eat the remnants of the sacrifice? सन्तः the righteous? मुच्यन्ते are freed? सर्वकिल्बिषैः from all sins? भुञ्जते eat? ते those? तु indeed? अघम् sin? पापाः sinful ones? ये who? पचन्ति cook? आत्मकारणात् for their own sake.Commentary Those who? after performing the five great sacrifices? eat the remnants of the food are freed from all the sins committed by these five agents of insect slaughter? viz.? the pestle and mortar? the grinding stone? the fireplace? the place where the waterpot is kept? and the broom. These are the five places where injury to life is daily committed. The sins are washed away by the performance of the five MahaYajnas or great sacrifices which every Dvija(twicorn or the people belonging to the first three castes in Hindu society? especially the Brahmin) ought to perform1. DevaYajna Offering sacrifices to the gods which will satisfy them?2. BrahmaYajna or RishiYajna Teaching and reciting the scriptures which will satisfy Brahman and the Rishis?3. PitriYajna Offering libations of water to ones ancestors which will satisfy the manes?4. NriYajna The feeding of the hungry and the guests? and?5. BhutaYajna The feeding of the subhuman species? such as animals? birds? etc.