Careless worship becomes tamasic.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम् |श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ||१७-१३||
vidhihīnamasṛṣṭānnaṃ mantrahīnamadakṣiṇam . śraddhāvirahitaṃ yajñaṃ tāmasaṃ paricakṣate ||17-13||
Use this verse to revive mechanical prayer.
Meaning
Sacrifice without proper method, without food offering, without mantra, without gifts, and without faith is called tamasic.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Tamasic sacrifice is careless, faithless, and improperly performed.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna shows that ritual without sincerity and proper care becomes empty. Sacred practice requires method, generosity, mantra, respect, and faith.
Read the traditional commentary
Tamasic sacrifice is empty of every essential element: vidhi-hinam (no order or right procedure), asrishta-annam (no sharing of food with others), mantra-hinam (no sacred utterance), adakshinam (no gift or gratitude offered), and — most tellingly — shraddha-virahitam, utterly devoid of faith. It is a hollow gesture performed mechanically, with neither understanding nor heart.
Krishna isolates faithlessness as the deepest flaw. Where rajasic worship at least burns with desire, tamasic worship is merely going through the motions, careless and unconscious. The absence of generosity (no food shared), of reverence (no mantra), and of sincerity (no faith) drains the act of all meaning.
This is a caution against lifeless ritualism — doing sacred things out of empty habit, with the inner light extinguished. Without faith, even the most outwardly correct observance is dead.
In daily life
Bring attention, respect, and faith into every practice.
A person may rush through prayer mechanically without attention, gratitude, or offering.
Try this today
Slow down one prayer or ritual and do it with full attention.
I practice with faith, care, and respect.Reflect
Where has my practice become careless?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘असृष्टान्नम्’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on tamas, in other chapters
- Verse 14.8The most dangerous bondage is the one that dulls you to its own presence — heedlessness, laziness, and stupor.
- Verse 18.7Abandoning your rightful duties out of confusion is not renunciation — it is darkness in disguise.
- Verse 3.31Sincere, faithful practice without cynicism frees anyone — this path is open to all, not just to the spiritually advanced.
- Verse 4.4 · ArjunaSincere questioning, free of both blind acceptance and cynical dismissal, is the doorway to deeper understanding.
Swipe left for 17.14 · Bodily discipline should express reverence and non-harm.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 17.13
Who says Bhagavad Gita 17.13, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 17.13, in Chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga (Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 17.13 mean?
Sacrifice without proper method, without food offering, without mantra, without gifts, and without faith is called tamasic. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 17.13 for daily life?
Bring attention, respect, and faith into every practice. A person may rush through prayer mechanically without attention, gratitude, or offering.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 17.13 mean?
विधिहीनम् — devoid of scriptural rule; असृष्टान्नम् — in which no food is distributed; मन्त्रहीनम् — without sacred mantras; अदक्षिणम् — without gifts to the priests; श्रद्धाविरहितम् — devoid of faith.
Where does verse 17.13 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 13 of 28 in Chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga. The next verse is 17.14.