Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Now Sri Krishna will talk about Yajna, sacrifice.

Bg 17.11

aphalākāṅkṣibhir yajño
vidhi-diṣṭo ya ijyate
yaṣṭavyam eveti manaḥ
samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ

Synonyms: 

aphala–ākāṅkṣibhiḥ — by those devoid of desire for result; yajñaḥ — sacrifice; vidhi–diṣṭaḥ — according to the direction of scripture; yaḥ — which; ijyate — is performed; yaṣṭavyam — must be performed; eva — certainly; iti— thus; manaḥ — mind; samādhāya — fixing; saḥ — it; sāttvikaḥ — in the mode of goodness.

Translation: 

Of sacrifices, the sacrifice performed according to the directions of scripture, as a matter of duty, by those who desire no reward, is of the nature of goodness.

aphalākāṅkṣibhir yajño, without hankering for result, aphala, ākāṅkṣibhir, 

vidhi-diṣṭo ya ijyate, vidhi-diṣṭo means this is what is expected for me. Vidhi means scripture this what is told in scripture.  ya ijyate, one who does the worship

yaṣṭavyam eveti manaḥ, yaṣṭavya means this is what I am expected to do, 

samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ, samādhāya, one who fixes the mind in this way.

So the idea is three modes affects us much more internally then externally. 

Now Krishna is taking us more deeply, gross material activities like alcohol and illicit relations are definitely in mode of ignorance. Arjuna question was not that kind of gross passion and ignorance Arjuna’s question was about people who has faith but that is not based on scriptures, means they are doing some kinds of religious activities, so now people may be doing Yajna thinking it is good activity but it depends on Yajan is done in which mode. So if someone is doing it selflessly understanding it what scriptures tells me to do and if I do it I will become purified and elevated so there is no ulterior motivation or material gain in it, then yaṣṭavyam eveti manaḥ, then that sacrifice is in mode of goodness.

Srila Prabupada explains how people think that Dahram is for Artha, “Everyone thinks that there is no use in going to the temple just to worship God. But worship for economic benefit is not recommended in the scriptural injunctions.“

So Dharma is not for Artha, Artha is just one of the aspect but Dharam leads to Artha, Kama and Moksha, And Moksha is one of the important aspect, and moksha is also not selfish and we wanted to go beyond moksha to prema, So selflessness is considered to be good it is in goodness.

End fo transcription.