Shloka 12
Karma Yoga — Karma Yoga
इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः । तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः ॥ ३.१२ ॥
iṣṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajñabhāvitāḥ | tair dattān apradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ || 3.12 ||
The devas, nourished by yajña, will indeed grant you the desired enjoyments. He who enjoys what is given by them without offering in return is truly a thief.
For the gods, nourished by sacrifice, will give you desired enjoyments. He who enjoys what is given by them without offering in return is indeed a thief.
For the devas, strengthened by yajña, will grant you desired enjoyments. One who consumes what is given by them without giving back is, indeed, a ‘thief.’
‘Stena’ is a moral-legal metaphor: taking benefits without reciprocal contribution. Some commentators emphasize ritual reciprocity; modern academic readings often generalize it to social and ecological ethics (consumption without restitution).
FAQs
The verse critiques entitlement: receiving benefits without acknowledgment or contribution can reinforce self-centered habits. Reciprocal giving supports gratitude and social trust.
It assumes a moral structure to the world where benefits arise through participation in sustaining practices; failing to reciprocate disrupts alignment with that order.
Krishna strengthens the case for yajña-oriented action by adding an ethical warning: enjoyment is legitimate when embedded in reciprocity rather than appropriation.
Applied broadly, it supports responsible consumption: repay what one takes from society and nature through fair exchange, service, stewardship, and support of common goods.