Shloka 12
इष्टान् भोगान् हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविता: । तैर्दत्तानप्रदायै भ्यो यो भुड्क्ते स्तेन एव सः,यज्ञके द्वारा बढ़ाये हुए देवता तुमलोगोंको बिना माँगे ही इच्छित भोग निश्चय ही देते रहेंगे। इस प्रकार उन देवताओंके द्वारा दिये हुए भोगोंको जो पुरुष उनको बिना दिये स्वयं भोगता है, वह चोर ही हैः
iṣṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajñabhāvitāḥ | tair dattān apradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ ||
इष्टान् भोगान् हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः । तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः ॥
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Enjoyment is ethically valid only within a cycle of reciprocity: humans sustain the divine/cosmic order through yajña (offering and duty), and the gods sustain humans through gifts. Taking benefits without giving back—without gratitude, offering, or responsibility—is equated with theft.
In the Bhīṣma Parva dialogue of the Bhagavad Gītā, Kṛṣṇa is instructing Arjuna on right action. This verse explains why yajña and duty matter: prosperity and pleasures arise through a mutual support between humans and the divine order; ignoring that relationship turns enjoyment into moral wrongdoing.