Bhagavad Gita — Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga, Shloka 14

Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga

Devanagari script

देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम् । ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते ॥ १७.१४ ॥

Transliteration

deva-dvija-guru-prājña-pūjanaṃ śaucam ārjavam | brahmacaryam ahiṃsā ca śārīraṃ tapa ucyate || 17.14 ||

Translation

Sự tôn kính phụng thờ chư thiên, các bậc Bà-la-môn (dvija), thầy (guru) và người trí; sự thanh tịnh, ngay thẳng, phạm hạnh (brahmacarya) và bất hại (ahiṃsā) — đó được gọi là khổ hạnh của thân (śārīra-tapas).

Gita Press Meaning

देव, द्विज (ब्राह्मण), गुरु और ज्ञानी जनों का पूजन, शौच, सरलता, ब्रह्मचर्य और अहिंसा—यह शारीरिक तप कहा जाता है।

Critical Edition Meaning

Reverence toward the divine, the twice-born (learned religious specialists), teachers, and the wise; purity; straightforwardness; sexual restraint; and non-harming—this is called bodily austerity.

Comparative Note

‘Dvija’ is traditionally ‘twice-born’ (often tied to varṇa-based initiation); academic databases frequently gloss it as ‘initiated/learned classes’ and note the socio-historical specificity. ‘Ahiṃsā’ is best rendered as non-harming/non-injury in broad ethical sense.

Word by Word

• देव: of the gods / divine
• Root: देव

• द्विज: of the twice-born (Brāhmaṇa etc.)
• Root: द्विज

• गुरु: of the teacher / spiritual preceptor
• Root: गुरु

• प्राज्ञ: of the wise / discerning
• Root: प्राज्ञ

• पूजनम्: worship; honoring; reverential service
• Root: पूजन

• शौचम्: purity; cleanliness
• Root: शौच

• आर्जवम्: straightforwardness; rectitude
• Root: आर्जव

• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: celibacy; disciplined conduct in Brahman (continence)
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य

• अहिंसा: non-violence; non-injury
• Root: अहिंसा

• च: and
• Root: च

• शारीरम्: bodily; pertaining to the body
• Root: शारीर

• तपः: austerity; disciplined practice
• तपः: Karta
• Root: तपस्

• उच्यते: is said; is called
• Root: √वच्

Speakers

• Krishna

Primary Concepts

• Tapas
• Ahiṃsā
• Brahmacarya
• Śauca (purity)

Key Themes

• Ethics of embodiment
• Reverence and discipline
• Self-restraint
• Integrity and cleanliness

FAQs

Psychological significance?

Bodily discipline is framed as ethical habits—cleanliness, restraint, and non-harming—that stabilize conduct and reduce impulsivity.

Metaphysical meaning?

Tapas is not mere hardship but an ordering of embodied life that supports inner clarity; the body becomes an instrument aligned with ethical and contemplative aims.

Contextual relevance?

After classifying sacrifice, the chapter turns to austerity (tapas), beginning with its ‘bodily’ (śārīra) form.

Modern Application?

It can be applied as a principle of respectful conduct, hygiene, honesty in action, and harm-minimization, interpreted within contemporary social norms.