Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 17.7

aharas tv api sarvasya

tri-vidho bhavati priyah

yajnas tapas tatha danam

tesam bhedam imam srnu

SYNONYMS

aharah -- eating; tu -- certainly; api -- also; sarvasya -- of everyone; tri-vidhah -- of three kinds; bhavati -- there is; priyah -- dear; yajnah -- sacrifice; tapah -- austerity; tatha -- also; danam -- charity; tesam -- of them; bhedam -- the differences; imam -- this; srnu -- hear.

TRANSLATION

Even the food each person prefers is of three kinds, according to the three modes of material nature. The same is true of sacrifices, austerities and charity. Now hear of the distinctions between them.

PURPORT

In terms of different situations in the modes of material nature, there are differences in the manner of eating and performing sacrifices, austerities and charities. They are not all conducted on the same level. Those who can understand analytically what kind of performances are in what modes of material nature are actually wise; those who consider all kinds of sacrifice or food or charity to be the same cannot discriminate, and they are foolish. There are missionary workers who advocate that one can do whatever he likes and attain perfection. But these foolish guides are not acting according to the direction of the scripture. They are manufacturing ways and misleading the people in general.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness