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Bhagavad-gītā 17.19
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 19
- मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः ।
- परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥१९॥
- mūḍha-grāheṇātmano yat
- pīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ
- parasyotsādanārthaṁ vā
- tat tāmasam udāhṛtam
mūḍhafoolish — foolish; grāheṇawith endeavor — with endeavor; ātmanaḥof one's own self — of one's own self; yatwhich — which; pīḍayāby torture — by torture; kriyateis performed — is performed; tapaḥpenance — penance; parasyato others — to others; utsādanafor the sake of causing annihilation-arthamfor the sake of causing annihilation — for the sake of causing annihilation; vāor — or; tatthat — that; tāmasamin the mode of darkness — in the mode of darkness; udāhṛtamis said to be — is said to be.
Penance performed out of foolishness, with self-torture or to destroy or injure others, is said to be in the mode of ignorance.
There are instances of foolish penance undertaken by demons like Hiraṇyakaśipu, who performed austere penances to become immortal and kill the demigods. He prayed to Brahmā for such things, but ultimately he was killed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To undergo penances for something which is impossible is certainly in the mode of ignorance.