1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 3 - Karma Yoga - Sloka 12

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

The greatness of Yajna -9-13

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 3 - Karma Yoga - Sloka 12

Ishthan bhogan hivah devaah dasyante yagna bhavitah I

Taih dattan apradaya ebhyah yah bhunkte stenah eva sah II sloka 12

इष्टान भोगान हिवः देवाः दास्यन्ते यज्ञ भाविताः ।

तैः दत्तान अप्रदाय एभ्यः यः भुङ्क्ते स्तेनः एव सः ।। श्लोक १२ 

Cherished by Yagna, the devas shall bestow on you the enjoyments you desire. He is verily a thief who enjoys what is given by them without returning them anything 

This world abounds in facilities and amenities that have come about as a result of the sacrifices of several people. The new born baby is nursed and brought up. That is "sacrifice" of the parents. The youth receives education. It comes from sacrifice made by the builders of educational institutions. The food that man consumes, the house that he lives in, the clothing that he wears, the means of transport that is available to him - all these are the outcome  of sacrifices made by other people. While availing himself of all these advantages, man ought to ask himself as to how his life is going to be useful to others. As are one's sacrifices so are the blessings that emanate from them. Whatever man does must be more beneficial to others  than to himself. His doings become yajna in proportion to their public utility. When a balance is struck between receipts and gifts, a righteous man is he who gives more than he receives. Indebted is that man who appropriates more than he gifts. A thief is he who grabs everything and sacrifices nothing. This seemingly prosperous man ends his career as a non-entity. The enlightened do not place themselves in that pitiable position.