1 Gita Sloka Every Day - Chapter 17 - Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga - Sloka 28

The entire content of this mail is from Shri V N Gopala Desikan's  Srimad Bhagavad Gita, published by Vishishtadvaita Research Centre, Chennai and The Bhagavad Gita by Swami Chidbhavananda published by Ramakrishna Mission

Demerits Turned into Merits 23-28

1 Gita Sloka  Every Day - Chapter 17 - Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga - Sloka 28

Ashradhya hutam dattam tapah taptam krutam cha yat I

Asat iti uchyate partha na cha tatpretya no iha II sloka 28 

अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपः तप्तं कृतं च यत् I 

असत् इति उच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह II श्लोक 28

Whatever is sacrificed, given or performed  and whatever austerity is practised without shraddha, it is called asat, O Partha. It is of no account here or hereafter 

Yagna daana and tapas when performed well, lead the sadhaka into god. Correspondingly his individualistic consciousness is eliminated. But if these good acts be done with selfish motive, the man's individualism develops, promoting his enjoyment of earthly pleasures. Shraddha is indispensable for the enjoyment of either the divine plenitude or the earthly joys. But he who lacks in shraddha enjoys neither the here nor the hereafter.

Machines make no progress for themselves through their working; tey merely wear out. The man without shraddha becomes an automaton or machine. But he alone progresses in life who is full of shraddha. Getting educated and earning money are among the earthly activities of man.If he is devoid of shraddha he remains alien to these accomplishments. If wealth be placed at the disposal of a man bereft of shraddha he would squander it in no time. Hence shraddha is the one divine gift endowed with which man makes progresses both in his earthly life and in his spiritual pilgrimage Whatever duty falls to his lot in his endeavours to gain the here and hereafter, he is to execute it with shraddha. Defective as each duty is with one blemish or another, it may all be overcome by uttering "Om  tat sat" at the commencement of every undertaking and by attuning the mind to the ideal conveyed by this triple designation  Brahman. This indeed is the means to attain the supreme.

Iti shrimad bhagavad gitasu upanishadtsu brahmavidyayam yogashastre srikrishna arjuna shraddha traya vibhaga yogo nama ashtamodhyayah II

इति श्रीमद भगवद्गीतासु उपनिशद्त्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे  श्रीकृष्ण अर्जुन संवादे श्रदध्त्रया विभाग योगो नाम अष्टमोध्यायः  ।।