Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Now Krishna describes these are faculties of body mind and speech so how do the austerities we perform? So Krishna says these can be performed in three modes. 

Bg 17.17

śraddhayā parayā taptaṁ
tapas tat tri-vidhaṁ naraiḥ
aphalākāṅkṣibhir yuktaiḥ
sāttvikaṁ paricakṣate

Synonyms: 

śraddhayā — with faith; parayā — transcendental; taptam — executed; tapaḥ — austerity; tat — that; tri–vidham— of three kinds; naraiḥ — by men; aphala–ākāṅkṣibhiḥ — who are without desires for fruits; yuktaiḥ — engaged; sāttvikam — in the mode of goodness; paricakṣate — is called.

Translation: 

This threefold austerity, performed with transcendental faith by men not expecting material benefits but engaged only for the sake of the Supreme, is called austerity in goodness.

So śraddhayā parayā taptaṁ, śraddhayā parayā, with great faith, with strong faith, Srila Prabhupada translated parayā as transcendental, taptaṁ that with executed austerity.

tapas tat tri-vidhaṁ naraiḥ, tri-vidhaṁ means the three kinds of austerity that has been talked earlier. naraiḥ, those human beings, 

When they perform this, aphalākāṅkṣibhir yuktaiḥ, without the ākāṅkṣ of phala that is sāttvikaṁ paricakṣate. 

So characteristic of austerity in goodness is non attachment to the results. The attachment is primarily to Krishna, not to the results.

Now we may wonder if the austerity is in goodness how can the faith be transcendental. If faith is transcendental then will austerity be also transcendental. Yes it will gradually become transcendental when the person becomes transcendental consciousness. 

Sometimes we because of association of devotees have faith in transcendence even though we ourselves are not in transcendental level. That is how we may have faith in transcendence, so we may practice principles of pure devotional service although we are not pure because we are inspired by pure devotees. 

 śraddhayā parayā taptaṁ, that is how transcendental.

End of transcription.