Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

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

Bg 16.17

ātma-sambhāvitāḥ stabdhā
dhana-māna-madānvitāḥ
yajante nāma-yajñais te
dambhenāvidhi-pūrvakam

Synonyms: 

ātma–sambhāvitāḥ — self-complacent; stabdhāḥ — impudent; dhana–māna — of wealth and false prestige; mada— in the delusion; anvitāḥ — absorbed; yajante — they perform sacrifice; nāma — in name only; yajñaiḥ — with sacrifices; te — they; dambhena — out of pride; avidhi–pūrvakam — without following any rules and regulations.

Translation: 

Self-complacent and always impudent, deluded by wealth and false prestige, they sometimes proudly perform sacrifices in name only, without following any rules or regulations.

ātma-sambhāvitāḥ, self-complacent, stabdhā, they don’t care of any authority they think they themselves are their authority. 

dhana-māna-madānvitāḥ, madānvitāḥ, they are absorbed in the delusion of dhana-māna, wealth and prestige, 

Earlier Krishna has used Dhamv-māna-madānvitāḥ in 10th chapter.

They just caught with externals there is no substance. 

All bluff no stuff that is there predicament. 

yajante nāma-yajñais te
dambhenāvidhi-pūrvakam

yajante, they may do some worship also but nāma-yajñais te, just for the sake of name. 

dambhena, it is filled with arrogance, dampbha means one doesn’t have inner substance but one shows off. And when they wanted to do this sort of things they will do it they will also do it āvidhi-pūrvakam.

They are not interested in spiritual advancement and they don’t believe that scriptures are word of God that is why they don’t care for Vidhis, they just want to do religious rituals so they will be respected in society, so āvidhi-pūrvakam.

So scriptures tell us to do Naam Yajna, but they do Yajna for Naam. 

So they completely lose their sense of purpose in life. 

So religion become their face life not faith lift for them. 

They take renounced order because it will give them prestige in pious society. 

They not just ruins themselves but they are ruining reputation of the renounced order and they just live hypocritically.

End of transcription.