Bhagavad Gita 16.17

ātma-sambhāvitāḥ stabdhā

dhana-māna-madānvitāḥ

yajante nāma-yajñais te

dambhenāvidhi-pūrvakam

 

Self-glorified, rigid with pride,

By wealth and honor fortified;

They offer rites for name and fame,

In show and pride—not by true aim.

 

My dear Lord, you know how devilish my ego can be. It constantly comes between you and me. In its most brazen form, it makes me believe that I can be you, that I can be supreme. When, by your causeless mercy, I gain the wisdom to see through the futility and folly of that belief, my ego attacks more insidiously.

O all-seeing Lord, even when I turn to you, my ego stays turned away from you, seeking pleasure in the world, not in loving you. Even when I do activities that have the potency to bring me closer to you, my ego sees in them only the potential to gain prestige in the world by portraying my piety and purity—even when these are absent. Thus, I use your remembrance, which is no different from you, not to come closer to you, but to show the world how close I am to you. Even if I succeed in making myself bigger in the world’s eyes, my unwitting feeding of my ego only makes bigger the distance between my heart and you.

O merciful Lord, let me always be diligent in connecting with you for your pleasure and service, and vigilant to detect and reject the many ways—gross and subtle—by which my ego draws me away from you. Empower my heart with the conviction and devotion to let go of my ego, so that I can join with you in an ego-free, endless bond of love.

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16.17 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.