Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

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

Then Krishna describes austerities in the mode of passion.

Bg 17.18

satkāra-māna-pūjārthaṁ
tapo dambhena caiva yat
kriyate tad iha proktaṁ
rājasaṁ calam adhruvam

Synonyms: 

sat–kāra — respect; māna — honor; pūjā — and worship; artham — for the sake of; tapaḥ — austerity; dambhena— with pride; ca — also; eva — certainly; yat — which; kriyate — is performed; tat — that; iha — in this world; proktam — is said; rājasam — in the mode of passion; calam — flickering; adhruvam — temporary.

Translation: 

Penance performed out of pride and for the sake of gaining respect, honor and worship is said to be in the mode of passion. It is neither stable nor permanent.

satkāra-māna-pūjārthaṁ, satkāra, respect, māna is honor, and pūjā is worship, 

tapo dambhena caiva yat, and one perform austerity for that, so one is actually motivated by Dhambha the desire to show off, pride, 

kriyate tad iha proktaṁ, when one does this

rājasaṁ calam adhruvam, this is rājasaṁ calam, it is flickering and it is not factual it doesn’t last for long, 

Example sometimes we take a resolution I will never take sweet again in my life because we wanted to show others how austere I am then after sometime we take that in private.

So sometimes we do austerity for the sake of honor. If I am completely fasting on Ekadashi then I am watching how much others devotees are eating and thinking that these devotees have no sense control. 

So if I am doing like that then my body may be fasting but my ego is feasting and in that case the fasting instead of making me spiritually advanced it becomes a hurdle in my spiritual advancement. 

So what we do is important but why we do is even more important. But we should not think that others is doing austerity in this mentality. For ourselves we should be more introspective. 

Purport: Persons in the mode of passion arrange to be worshiped by subordinates and let them wash their feet and offer riches.

Sometimes some sadhu will raise their feet to give ashirvad this is not at all saintly attitude. True saints will not allow even their disciples to touch their feet.

End of transcription.