BG 3.12 — FolioCorpus

Word-for-word

iṣṭān — desired bhogān — necessities of life hi — certainly vaḥ — unto you devāḥ — the demigods dāsyante — will award yajña - bhāvitāḥ — being satisfied by the performance of sacrifices taiḥ — by them dattān — things given apradāya — without offering ebhyaḥ — to these demigods yaḥ — he who bhuṅkte — enjoys stenaḥ — thief eva — certainly saḥ — he .

Important Words

iṣṭān — desired
Past participle of √iṣ, to desire. The devas supply what is *desired*. The verb already credits the supplier — every desired thing is given, not earned in isolation.
bhogān — necessities of life (objects of enjoyment)
From √bhuj, to enjoy. The same root that gives bhuṅkte below. Bhogas are not 'extras' — they are the substance of daily living. The verse therefore implicates *every* meal, not just a feast.
yajña - bhāvitāḥ — being satisfied by the performance of sacrifices
Compound. Yajña does to the devas what proper food does to the body — *bhāvita*, brought into well-being. The reciprocal mechanic is named in one compound.
apradāya — without offering
Gerund, negative — a-pradāya, not having given. The verb is dā, to give, with pra-, fully. The verse is precise: not unfinished offering, but *no* offering at all is what makes the eater a thief.
stenaḥ — thief
A sharp Sanskrit word — stena, the same that names the Vedic 'thief' who is to be hunted with the king's punishment. Kṛṣṇa does not soften: unoffered enjoyment is *theft*, with cosmic legal weight.

Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण

How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.

Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.

Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)

A sharp ethical verdict: to consume the goods of the cosmos without contributing back is theft. Yajña is the price of legitimate participation in the world's bounty. Ingratitude breaks the cycle.

Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)

The 'stena' (thief) label is striking moral language. The verse is the negative complement of 3.11: take but never give and you are not a participant but a parasite. In the wider Bhāgavata tradition, this is read as the basis of pañca-mahā-yajña (the five daily sacrifices owed to gods, ancestors, sages, humans, and beings).

Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)

हि यज्ञ-भाविताः देवाः वः इष्टान् भोगान् दास्यन्ते; यः तैः दत्तान् एभ्यः अप्रदाय भुङ्क्ते, सः एव स्तेनः।

hi yajña-bhāvitāḥ devāḥ vaḥ iṣṭān bhogān dāsyante; yaḥ taiḥ dattān ebhyaḥ apradāya bhuṅkte, saḥ eva stenaḥ|

For the devas, nourished by yajña, will grant you cherished enjoyments; he who enjoys their gifts without offering anything back to them is verily a thief.

Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)

इष्टान् भोगान् हि वः देवाः दास्यन्ते यज्ञ-भाविताः । तैः दत्तान् अप्रदाय एभ्यः यः भुङ्क्ते स्तेनः एव सः ॥

iṣṭān bhogān hi vaḥ devāḥ dāsyante yajña-bhāvitāḥ | taiḥ dattān apradāya ebhyaḥ yaḥ bhuṅkte stenaḥ eva saḥ ||

Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)

Sanskrit	IAST	Grammar	Meaning
इष्टान्	iṣṭān	√इष् p.p.p. (past passive participle) → इष्ट (adj.) acc.pl. (accusative plural)m.	desired, cherished
भोगान्	bhogān	भोग (m.) acc.pl. (accusative plural)	enjoyments
हि	hi	ind. (indeclinable), causal	for, indeed
वः	vaḥ	युष्मद् pron. (pronoun) dat.pl. (dative plural) enclitic	to you
देवाः	devāḥ	देव (m.) nom.pl. (nominative plural)	the devas
दास्यन्ते	dāsyante	√दा fut. (future) 3pl.ātm. (ātmanepada / middle voice)	will give
यज्ञ-भाविताः	yajña-bhāvitāḥ	यज्ञ + भावित (caus. (causative) p.p.p. (past passive participle)) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m., tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound)	nourished by yajña
तैः	taiḥ	dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) ins.pl. (instrumental plural)m.	by them
दत्तान्	dattān	√दा p.p.p. (past passive participle) → दत्त acc.pl. (accusative plural)m.	given
अप्रदाय	apradāya	अ + प्र+√दा abs. (absolutive)	without giving back
एभ्यः	ebhyaḥ	dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) dat.pl. (dative plural)m.	to these (devas)
यः	yaḥ	rel. pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m.	who
भुङ्क्ते	bhuṅkte	√भुज् pres. (present) 3sg.ātm. (ātmanepada / middle voice)	enjoys, consumes
स्तेनः	stenaḥ	स्तेन (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)	thief
एव	eva	ind. (indeclinable), emphatic	verily
सः	saḥ	dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m.	he

Purport

The demigods are authorized supplying agents on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu. Therefore, they must be satisfied by the performance of prescribed yajñas. In the Vedas, there are different kinds of yajñas prescribed for different kinds of demigods, but all are ultimately offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For one who cannot understand what the Personality of Godhead is, sacrifice to the demigods is recommended. According to the different material qualities of the persons concerned, different types of yajñas are recommended in the Vedas. Worship of different demigods is also on the same basis – namely, according to different qualities. For example, the meat-eaters are recommended to worship the goddess Kālī, the ghastly form of material nature, and before the goddess the sacrifice of animals is recommended. But for those who are in the mode of goodness, the transcendental worship of Viṣṇu is recommended. But ultimately all yajñas are meant for gradual promotion to the transcendental position. For ordinary men, at least five yajñas, known as pañca-mahā-yajña, are necessary. One should know, however, that all the necessities of life that the human society requires are supplied by the demigod agents of the Lord. No one can manufacture anything. Take, for example, all the eatables of human society. These eatables include grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, sugar, etc., for the persons in the mode of goodness, and also eatables for the nonvegetarians, like meats, none of which can be manufactured by men. Then again, take for example heat, light, water, air, etc., which are also necessities of life – none of them can be manufactured by the human society. Without the Supreme Lord, there can be no profuse sunlight, moonlight, rainfall, breeze, etc., without which no one can live. Obviously, our life is dependent on supplies from the Lord. Even for our manufacturing enterprises, we require so many raw materials like metal, sulphur, mercury, manganese, and so many essentials – all of which are supplied by the agents of the Lord, with the purpose that we should make proper use of them to keep ourselves fit and healthy for the purpose of self-realization, leading to the ultimate goal of life, namely, liberation from the material struggle for existence. This aim of life is attained by performance of yajñas. If we forget the purpose of human life and simply take supplies from the agents of the Lord for sense gratification and become more and more entangled in material existence, which is not the purpose of creation, certainly we become thieves, and therefore we are punished by the laws of material nature. A society of thieves can never be happy, because they have no aim in life. The gross materialist thieves have no ultimate goal of life. They are simply directed to sense gratification; nor do they have knowledge of how to perform yajñas. Lord Caitanya, however, inaugurated the easiest performance of yajña, namely the saṅkīrtana-yajña, which can be performed by anyone in the world who accepts the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

12. The devatās, pleased with the sacrifice, will bestow on you desired enjoyment. He who enjoys what is given by the devatās without offering to them is indeed a thief.

Commentary

To make this point clearer, he speaks of the fault of not performing this activity. He who enjoys what is given by the devatās, such as food through the rain, without giving anything to them through performance of the pañca-mahā-yajña [Note: The five great sacrifices consist of sacrifice to Pitṛs, worship of devas, recitation of the Vedas, feeding humans, and feeding other living entities.] and other rites, is a thief.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya

Translation

12. The devatās, pleased with the sacrifice, will bestow on you desired enjoyment. He who enjoys what is given by the devatās without offering to them is indeed a thief.

Commentary

Clarifying this same point, the Lord then shows the fault in executing actions. “These previously created devatās who are my limbs will give you more and more desired objects dependent on sacrifice, objects suitable for those desiring liberation (iṣṭan bhogān). They will give rain which will produce food. He who enjoys for himself alone, not giving to the devatās through pañca mahā yajña a portion the objects which the devas originally bestowed for worship of the Lord, is a thief. Having stolen the devataṣ’ properties, he nourishes himelf by that. As a thief is punished by the king, he deserves to be punished by Yamarāja. He is unsuitable for pursuing the real goal of human life.”

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya

Commentary

And what happens to a thief? He is punished. And what is the punishment? He goes down! But if follows the system even though he has material desires he will be elevated. Why is the Vedic system of sacrifice elevating? The first answer was given already ‑ because one is submitting to authority. And that is a start because one in ignorance just wants to do what he wants without any restrictions. It is a step towards Krsna if one submits to authority. The 2nd reason as that one has to perform sacrifices, so when he performs sacrifices he is dealing with the brahmanas‑priests. At first, the type of sacrifice that one performs are centered only on this life: one wants a son, he wants money, he wants health, etc. These are lower class sacrifices, only centered on this life, very short‑term. But gradually by associating with the priests, and hearing about better sacrifices that can be performed, and therefore more gratification, he will understand that he can get much more just a son, wealth or health, he can go to "svarga", to heaven, and enjoy there drinking "soma‑rasa", with beautiful wom beautiful "nandanandana" gardens. Why live just for 100 years when one can live for 1000s of years? Just leave this body and go there to live for long long time enjoying. This is just karma‑kanda, it is not even sakama‑ karma yoga because yoga means connection with the Supreme. So this is yet in the mode of passion. But it is a step up ‑ because implicitly one understands that he is not his body and his vision is looking further in the future. This is the Vedic system. If Arjuna is thinking that he doesn't need these yajnas in order to get the "various necessities of life" described here, he just goes to the forest and will just live by begging, he can still follow his plans and therefore he wont be sinful by not offering things to the demigods, he will not be a thief, and he will not be sinful by engaging in that ghastly warfare ‑ to that Krsna answers by speaking the next verse: "Arjuna even if you go to the forest, still you have to eat! And if you eat and your food is not offered in sacrifice, you will eat sin!"

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa

Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study

Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)

Theme

COMMON THEME: How our desire can be fulfilled in material world by demigod worship

Demigods being pleased by sacrifices will please the living entities; thus by co-operation between men and demigods prosperity will reign over all (3.11)

Without yajna, one is a thief – One who enjoys the gifts without offering them to the demigods is certainly a thief (3.12)

Focus of Learning

(a) “Who are demigods (3 different definitions)

Empowered administrators of material affairs

Innumerable assistants in different parts of the body of Supreme Personality of Godhead

Authorized supplying agents on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead

(b) Function of the demigods (3.11)

Supply all the benedictions necessary to keep body & soul together

Their pleasure and displeasure depend on the performance of yajna

(c) Chief purpose of all yajnas – Ultimate satisfaction of Yajna-pati “Vishnu” (3.11) – Ref. Bg. 5.29

“bhoktaram…”

(d) Benefits of “yajna” (3.11)

No scarcity of the supply of natural products – thus happiness in this world is guaranteed

Side Benefits: Gradual purification to help ultimate liberation – this happens in the following steps: When eatables are sanctified by yajna Existence is Purified  Finer tissues in memory are sanctified Thus one can think of path of liberation  All these combined lead to Krishna Consciousness, the great necessity of present day society

(e) For whom, sacrifice to demigods is recommended, if ultimate beneficiary is supposed to be

Vishnu

This is for one who cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead

(f) Basis of different yajnas – They are recommended based on different modes of different person.

Ultimate Goal of all yajnas is gradual promotion to transcendental position

(g) All material necessities come through yajna e.g.

All eatables, either vegetarian or non-vegetarian (because all animals subsist on vegetation)

Heat, light, water, air etc.

All manufacturing enterprises

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF TEXT 3.11 – 3.12

This entire process is designed to foster a mood of dependence and service within the hearts of materialistic people

With this goal in mind Krishna explains that those who receive the fruits of sacrifice without recognizing (and consequently offering back to) the Lord and the demigods, is a thief partaking of sinful life

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 3.12 & 3.13: Arjuna, however, could think, “I don’t need yajnas, demigods and

opulent necessities of life. Nor must I perform yajnas to live. I will go to the forest and live by begging. I

won’t take from the demigods, so I won’t be sinful by not offering yajnas to them. Not only won’t I be a thief,

but I won’t take part in this ghastly, sinful warfare.”

Krishna replies in the next two verses. Krishna in Text 3.14 especially warns Arjuna that even in the forest, all

food is nurtured by rain coming from the demigods. Therefore he cannot avoid his obligation to perform the

sacrifices born of his prescribed duty.

Classical Ācāryas

Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical

Translation

3.12 'Yajna-bhavitah, being nourished, i.e. being satisfied, by sacrifices; devah, the gods; dasyante hi, will indeed give, will distribute; among vah, you; the istan, coveted; bhogan, enjoyments, such as wife, childeren and cattle. Sah, he; is eva, certainly; a stenah, thief, a stealer of the wealth of gods and others; yah, who; bhunkte, enjoys, gratifies only his own body and organs; with dattan, what enjoyable things have been given; taih, by them, by the gods; apradaya, without offering (these); hyah, to them, i.e. without repaying the d [The three kinds of d -to the gods, to the rsis (sage), and to the manes-are repaid by satisfying them through sacrifices, celibacy (including study of the Vedas, etc.), and procreation, respectively. Unless one repays these d s, he incurs sin.] to them.'

Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical

Translation

3.12 'Pleased by the sacrifice,' i.e., propitiated by the sacrifice, the gods, who have Me as their Self, will bestow on you the enjoyments you desire. Whatever objects are desired by persons keen on attaining release, the supreme end of human endeavour, all those will be granted by gods previously worshipped through many sacrifices. That is, whatever is solicited with more and more propitiation, all those enjoyments they will bestow on you. Whoever enjoys the objects of enjoyment granted by them for the purpose of worshipping them, without giving them their due share in return - he is verily a thief. What is called 'theft' is indeed taking what belongs to another as one's own and using it for oneself, when it is really designed for the purpose of another. The purport is that such a person becomes unfit not only for the supreme end of human endeavour, but also will go down towards purgatory (Naraka). Sri Krsna expands the same:

Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical

Translation

3.12 Istan etc. [The deities of] the senses, gratified by the necessry actions, bind [the aspirant's mind] to the state of remaining firm on some object of meditation. Therefore when they are at work, the things, i.e., the objects are granted [to him] by none but the [deities of the] senses, through recollection, resolution, meditation etc., of their objects. If these objects are not offered for the enjoyment of the deities, then it would amount to the status of a theif i.e., to an act of thief, because he is acting deceitfully. Indeed it has already been declared by the Bhagavat that 'He is called a man of deluded action'. Therefore the idea in the passage [under study] is this : Whosoever is desirous of attaining by easy means, the supernatural power [like anima etc.], or of attaining emancipation, he should enjoy the objects as and when they are brought, [and enjoy] just with the aim of simply alliviating the impatience of the [deities of the] senses.

Swami Sivananda Classical

Translation

3.12 The gods, nourished by the sacrifice, will give you the desired objects. So, he who enjoys the objects given by the gods without offering (in return) to them, is verily a thief.

Commentary

3.12 इष्टान् desired? भोगान् objects? हि so? वः to you? देवाः the gods? दास्यन्ते will give? यज्ञभाविताः nourished by sacrifice? तैः by them? दत्तान् give? अप्रदाय without offering? एभ्यः to them? यः who? भुङ्क्ते enjoys? स्तेनः thief? एव verily? सः he.Commentary When the gods are pleased with you sacrifices? they will bestow on you all the desired objects such as children? cattle? property? etc. He who enjoys what has been given to him by the gods? i.e.? he who gratifies the cravings of his own body and the senses without offering anything to the gods in return is a veritable thief. He is really a dacoit of the property of the gods.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical

Translation

3.12 'Being nourished by sacrifices, the gods will indeed give you the coveted enjoyments. He is certainly a theif who enjoys what have been given by them without offering (these) to them.'

Shri Purohit Swami Classical

Translation

3.12 For, fed, on sacrifice, nature will give you all the enjoyment you can desire. But he who enjoys what she gives without returning is, indeed, a robber.'

Related values & verses

Related values

Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)

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Personal Guidance

One who enjoys the gifts of nature without offering back is a thief — even physically, you are eating what is not yet yours.

Practical Applications

Offer food to Kṛṣṇa before eating; eating unoffered food is theft.
Before consuming any pleasure, ask: have I offered this first?
Make prasāda the daily norm in your home, not the special occasion.

Reflection Questions

Where in my life am I quietly stealing — taking without offering back?
What would my pantry, time, and attention look like if everything were prasāda first?

Analogy

A guest who arrives at a feast, fills his plate, and walks out without acknowledging the host is not a guest at all — he is a thief. Every meal taken without offering is exactly that kind of departure.

Stories

Sudāmā's Handful of Flat Rice

Sudāmā, on his way to visit Kṛṣṇa at Dvārakā, carried a small bundle of cipiṭa — flat rice — that his wife had begged from neighbors. Even in destitution they did not eat it themselves; they offered it.

Kṛṣṇa took two handfuls and would have taken more had Rukmiṇī not playfully stopped Him. Sudāmā returned home to a palace. Verse 3.12 names the inverse principle: those who consume the gifts of the gods without offering them are thieves. Sudāmā, even in poverty, never stole — he offered, and so the entire cosmos became his.