FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.16.61

త ఏవ నియమా: సాక్షాత్త ఏవ చ యమోత్తమా: । తపో దానం వ్రతం యజ్ఞో యేన తుష్యత్యధోక్షజ: ॥ ౬౧ ॥
ta eva niyamāḥ sākṣāt
[ta eva niyamaah saakshaat]
ta eva ca yamottamāḥ
[ta eva cha yamottamaah]
tapo dānaṁ vrataṁ yajṣo
[tapo daanam vratam yajsho]
yena tuṣyaty adhokṣajaḥ
[yena tushyaty adhokshajah]
te — that is eva — indeed niyamāḥ — all regulative principles sākṣāt — directly te — that is eva — indeed ca — also yama-uttamāḥ — the best process of controlling the senses tapaḥ — austerities dānam — charity vratam — observing vows yajṣaḥ — sacrifice yena — by which process tuṣyati — is very pleased adhokṣajaḥ — the Supreme Lord, who is not perceived by material senses.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ta eva niyamāḥ sākṣāt
te
that is
eva
indeed
niyamāḥ
all regulative principles
sākṣāt
directly
te
that is
ta eva ca yamottamāḥ
eva
indeed
ca
also
yama-uttamāḥ
the best process of controlling the senses
tapaḥ
austerities
tapo dānaṁ vrataṁ yajṣo
dānam
charity
vratam
observing vows
yajṣaḥ
sacrifice
yena tuṣyaty adhokṣajaḥ
yena
by which process
tuṣyati
is very pleased
adhokṣajaḥ
the Supreme Lord, who is not perceived by material senses.
This is the best process for pleasing the transcendental Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Adhokṣaja. It is the best of all regulative principles, the best austerity, the best process of giving charity, and the best process of sacrifice.

The Supreme Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (18.66) :

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” Unless one pleases the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to His demand, no good result will come from any of his actions.

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ notpādayed yadi ratiṁ śrama eva hi kevalam

“The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.” ( Bhāg. 1.2.8 ) If one is not interested in satisfying Lord Viṣṇu, Vāsudeva, all his so-called auspicious activities are fruitless. Moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jṣānā vicetasaḥ: because he is bewildered, he is baffled in his hopes, baffled in his activities, and baffled in his knowledge. In this regard, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī remarks, napuṁsakam anapuṁsakenety-ādinaikatvam. One cannot equate the potent and the impotent. Among modern Māyāvādīs it has become fashionable to say that whatever one does or whatever path one follows is all right. But these are all foolish statements. Here it is forcefully affirmed that this is the only method for success in life. Īśvara-tarpaṇaṁ vinā sarvam eva viphalam. Unless Lord Viṣṇu is satisfied, all of one’s pious activities, ritualistic ceremonies and yajṣas are simply for show and have no value. Unfortunately, foolish people do not know the secret of success. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. They do not know that real self-interest ends in pleasing Lord Viṣṇu.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The best yama, niyama, austerity, charity, vow, and sacrifice is that by which the Lord is pleased. Without pleasing the Lord all things are useless. There are not other actions than these. The singular yena is used according to the rule napuṁsakam anapuṁsakena. [Note: In a series of words with mixed gender, all the items can be referred to by the neuter singular. Pāṇini 1.2.69]
Related verses
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 16