|| 17.13 ||
विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम्। श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते।।
vidhi-hīnam asṛṣṭānnaṁ mantra-hīnam adakṣiṇam śraddhā-virahitaṁ yajñaṁ tāmasaṁ paricakṣate
Word by Word
vidhi-hīnam (without rules) asṛṣṭa-annam (without distribution of food) mantra-hīnam (without mantras) adakṣiṇam (without charity/remuneration) śraddhā-virahitam (without faith) yajñam (sacrifice) tāmasam (in the mode of ignorance) paricakṣate (is considered).
Translation
Any sacrifice performed without regard for the directions of scripture, without distribution of prasadam [spiritual food], without chanting of Vedic hymns and remunerations to the priests, and without faith is considered to be in the mode of ignorance.
Meaning
Kṛṣṇa describes sacrifice in the mode of Ignorance (Tamas). It is a mockery of spirituality. It is performed without following rules, without distributing food to the needy, without proper mantras, without any charity, and most importantly, without any real faith. It is a cold, mechanical, or superstitious act that lacks any spiritual soul.
This is often seen in cult-like or superstitious practices where people do ‘strange’ things without understanding or respect. They don’t want to help others (no food distribution) and they don’t want to follow the tradition (no mantras). It is ‘Śraddhā-virahitaṁ’—completely faithless. It is just a ritual for the sake of ritual, or worse, a ritual to harm others. It results only in deeper confusion.
It teaches us that spirituality requires structure and sincerity. If you remove the rules, the mantras, and the heart, you are left with nothing but a shell. We should ensure that our practices are ‘complete’—that they include both the technical rules and the selfless heart of charity. A faithless ritual is a waste of time; real sacrifice must be alive with devotion and discipline.