Kṛṣṇa describes austerity in the mode of Ignorance (Tamas). This is discipline born of foolishness, involving the torture of oneself (‘pīḍayā’) or performed for the purpose of destroying or harming others. It is the dark, aggressive side of penance. It lacks any wisdom or compassion and leads only to pain and destruction. Examples of this include black magicians who fast to cast curses, or terrorists who undergo training to blow themselves up. Or even fanatics who mutilate their bodies out of a misguided sense of religious duty. This is ‘Mūḍha-grāheṇa’—a foolish endeavor. It doesn’t please God; it only causes misery to His creation. It is a total misuse of the human capacity for willpower. It teaches us that power without wisdom is demonic. True discipline should always be life-affirming and constructive. We should avoid any path that involves self-hatred or the desire to harm others. Kṛṣṇa is clarifying that God never asks for our blood or our pain; He asks for our love and our regulated, healthy discipline.