mūḍha-grāheṇātmano yat pīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ
parasyotsādanārthaṁ vā tat tāmasam udāhṛitam
mūḍha — those with confused notions;
grāheṇa — with endeavor;
ātmanaḥ — one’s own self;
yat — which;
pīḍayā — torturing;
kriyate — is performed;
tapaḥ — austerity;
parasya — of others;
utsādana-artham — for harming;
vā — or;
tat — that;
tāmasam — in the mode of ignorance;
udāhṛitam — is described to be
This verse talks about the kind of penance or practices that are not good for us. Imagine someone who is so stubborn that they go to extremes in trying to prove something or get what they want, even if it means hurting themselves or others. This is what the verse is referring to.
When it says 'self-torture,' think about it like this: some people push themselves to do hard things, like fasting for days or performing intense physical activities, not because it's good for them or because they're trying to connect with a higher purpose, but just to show off their strength or out of anger. For example, there are stories of certain characters who acted this way, like Hiranyakasipu. He was a powerful demon who tried to gain immortality by torturing himself through extreme actions. He thought if he did this, he could become stronger than everyone else and defeat the demigods.
But in the end, what happened to him? He was defeated by the very divine power he wanted to overcome. This story teaches us that such extreme actions, intended to gain control or power at the expense of others or even ourselves, are not wise. They are foolish and lead to negative outcomes.
When people perform these kinds of harmful austerities, it shows they lack understanding. They're acting from ignorance, meaning they don’t see the bigger picture. Instead of achieving something good or spiritual, they end up harming themselves and possibly others around them.
So in daily life, when you see someone pushing themselves to harmful extremes or being stubborn in a way that disrupts their life or others, that reflects this idea of being in 'ignorance.' It’s important to recognize that real growth and improvement come from practices that uplift us and others, not from self-harm or destructive behavior.