इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः ।तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः ॥
iṣṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajñabhāvitāḥ |tair dattān apradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ ||
- इष्टान् · iṣṭān
- desired
- भोगान् · bhogān
- enjoyments, gifts
- हि · hi
- indeed
- वः · vaḥ
- to you
- देवाः · devāḥ
- the gods
- दास्यन्ते · dāsyante
- will give
- यज्ञभाविताः · yajñabhāvitāḥ
- nourished by sacrifice
- तैः · taiḥ
- by them
- दत्तान् · dattān
- what is given
- अप्रदाय · apradāya
- without giving back
- एभ्यः · ebhyaḥ
- to them
- यः · yaḥ
- who
- भुङ्क्ते · bhuṅkte
- enjoys, consumes
- स्तेनः · stenaḥ
- a thief
- एव · eva
- indeed
- सः · saḥ
- he
“The gods, nourished by sacrifice, will indeed grant you desired gifts. But one who consumes what they give without giving back — that one is a thief.”
— Original plain-language translation
Strong language for a quiet sin: taking nature's and heaven's gifts without gratitude or return is theft. Every harvest, rain, and breath arrives as a gift that asks for offering in reply. The verse founds an ethic of thanksgiving underneath all duty.
— Reader's notes (original)