The works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Viṣṇusahasranāmastotram

Verse 212

अश्रद्धया दत्तमसंस्कृतं हविर्भागाः षडेते तव दैत्यसत्तम ॥पुण्यं मद्द्वेषिणां यच्च मद्भक्तद्वेषिणां तथा ।क्रयविक्रयसक्तानां पुण्यं यच्चाग्निहोत्रिणाम् ॥अश्रद्धया च यद्दानं यजतां ददतां तथा ।तत्सर्वं तव दैत्येन्द्र मत्प्रसादाद्भविष्यति ॥अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् ।असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह ॥इत्यादिस्मृतिभ्यश्च श्रद्धया स्तुतिनमस्कारादि कर्तव्यम्, नाश्रद्धया ।'ओं तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः' इति भगवद्वचनात् स्तुतिनमस्कारादिकं कर्मासात्त्विकं विगुणमपि श्रद्धापूर्वकं ब्रह्मणोऽभिधानत्रयप्रयोगेण सगुणं सात्त्विकं संपादितं भवति ।आत्मानं विष्णुं ध्यात्वा स्तुतिनमस्कारादि कर्तव्यम् ।

In plain words

Best of demons, whatever offerings are made without faith or consecration—these six portions of oblations belong to you. The spiritual merit accumulated by those who hate me, by those who hate my devotees, by merchants absorbed in buying and selling, and by ritualists performing fire sacrifices—whatever charity and giving is done without faith, all of that, lord of demons, will become yours through my grace. Whatever oblation, gift, austerity, or action is performed without faith is termed 'asat', O Pārtha; it has no value either here or hereafter. Based on such authoritative texts, acts of praise and prostration must be performed with faith, never without it. As the Lord's teaching declares: 'Om, Tat, Sat—this is remembered as the threefold designation of Brahman.' Thus, devotional acts of praise and prostration, even if originally flawed or lacking in purity, become elevated, pure, and spiritually potent when performed with faith and accompanied by the invocation of these three names of Brahman. One should perform all acts of praise and prostration after meditating upon oneself as Viṣṇu.

Close to the Sanskrit

Given with lack of faith, unconsecrated, these six shares of oblations are yours, best of demons. The merit of those who hate me, and of those who hate my devotees, of those addicted to buying and selling, and the merit of fire-ritualists—whatever charity is done and given by those sacrificing with lack of faith, all that, lord of demons, will be yours through my grace. Whatever sacrifice, gift, austerity done and made with lack of faith is called asat, O Pārtha, not that here or after. Based on such smritis, praise and prostration must be done with faith, not without faith. From the Lord's statement 'Om tat sat is remembered as the threefold designation of Brahman', praise, prostration, and other actions, even if non-sattvic and defective, when performed with faith and through the employment of the triad of names of Brahman, become endowed with qualities and sattvic. Having meditated on oneself as Viṣṇu, praise, prostration, and the like should be performed.