अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत्।असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह।।17.28।।
aśhraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ tapas taptaṁ kṛitaṁ cha yat asad ity uchyate pārtha na cha tat pretya no iha
Scripture Translation Room
Sanskrit to English Translation
A Reading - Rantideb
Why: whatever sacrifice, gift, or austerity is performed without faith, that is called asat, it is of no value here or hereafter, Arjuna, closing the chapter with a stark claim, that faith itself is the actual precondition for any of these practices to hold real value at all.
In life: an action performed entirely without genuine belief or investment behind it, purely as an empty formality, tends to produce little real, lasting value regardless of its outward form or apparent effort.
Teaching: before investing significant effort into a practice or obligation, check honestly whether you're bringing genuine belief and investment to it, this closing verse suggests that faith itself, not just the correct outward form, is what actually makes the effort worth anything at all.