For Eternal Beginners
अश्रद्धया हुतम् दत्तम् तपः तप्तम् कृतम् च यत् ।
असत् इत्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत् प्रेत्य नो इह ॥ २८ ॥
azraddhayA hutam dattam tapaH taptam kRtam ca yat |
asat ityucyate pArtha na ca tat pretya no iha || 28 ||
पार्थ [pArtha] Arjuna, अश्रद्धया [azraddhayA] without focus, यत् हुतम् कृतम् [yat hutam kRtam] an offering for worship, दत्तम् [dattam] given in charity तपः तप्तम् च [tapaH taptam ca] and practicing discipline इति उच्यते [iti ucyate] are said to be असत् [asat] useless. न इह [na iha] Neither do they have benefit here, न प्रेत्य [na pretya] nor are they useful after we have passed away.
Actions done without belief in purpose have no focus . They are said to be useless - even when they are activities like worship, prescribed in the scriptures. Why is that? They do not lead to moksha , nor do they yield any material benefit in this world.