iṣṭānbhogānhi vo devā dāsyante yajñabhāvitāḥ |tairdattānapradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ ||
Nourished by sacrifice, the gods will give you the enjoyments you desire. Whoever enjoys those gifts without offering anything back to them is truly a thief.
Explanation
Krishna continues his teaching on sacrifice (yajña), the idea that life runs on mutual giving between humans and the divine powers (devas) who sustain the world. Here he says that those who take what life provides without giving anything back are like thieves. Commentators differ on what the offering means: some read it as Vedic ritual, others as any selfless duty or service done as an offering.