The wrong way of worshipping at an altar is described here. No spiritual enlightenment can be expected in wasting one’s energy in wrong channels in the name of religion. Sri Krishna says that physical persecution of one’s own body and self-denial would not constitute an austerity following which one would expect spiritual unfoldment and inner personality development. Some people undertake severe austerities merely as a show out of egoism and hypocrisy with a view to satisfy their lustful desires and attachment to worldly objects.

Even if such people gain anything out of such austerities they will only misuse their new found strength for wrongful purposes and ultimately destroy themselves. These people belong to Asuric type. Such unintelligent practices oppress the bodily elements and also the Self or the Divine Lord within. Intelligent control is Tapas but not cruel self-torture.
THREE KINDS OF FOOD

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(And who,) acetasah, being non- discriminating; karsayantah, torture; bhuta- gramam, all the organs; sarirastham, in the body, ca, as also; torture eva, even; mam, Me; antah- sarira-stham, who reside in the body as the witness of its actions and intellect-non-adherence to My injunctions itself is ‘torturing Me’; viddhi, know; tan, them; asura-niscayan, as possessed of demoniacal convictions. Know them so that they may be avoided. This is an instruction. The liking of persons possessing the qualities of sattva, rajas and tamas for foods that are divided into three groups, viz succulent, oleaginous, etc., is respectively being shown here so that, by knowing the presence of the qualities of sattva, rajas and tamas (in oneself) from the indications of the degree of one’s preference for particular foods as are succulent, oleaginous, etc., one may avoid foods having the characteristics of rajas and tamas, and accept food with the characteristics of sattva. Similarly, sacrifices etc. also are being explained here under three categories according to the distinguishing quality of sattva etc. So that one may reject those known to be born of rajas and tamas, and undertake only those born of sattva.