Shankaracharya's commentary, trans. Alladi Mahadeva Sastry (1897)
[1]They declare that worship to be Tamasic which is contrary to the ordinances, in which no food is distributed, which is devoid of mantras and gifts, and which is devoid of faith.
BG 17.13
विधिहीनम् असृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनम् अदक्षिणम् । श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ॥
vidhi-hīnam asṛṣṭānnaṃ mantra-hīnam adakṣiṇam | śraddhā-virahitaṃ yajñaṃ tāmasaṃ paricakṣate ||
"Tāmasic yajña: against ordinance, no food-sharing, no mantras, no dakṣiṇā, no śraddhā — declared tāmasic."
All public-domain translations
4 translations · all pre-1928 or released to public domain · sources
Swami Swarupananda, Srimad Bhagavad Gita (1909)
[4]The Yajna performed without heed to ordinance, in which no food is distributed, which is devoid of Mantras, gifts, and Shradda, is said to be Tamasika.
K.T. Telang, Sacred Books of the East Vol. 8 (1882)
[9]They call that sacrifice dark, which is against the ordinances (of scripture), in which no food is distributed, which is devoid of (sacred) texts and gifts to Brahmanas, and which is empty of faith.
K.M. Ganguli, The Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva (1883–96)
[13]That sacrifice which is against the ordinance, in which no food is dealt out, which is devoid of mantras (sacred verse), in which no fees are paid to the brahmanas assisting to it, and which is void of faith, is said to be of the quality of darkness.