All austerities as an offering to Krishna...

Verse 1.2.28-29: Continuing summary to purport.
Actually Bhagavad-gita 18th chapter speaks of the austerities. In India, usually we see people fasting on specific days for material needs. It is mainly in the mode of passion or mode of ignorance, since the goal of fasting is something other than Krishna.

But Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita explain that it is wrong. There is benefit, but it is in the mode of ignorance and passion. But austerity should be done for Krishna. Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita..."Yat karosi, yat juhosi....tad kurusva mad arpanam", whatever austerities you perform, do it for me as an offering to me, then you will become my devotee and you will come back to me. That is Krishna Consciousness. So doing things, should be according to dharma is important. If we somehow or other keep Krishna as the goal of life, then we achieve the perfection of our life.