CHAPTER 17

The Divisions of Faith

Verse 1

arjuna uvāca
ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya
yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ
teṣāṁ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa
sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ

Arjuna inquired: O Kåñëa, what is the position of those who give up the injunctions of scripture but still perform worship with faith? Is their condition in goodness, passion or ignorance?

Verse 2

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā
dehināṁ sā svabhāva-jā
sāttvikī rājasī caiva
tāmasī ceti tāṁ śṛṇu

Çré Bhagavän replied: The faith of human beings is of three types: in goodness, passion and ignorance, and it arises due to past life impressions. It has been formed through the collective impressions made upon one’s consciousness through one’s experiences in many lives. Now hear about this.

Verse 3

sattvānurūpā sarvasya
śraddhā bhavati bhārata
śraddhā-mayo ’yaṁ puruṣo
yo yac-chraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ

O descendant of Bharata, everyone’s faith is determined by the disposition of their inner mental state. Every person has faith, and they develop a disposition corresponding with the worshipful object of their faith.

Verse 4

yajante sāttvikā devān
yakṣa-rakṣāṁsi rājasāḥ
pretān bhūta-gaṇāṁś cānye
yajante tāmasā janāḥ

Persons in the mode of goodness worship the demigods, whose disposition is similar to their own. Those in the mode of passion worship Yakñas and Räkñasas, who are of like nature, and those in the mode of ignorance worship ghosts and spirits, being akin to them.

Verse 5-6

aśāstra-vihitaṁ ghoraṁ
tapyante ye tapo janāḥ
dambhāhaṅkāra-saṁyuktāḥ
kāma-rāga-balānvitāḥ

karṣayantaḥ śarīra-sthaṁ
bhūta-grāmam acetasaḥ
māṁ caivāntaḥ śarīra-sthaṁ
tān viddhy āsura-niścayān

Endowed with pride, false ego, lust, attachment and strength, they inflict pain upon the elements of their bodies and also upon Me, who am situated within the heart of their hearts. They perform severe austerities not recommended in scripture and have faith in demoniac forms of religiosity.

Verse 7

āhāras tv api sarvasya
tri-vidho bhavati priyaḥ
yajñas tapas tathā dānaṁ
teṣāṁ bhedam imaṁ śṛṇu

Even the food that is dear to a person is of three kinds, in accordance with that person’s individual qualities. The same is true of sacrifice, austerity and charity. Now hear of the distinctions between them.

Verse 8

āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-
sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ
rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā
āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ

Foods that augment one’s life span, enthusiasm, strength, health, happiness and satisfaction, and which are juicy, fattening, sustaining and pleasing to the mind, are dear to persons in the mode of goodness.

Verse 9

kaṭv-amla-lavaṇāty-uṣṇa-
tīkṣṇa-rūkṣa-vidāhinaḥ
āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā
duḥkha-śokāmaya-pradāḥ

Foods that are very bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry or burning, and which give rise to pain, misery and disease, are liked by people of a passionate nature.

Verse 10

yāta-yāmaṁ gata-rasaṁ
pūti paryuṣitaṁ ca yat
ucchiṣṭam api cāmedhyaṁ
bhojanaṁ tāmasa-priyam

People influenced by the mode of ignorance are pleased by food cooked more than three hours before being eaten, by food that has become cold, foul smelling, tasteless, putrid and stale, and by food that has been partly eaten by others and impure.

Verse 11

aphalākāṅkṣibhir yajño
vidhi-diṣṭo ya ijyate
yaṣṭavyam eveti manaḥ
samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ

“The performance of sacrifice (yajïa) is obligatory.” When sacrifice is executed in accordance with such firm resolution of mind, within the directions of scriptural injunction and without expectation of reward, it is in the mode of goodness.

Verse 12

abhisandhāya tu phalaṁ
dambhārtham api caiva yat
ijyate bharata-śreṣṭha
taṁ yajñaṁ viddhi rājasam

O best of the Bharata dynasty, you should understand that the sacrifice that is executed with the desire for its fruit, and that is pretentiously performed to glorify oneself, is governed by the quality of passion.

Verse 13

vidhi-hīnam asṛṣṭānnaṁ
mantra-hīnam adakṣiṇam
śraddhā-virahitaṁ yajñaṁ
tāmasaṁ paricakṣate

That sacrifice in which the injunctions of scripture are disregarded, no sanctified foodstuffs are distributed, no Vedic mantras are chanted and no gifts are given to the priests, and which is performed without faith, is described by the learned to be influenced by the quality of ignorance.

Verse 14

deva-dvija-guru-prājña-
pūjanaṁ śaucam ārjavam
brahmacaryam ahiṁsā ca
śārīraṁ tapa ucyate

Austerity of the body consists of offering respect to the demigods, to the brähmaëas, to one’s gurus and to learned persons. In addition, cleanliness, honesty, celibacy and non-violence are also bodily austerities.

Verse 15

anudvega-karaṁ vākyaṁ
satyaṁ priya-hitaṁ ca yat
svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ caiva
vāṅ-mayaṁ tapa ucyate

Speaking words that cause no agitation and that are truthful, pleasing and beneficial, as well as reciting the Vedas, are all said to be austerities of speech.

Verse 16

manaḥ-prasādaḥ saumyatvaṁ
maunam ātma-vinigrahaḥ
bhāva-saṁśuddhir ity etat
tapo mānasam ucyate

Austerities of the mind consist of satisfaction, simplicity, silence, maintaining mental discipline and non-duplicitous behaviour.

Verse 17

śraddhayā parayā taptaṁ
tapas tat tri-vidhaṁ naraiḥ
aphalākāṅkṣibhir yuktaiḥ
sāttvikaṁ paricakṣate

This threefold austerity performed with great faith and one-pointed attention by those who are free from desire for remuneration is said by learned persons to be governed by the quality of goodness.

Verse 18

satkāra-māna-pūjārthaṁ
tapo dambhena caiva yat
kriyate tad iha proktaṁ
rājasaṁ calam adhruvam

Austerity that is performed with pride for the sake of recognition, honour and adoration is said to be governed by the quality of passion. It is temporary and its benefits are uncertain.

Verse 19

mūḍha-grāheṇātmano yat
pīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ
parasyotsādanārthaṁ vā
tat tāmasam udāhṛtam

Austerity that is performed out of foolish obstinacy and that gives pain to oneself or that is intended to cause another’s ruin is known to be governed by the quality of darkness.

Verse 20

dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ
dīyate ’nupakāriṇe
deśe kāle ca pātre ca
tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛtam

“Charity is to be given to one who cannot return it, at a holy place, at an auspicious time and to a worthy person.” Charity given with this resolve is considered to be governed by the quality of goodness.

Verse 21

yat tu pratyupakārārthaṁ
phalam uddiśya vā punaḥ
dīyate ca parikliṣṭaṁ
tad dānaṁ rājasaṁ smṛtam

But that charity which is offered with the expectation of some remuneration or which is given begrudgingly is said to be governed by the quality of passion.

Verse 22

adeśa-kāle yad dānam
apātrebhyaś ca dīyate
asat-kṛtam avajñātaṁ
tat tāmasam udāhṛtam

Charity given at an impure place and an improper time to an unworthy recipient, in a mood of contempt and disrespect, is said to be governed by the quality of ignorance.

Verse 23-24

oṁ tat sad iti nirdeśo
brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ smṛtaḥ
brāhmaṇās tena vedāś ca
yajñāś ca vihitāḥ purā

tasmād oṁ ity udāhṛtya
yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ
pravartante vidhānoktāḥ
satataṁ brahma-vādinām

It is said that oà, tat and sat are three names used to indicate brahma, the Supreme Absolute Reality. The brähmaëas, the Vedas and sacrifices were originally created from these three words. Therefore, dedicated followers of the Vedas always commence the performance of sacrifice, charity, austerity and other religious activity prescribed in the scriptures, by uttering the sacred syllable oà.

Verse 25

tad ity anabhisandhāya
phalaṁ yajña-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ
dāna-kriyāś ca vividhāḥ
kriyante mokṣa-kāṅkṣibhiḥ

While uttering the syllable tat, those seeking liberation perform various types of austerities, sacrifice, charity and other such religious activities without any desire for the fruit.

Verse 26

sad-bhāve sādhu-bhāve ca
sad ity etat prayujyate
praśaste karmaṇi tathā
sac-chabdaḥ pārtha yujyate

O Pärtha, the word sat refers to the defining quality of the Supreme Absolute Truth and His worshippers. Sat is also used in connection with auspicious acts.

Verse 27

yajñe tapasi dāne ca
sthitiḥ sad iti cocyate
karma caiva tad-arthīyaṁ
sad ity evābhidhīyate

Steadiness in the performance of sacrifice, austerity and charity is also known as sat. And activities such as cleansing the temple for the pleasure of brahma (Çré Bhagavän) are also called sat.

Verse 28

aśraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ
tapas taptaṁ kṛtaṁ ca yat
asad ity ucyate pārtha
na ca tat pretya no iha

O son of Påthä, sacrifice, austerity, charity or any other acts performed without faith are called asat. Such activities give no transcendental result, either in this world or the next.