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Chapter 17

श्रद्धात्रयविभागयोग

Three Kinds of Faith (Śraddhātrayavibhāgayoga)

Krishna explains that a person's faith matches their inner nature, and shows how food, worship, austerity and giving each come in three kinds. He describes truthful, kind and helpful speech as a discipline in itself, and ends with the sacred words Om Tat Sat.

What you eat, say and give reveals and shapes who you are.

  1. 17.1ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयाऽन्विताः।Arjuna asks Krishna: what about people who set aside the scriptural rules but still worship with sincere faith? Is their standing one of sattva (clarity), rajas (restless passion) or tamas (dullness)?
  2. 17.2त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा।Krishna replies that the faith of every embodied being is of three kinds, born of each person's own nature: sattvic (clear and pure), rajasic (driven and passionate) and tamasic (dull and confused). He asks Arjuna to listen.
  3. 17.3सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत।Everyone's faith takes the shape of their inner nature, Arjuna. A person is made of faith: whatever they truly put their faith in, that is what they become.
  4. 17.4यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः।Sattvic people worship the gods; rajasic people worship yakshas and rakshasas (beings of wealth and power); tamasic people worship ghosts and spirits of the dead.
  5. 17.5अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जनाः।Krishna says some people perform harsh austerities not prescribed by scripture, driven by hypocrisy and ego, and pushed by desire, attachment and a show of strength.
  6. 17.6कर्षयन्तः शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतसः।Such thoughtless people torment the elements of their own body, and in doing so they torment Me, who dwell within the body too. Know their resolve to be demonic (against the divine).
  7. 17.7आहारस्त्वपि सर्वस्य त्रिविधो भवति प्रियः।Even the food people like is of three kinds, and so are sacrifice, austerity and charity. Krishna tells Arjuna to hear how they differ.
  8. 17.8आयुःसत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धनाः।Foods that increase life, clarity, strength, health, happiness and contentment, and that are tasty, smooth, nourishing and pleasing to the heart, are dear to sattvic people.
  9. 17.9कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः।Foods that are very bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are liked by rajasic people. They bring pain, sorrow and illness.
  10. 17.10यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत्।Food that is stale, tasteless, rotten, left overnight, leftover from others' plates or impure is dear to tamasic people.
  11. 17.11अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते।Sacrifice that is done as prescribed, by people who want no reward, with the mind settled on the thought 'this simply ought to be done', is sattvic.
  12. 17.12अभिसंधाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत्।But sacrifice done with an eye on the reward, or simply for show, know that to be rajasic, Arjuna, best of the Bharatas.
  13. 17.13विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम्।Sacrifice done without proper method, without sharing food, without sacred words, without giving the priest his due, and without faith, is called tamasic.
  14. 17.14देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम्।Honouring the divine, the twice-born (the learned), teachers and the wise, along with cleanliness, straightforwardness, self-restraint in desire (brahmacharya) and non-violence, is called austerity of the body.
  15. 17.15अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत्।Speech that causes no distress, that is true, pleasant and helpful, together with regular study of sacred texts, is called austerity of speech.
  16. 17.16मनःप्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः।A cheerful, clear mind, gentleness, silence, self-control and purity of intention are called austerity of the mind.
  17. 17.17श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः।When this threefold austerity of body, speech and mind is practised with deep faith by steady people who seek no reward, it is called sattvic.
  18. 17.18सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत्।Austerity done with hypocrisy, to gain respect, honour and praise, is called rajasic. It is unstable and does not last.
  19. 17.19मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः।Austerity done out of foolish stubbornness, by torturing oneself, or in order to harm another, is called tamasic.
  20. 17.20दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे।A gift given simply because giving is right, to someone who cannot repay it, at the proper place and time and to a worthy person, is considered sattvic.
  21. 17.21यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः।But a gift given to get something back, or with an eye on some reward, or given reluctantly, is considered rajasic.
  22. 17.22अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते।A gift given at the wrong place and time, to unworthy recipients, without respect and with contempt, is called tamasic.
  23. 17.23तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः।'Om Tat Sat' is remembered as the threefold name of Brahman (the Absolute). By it, in ancient times, the Brahmins, the Vedas and sacrifices were established.
  24. 17.24तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाः।Therefore those who follow the Vedas always begin their acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity, done as prescribed, by uttering 'Om'.
  25. 17.25तदित्यनभिसन्धाय फलं यज्ञतपःक्रियाः।Saying 'Tat' (That), those who seek liberation perform various acts of sacrifice, austerity and charity without aiming at any reward.
  26. 17.26सद्भावे साधुभावे च सदित्येतत्प्रयुज्यते।The word 'Sat' is used to mean reality and goodness. Arjuna, it is also used for any praiseworthy action.
  27. 17.27यज्ञे तपसि दाने च स्थितिः सदिति चोच्यते।Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity and charity is also called 'Sat', and any action done for that purpose is called 'Sat' as well.
  28. 17.28अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत्।Whatever is offered, given, practised as austerity or done without faith is called 'asat' (unreal), Arjuna. It brings no good, neither here nor after death.