Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17 The Yoga of the Threefold Faith

Shloka 1 Faith Without Scriptural Guidance: Which Mode Does It Belong To? arjuna uvācha | ye śhāstravidhim utsṛjya yajante śhraddhayānvitāḥ | teṣhāṁ niṣhṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ || 17.1 || Arjuna said: O Krishna, what is the condition of those who set aside the injunctions of the scriptures but worship with faith? Is it one of goodness (sattva), passion (rajas), or ignorance (tamas)? → Shloka 2 Faith Is of Three Kinds, Born of One's Own Nature śhrī bhagavān uvācha | trividhā bhavati śhraddhā dehināṁ sā svabhāvajā | sāttvikī rājasī chaiva tāmasī cheti tāṁ śhṛṇu || 17.2 || The Blessed Lord said: The faith of embodied beings, born of their own nature, is of three kinds: sattvic (pure), rajasic (passionate), and tamasic (dull). Now hear about it. → Shloka 3 A Person Is Made of Faith: As the Faith, So the Person sattvānurūpā sarvasya śhraddhā bhavati bhārata | śhraddhāmayo ’yaṁ puruṣho yo yachchhraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ || 17.3 || O Bharata, the faith of everyone conforms to their inner nature (the disposition of the mind). A person is made of faith; whatever one's faith is, that very person is. → Shloka 4 Whom We Worship Reveals Our Inner Nature yajante sāttvikā devān yakṣharakṣhāṁsi rājasāḥ | pretān bhūtagaṇāṁśh chānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ || 17.4 || The sattvic worship the gods; the rajasic worship the yakshas and rakshasas; and the others, the tamasic people, worship the spirits of the dead and hosts of ghosts. → Shloka 5 Severe Austerities Without Scriptural Basis Spring from Ego and Desire aśhāstravihitaṁ ghoraṁ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ | dambhāhaṅkārasaṁyuktāḥ kāmarāgabalānvitāḥ || 17.5 || Those people who perform terrible austerities not prescribed by the scriptures, who are full of hypocrisy and egotism, and who are impelled by the force of desire and attachment... → Shloka 6 Tormenting the Body Also Torments the Divine Within karṣhayantaḥ śharīrasthaṁ bhūtagrāmam achetasaḥ | māṁ chaivāntaḥśharīrasthaṁ tān viddhy āsuraniśhchayān || 17.6 || Being unintelligent, they torment the aggregate of elements in the body, and also Me, who dwell within the body. Know them to be of demoniac resolve. → Shloka 7 Food, Sacrifice, Austerity, and Charity Are Also of Three Kinds āhāras tv api sarvasya trividho bhavati priyaḥ | yajñas tapas tathā dānaṁ teṣhāṁ bhedam imaṁ śhṛṇu || 17.7 || The food that is dear to everyone is also of three kinds; so are sacrifice, austerity, and charity. Hear the distinction among them. → Shloka 8 Foods That Increase Life, Purity, and Joy Are Dear to the Sattvic āyuḥsattvabalārogyasukhaprītivivardhanāḥ | rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā āhārāḥ sāttvikapriyāḥ || 17.8 || Foods that promote longevity, purity, strength, health, happiness, and joy, and that are juicy, smooth, lasting, and agreeable to the heart, are dear to the sattvic. → Shloka 9 Excessively Sharp and Stimulating Foods Are Dear to the Rajasic kaṭvamlalavaṇātyuṣhṇatīkṣhṇarūkṣhavidāhinaḥ | āhārā rājasasyeṣhṭā duḥkhaśhokāmayapradāḥ || 17.9 || Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, excessively hot, pungent, dry, and burning, and that produce pain, grief, and disease, are liked by the rajasic. → Shloka 10 Stale, Tasteless, and Impure Food Is Dear to the Tamasic yātayāmaṁ gatarasaṁ pūti paryuṣhitaṁ cha yat | uchchhiṣhṭam api chāmedhyaṁ bhojanaṁ tāmasapriyam || 17.10 || Food that is stale, tasteless, foul-smelling, and rotten, and which is leftover and impure, is dear to the tamasic. → Shloka 11 Sattvic Sacrifice: Duty Performed Without Desire for Reward aphalākāṅkṣhibhir yajño vidhidṛṣhṭo ya ijyate | yaṣhṭavyam eveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ || 17.11 || That sacrifice which is performed according to scriptural injunction, by those who expect no reward, with the mind fixed on the conviction that it is one's duty to perform it, is sattvic. → Shloka 12 Rajasic Sacrifice: Performed for Reward and Show abhisandhāya tu phalaṁ dambhārtham api chaiva yat | ijyate bharataśhreṣhṭha taṁ yajñaṁ viddhi rājasam || 17.12 || But that sacrifice which is performed aiming at a reward, and also for the sake of ostentation, O best of the Bharatas, know it to be rajasic. → Shloka 13 Tamasic Sacrifice: Without Rules, Food, Mantras, Gifts, or Faith vidhihīnam asṛṣhṭānnaṁ mantrahīnam adakṣhiṇam | śhraddhāvirahitaṁ yajñaṁ tāmasaṁ parichakṣhate || 17.13 || They declare that sacrifice to be tamasic which is performed without regard for scriptural injunctions, in which no food is distributed, without mantras, without gifts to the priests, and devoid of faith. → Shloka 14 Austerity of the Body: Reverence, Purity, Simplicity, Self-Restraint, and Non-Violence devadvijaguruprājñapūjanaṁ śhaucham ārjavam | brahmacharyam ahiṁsā cha śhārīraṁ tapa uchyate || 17.14 || Worship of the gods, the twice-born, the spiritual teacher, and the wise; purity, simplicity, continence, and non-violence—these are said to be the austerity of the body. → Shloka 15 Austerity of Speech: Truthful, Pleasant, Beneficial Words and Study anudvegakaraṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priyahitaṁ cha yat | svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ chaiva vāṅmayaṁ tapa uchyate || 17.15 || Words that do not cause distress, that are truthful, pleasing, and beneficial, and the regular practice of the study of the scriptures—these are said to be the austerity of speech. → Shloka 16 Austerity of the Mind: Serenity, Gentleness, Silence, Self-Control, and Pure Thought manaḥprasādaḥ saumyatvaṁ maunam ātmavinigrahaḥ | bhāvasaṁśhuddhir ity etat tapo mānasam uchyate || 17.16 || Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-control, and purity of thought—these are said to be the austerity of the mind. → Shloka 17 Sattvic Austerity: Threefold Discipline with Supreme Faith and No Expectation śhraddhayā parayā taptaṁ tapas tat trividhaṁ naraiḥ | aphalākāṅkṣhibhir yuktaiḥ sāttvikaṁ parichakṣhate || 17.17 || This threefold austerity, practised with supreme faith by steadfast people who desire no reward, is declared to be sattvic. → Shloka 18 Rajasic Austerity: Done for Respect, Honour, and Show Is Unstable satkāramānapūjārthaṁ tapo dambhena chaiva yat | kriyate tad iha proktaṁ rājasaṁ chalam adhruvam || 17.18 || Austerity that is practised for the sake of gaining respect, honour, and reverence, and with ostentation, is said here to be rajasic; it is unstable and transitory. → Shloka 19 Tamasic Austerity: Foolish Obstinacy, Self-Torture, or Harming Others mūḍhagrāheṇātmano yat pīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ | parasyotsādanārthaṁ vā tat tāmasam udāhṛtam || 17.19 || Austerity that is performed with foolish obstinacy, by torturing oneself, or for the purpose of destroying or harming others, is declared to be tamasic. → Shloka 20 Sattvic Charity: Given as Duty, at the Right Time and Place, to a Worthy Person dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ dīyate ’nupakāriṇe | deśhe kāle cha pātre cha tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛtam || 17.20 || Charity that is given as a matter of duty, to one who does nothing in return, at the proper place and time, and to a worthy person, is considered sattvic. → Shloka 21 Rajasic Charity: Given for Return, Reward, or Reluctantly yat tu pratyupakārārthaṁ phalam uddiśhya vā punaḥ | dīyate cha parikliṣhṭaṁ tad dānaṁ rājasaṁ smṛtam || 17.21 || But charity that is given with the expectation of a return, or with a desire for fruit, or reluctantly, is considered rajasic. → Shloka 22 Tamasic Charity: Wrong Time and Place, Unworthy Recipient, Without Respect adeśhakāle yad dānam apātrebhyaśh cha dīyate | asatkṛtam avajñātaṁ tat tāmasam udāhṛtam || 17.22 || Charity that is given at an improper place and time, to unworthy persons, without respect or with contempt, is declared to be tamasic. → Shloka 23 Om Tat Sat: The Threefold Name of the Supreme oṁ tat sad iti nirdeśho brahmaṇas trividhaḥ smṛtaḥ | brāhmaṇās tena vedāśh cha yajñāśh cha vihitāḥ purā || 17.23 || 'Om Tat Sat'—this has been declared the threefold designation of Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth. By it were ordained, in ancient times, the priests, the Vedas, and the sacrifices. → Shloka 24 Why Sacred Acts Begin with 'Om' tasmād oṁ ity udāhṛtya yajñadānatapaḥkriyāḥ | pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satataṁ brahmavādinām || 17.24 || Therefore, the acts of sacrifice, charity, and austerity, as enjoined in the scriptures, are always begun by the expounders of Brahman with the utterance of 'Om.' → Shloka 25 Saying 'Tat' Without Desiring Fruits: The Path of Liberation Seekers tad ity anabhisandhāya phalaṁ yajñatapaḥkriyāḥ | dānakriyāśh cha vividhāḥ kriyante mokṣhakāṅkṣhibhiḥ || 17.25 || Uttering 'Tat,' without desiring the fruits, the acts of sacrifice and austerity, and the various acts of charity, are performed by those who seek liberation. → Shloka 26 The Meaning of 'Sat': Reality, Goodness, and Auspicious Action sadbhāve sādhubhāve cha sad ity etat prayujyate | praśhaste karmaṇi tathā sachchhabdaḥ pārtha yujyate || 17.26 || The word 'Sat' is used in the sense of reality and goodness. And, O Partha, the word 'Sat' is also used for an auspicious action. → Shloka 27 Steadfastness in Sacrifice, Austerity, and Charity Is Also 'Sat' yajñe tapasi dāne cha sthitiḥ sad iti chochyate | karma chaiva tadarthīyaṁ sad ity evābhidhīyate || 17.27 || Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity, and charity is also called 'Sat.' And any action performed for such purposes is also termed 'Sat.' → Shloka 28 Without Faith, Everything Is 'Asat'—of No Value Here or Hereafter aśhraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ tapas taptaṁ kṛtaṁ cha yat | asad ity uchyate pārtha na cha tat pretya no iha || 17.28 || Whatever is offered in sacrifice, given in charity, or performed as austerity, and whatever else is done without faith, O Partha, is called 'asat' (unreal); it is of no value here or hereafter. →