CHAPTER NO 17

In this chapter the blessed Lord has described three forms of faith and the nature of men according to them. This chapter basically discusses these three different forms of faiths hence the chapter is entitled "The Yoga of the Thresfold Division of Faith".

Arjuna uvacha

·  ye shastra vidhin utsrijya
yajante shradhayanvitah
tesam nistha tu ka krishna
satnam aho rajah tamah

Arjuna said, O Krishna, those who abandone the rules prescribed by the scriptures and full of faith, offer sacrifices, what is their position? Is is purity, passion or of intertia?

Shri bhagavan uvacha

·  trividha bhavati shraddha
dehinam sa svabhavaja
satviki rajasi cha eva
tamasi cha iti tam shrinu

The blessed Lord Said : the faith of the men is of three kinds, according to theor nature, pure, passionate of inert. Hear now about it.

·  satnanurupa sarvasya
shraddha bhavati bharata
shraddhamayah ayam purushah
yah yakshidrah sah eva sah

O Arjuna, all men have faith as per their nature. Man is what he has faith in his form is also similar.

·  yajante satvikah devan
yaksharakshansi rajasah
pretan bhutaganam cha anye
yajante tamasah janah

Pure in heart worship gods, passionate worship the yakshas and Rakshasas and other men of inert nature worship spirits and ghosts.

·  ashastravinitam ghoram
tapyante ye tapo sanah
dambhahankarsanyuktah
kamaragabalanvitah

These men, who are concieted and full of pride, attached to the desires and swayed by might perform severe penances, not in accordance with the scriptures.

·  kavshayantah sharirastham
bhutagramam chetsah
mam chaivantah sharistham
tanvidhaya surnischayan

Being ignorant by their excesses cause pain to their bodies and to me too, as I dwell in their bodies, They are demoniac in their tendencies.

·  aharah tu api sarvasya
trividhah bhavati priyah
yagyah tapah tatha danam
tesam bhedam imam shrinu

Even the food is of three kinds according to ones preference. Similarly sacrifices penances and gifts are of three kinds. Listen to these distinctions.

·  ayuhsatyabalarogya
sukhapriti vivardhanah
rasyah snigdhah sthira hridya
aharah satvikpriyah

The food increasing lifem vitality, strength, health, joy and pleasures, which are soft, sweet, nourishing and agreeable are liked by the pure (satlviks).

·  katnamlalavanatyushantikshan
ruksavidahinah
aharah rajasasya istah
duhkha shokamayapradah

The foods of bitter, sour, salty, too hot, pungent harsh and burning, causing pain, grief and illness are dear to the passionate.

·  yatyamam gatarasam puti
paryushitam cha yat
uchhistam api cha amedhyama
bhojanam tamaspriyam

That which is half-cooked, tasteless, putrid, stale, refuse and unclean is the food desires by the inert.

·  aphalakanchibhih yagyah
vidhidristah yah ijyate
yastavyam eva iti manah
samadhaya sah satvikah

The sacrifice, done in accordance with the scriputures, by those no desiring any rewards, believing that it is their duty to perform sacrifice is pure.

·  abhisandhay tu phalam
dambhartham api cha eva yat
ijyate bharatashresta tam
yagyam viddhi rajasam

The sacrifice which is done only for ostentation, in expectation of rewards, know O Arjuna that sacrifice is passionate.

·  vidhihinam asristannam
mantrahinam adakshinam
shradhavirhitam yagyam
tamasam parichakshyate

The sacrifice not as per the rules laid by the scriputures, in which no food is given, no gifts given, no hymns chanted, no fees paid, empty of faith is inert.

·  devadvijgurupragyapujanam
shaucham arjavam
brahmacharyam ahimsa cha
shariram tapah uchyate

The worship of gods, brahmins, teachers and of wise, purity, simplicity continence and non violence, this is said to be penance of the body.

·  anudvegakaram vakyam
safyam priyahitam cha yat
svadhyaya bhyasanam cha eva
vangabhyam tapah uchyate

Which do not give offence, which is truthful, pleasing and beneficial, recitation of scriptures and vedas – such words make the penance of speech.

·  manah prasadah saumyatam
maunam atmavinigrahah
bhavasanshudhih eti etat
tapah mansam uchyate

Cheerfulness of mind, peace gentleness, silence, self-control, purity of mind – this is called the penance of mind.

·  ahradhya paraya taptam
tapah tat trividham naraih
aphalakanchhibhih yuktaih
satvikam parichakshyate

Performed bt those who do not expect rewards, with utmost faith by men of even mind, these threefold penance is called pure.

·  satkarman pujartham tapah
dambhena cha eva yat
kriyate tat eh proktam
rajasam chalam adhruvam

The penance performed by those who desire respect, honour and reverence and for the sake of display – is said to be “passionate” it is unstable and ephemeral.

·  mudhagrahena atmanah yat
pidya kriyate tapah
parsya utsadnartham va
tat tamasam udahritam

The penance performed due to stubbornness, by commiting excesses on self, of for causing harms to others – is said to be inert.

·  datvayam iti yat danam
diyate anupakrine
deshe kale cha patre cha tat
danam satvikam smritam

The gift given without any hope for reward, with a sense of duty, is given in proper place and time to a deserving person, that gift is said to be pure.

·  yat tu pratyupakarartham phalam
uddsya na punah
diyate cha parichistam tat
danam rajasam smritam

But the gigt made with the expectation of a reward when it is hurtful to give, is said to ne ‘passionate’.

·  adeshkale yat danam
apatrebhyah cha diyate
asatkritam avagyatam
tat tamasam udahritam

A the gift made to an unworthy person, at the wrong time and wrong place, without honour, ceremony or with contempt is said to be ‘inert’.

·  aum tatsat iti nirdeshah
brahmanah trividhih smritah
brahmanah tena vedah cha
yagyah cha vihitah pura

 ‘Aum, Tat, Sat’ – this is considered to be the threefold symbol of Brahman. The Brahmins, the vedas and the sacrifices were created by this in the beginning of the creation.

·  tasmat aum iti udahritya
yagyadantapahkriyah
pravartante vidhanoktah
satatam brahmavadinam

Therefore, the acts of sacrifice, gift and penance prescribed in the scriputures are always undertaken by the reciters of the Brahman – with the utterance of ‘AUM’.

·  tat iti anbhisanghaya
phalam yagyatapahkriyah
danakriyah cha vividhah
kriyante mokskamchibhih

And with the proclaimation of the world ‘tat’ the acts of sacrifice, penance and various other acts of giving are performed by the seekers of perfection – without hoping for reward.

·  sadbhave sadhubhave cha sat
iti etat prayujyate
prashaste karmani tatha tat
shabelah partha yujyate

The world ‘sat’ is uttered in the sense of purity and reality, as also, O Arjuna, ‘sat’ is used for righteous work.

·  yagye tapasi dane cha
stithih sat iti cha uchyate
karma cha eva taddarthiyam
sat iti eva abhidhiyate

Perseverence in sacrifice, penance and gift is also called ‘sat’, and so also any action for such purposes is called ‘sat’.

·  ashradhaya hutam datt
tapah taptam kritam cha yat
asat iti uchyate partha na
cha tat pretya no iha

O, Arjuna, offerings made in sacrifice, offering of gifts and whatever penance is performed without faith, it is calles ‘asat’, it does not count either here or hereafter.