Arjuna Uvaacha:
Ye shaastravidhimutsrijya yajante
shraddhayaanvitaah;
Teshaam nishthaa tu kaa krishna sattwamaaho
rajastamah.(1)
Arjuna said:
Those who, setting aside the
ordinances of the scriptures, perform sacrifice with faith, what is their
condition, O Krishna? Is it that of Sattwa, Rajas or Tamas?
Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:
Trividhaa bhavati shraddhaa dehinaam saa
swabhaavajaa;
Saattwikee raajasee chaiva taamasee cheti
taam shrinu.(2)
The Blessed Lord said:
Threefold is the faith of the
embodied, which is inherent in their nature—the Sattwic (pure), the Rajasic
(passionate), and the Tamasic (dark). Do thou hear of it.
Sattwaanuroopaa sarvasya shraddhaa bhavati
bhaarata;
Shraddhaamayo’yam purusho yo yacchraddhah
sa eva sah.(3)
The faith of each is in
accordance with his nature, O Arjuna! The man consists of his faith; as a man’s
faith is, so is he.
Yajante saattwikaa devaan yaksharakshaamsi
raajasaah;
Pretaan bhootaganaamshchaanye yajante
taamasaa janaah.(4)
The Sattwic or pure men worship
the gods; the Rajasic or the passionate worship the Yakshas and the Rakshasas;
the others (the Tamasic or the deluded) worship the ghosts and the hosts of
nature-spirits.
Ashaastravihitam ghoram tapyante ye tapo
janaah;
Dambhaahamkaarasamyuktaah
kaamaraagabalaanvitaah.(5)
Those men who practise terrific
austerities not enjoined by the scriptures, given to hypocrisy and egoism,
impelled by the force of lust and attachment,
Karshayantah shareerastham
bhootagraamamachetasah;
Maam chaivaantahshareerastham
taanviddhyaasuranishchayaan.(6)
Senseless, torturing all the
elements in the body and Me also, who dwells in the body,—know thou these to be
of demoniacal resolves.
Aahaarastwapi sarvasya trividho bhavati
priyah;
Yajnastapastathaa daanam teshaam bhedamimam
shrinu.(7)
The food also which is dear to each is
threefold, as also sacrifice, austerity and alms-giving. Hear thou the
distinction of these.
Aayuh sattwabalaarogya sukha preetivi
vardhanaah;
Rasyaah snigdhaah sthiraa hridyaa aahaaraah
saattwikapriyaah.(8)
Foods which increase life,
purity, strength, health,joy and cheerfulness, which are oleaginous and
savoury, substantial and agreeable, are dear to the Sattwic people.
Katvamlalavanaatyushna teekshna rooksha
vidaahinah;
Aahaaraah raajasasyeshtaa
duhkhashokaamayapradaah.(9)
The foods that are bitter, sour, saline ,
excessively hot, dry, pungent and burning, are liked by the Rajasic and are
productive of pain, grief and disease.
Yaatayaamam gatarasam pooti paryushitam cha
yat;
Ucchishtamapi chaamedhyam bhojanam
taamasapriyam.(10)
That which is stale, tasteless,
putrid, rotten and impure refuse, is the food liked by the Tamasic.
Aphalaakaangkshibhiryajno vidhidrishto ya
ijyate;
Yashtavyameveti manah samaadhaaya sa
saattwikah.(11)
That sacrifice which is offered
by men without desire for reward as enjoined by the ordinance (scripture) with
a firm faith that to do so is a duty, is Sattwic (or pure).
Abhisandhaaya tu phalam dambhaarthamapi
chaiva yat;
Ijyate bharatashreshtha tam yajnam viddhi
raajasam.(12)
The sacrifice which is offered,
O Arjuna, seeking a reward and for ostentation, know thou that to be a Rajasic
Yajna!
Vidhiheenam asrishtaannam mantraheenam
adakshinam;
Shraddhaavirahitam yajnam taamasam
parichakshate.(13)
They declare that sacrifice to
be Tamasic which is contrary to the ordinances of the scriptures, in which no
food is distributed, which is devoid of Mantras and gifts, and which is devoid
of faith.
Devadwijagurupraajna poojanam
shauchamaarjavam;
Brahmacharyamahimsaa cha shaareeram tapa
uchyate.(14)
Worship of the gods, the
twice-born, the teachers and the wise, purity, straightforwardness, celibacy
and non-injury—these are called the austerities of the body.
Anudwegakaram vaakyam satyam priyahitam cha
yat;
Swaadhyaayaabhyasanam chaiva vaangmayam
tapa uchyate.(15)
Speech which causes no
excitement and is truthful, pleasant and beneficial, the practice of the study
of the Vedas, are called austerity of speech.
Manahprasaadah saumyatwam
maunamaatmavinigrahah;
Bhaavasamshuddhirityetat tapo
maanasamuchyate.(16)
Serenity of mind, good-heartedness, purity of
nature, self-control—this is called mental austerity.
Shraddhayaa parayaa taptam
tapastattrividham naraih;
Aphalaakaangkshibhiryuktaih saattwikam
parichakshate.(17)
This threefold austerity
practised by steadfast men with the utmost faith, desiring no reward, they call
Sattwic.
Satkaaramaanapoojaartham tapo dambhena
chaiva yat;
Kriyate tadiha proktam raajasam
chalamadhruvam. (18)
The austerity which is practised
with the object of gaining good reception, honour and worship and with
hypocrisy, is here said to be Rajasic,
unstable and transitory.
Moodhagraahenaatmano yat peedayaa kriyate
tapah;
Parasyotsaadanaartham vaa
tattaamasamudaahritam.(19)
The austerity which is practised out of a
foolish notion, with self-torture, or for the purpose of destroying another, is
declared to be Tamasic.
Daatavyamiti yaddaanam deeyate’nupakaarine;
Deshe kaale cha paatre cha taddaanam
saattwikam smritam.(20)
That gift which is given to one
who does nothing in return, knowing it to be a duty to give in a fit place and
time to a worthy person, that gift is held to be Sattwic.
Yattu pratyupakaaraartham phalamuddishya
vaa punah;
Deeyate cha pariklishtam taddaanam raajasam
smritam.(21)
And, that gift which is made
with a view to receive something in return, or looking for a reward, or given
reluctantly, is said to be Rajasic.
Adeshakaale yaddaanamapaatrebhyashcha
deeyate;
Asatkritamavajnaatam tattaamasamudaahritam.(22)
The gift which is given at the
wrong place and time to unworthy persons, without respect or with insult, is declared to
be Tamasic.
Om tatsaditi nirdesho brahmanas trividhah
smritah;
Braahmanaastena vedaashcha yajnaashcha
vihitaah puraa.(23)
“Om Tat Sat”: this has been
declared to be the triple designation of Brahman. By that were created formerly
the Brahmanas, the Vedas and the sacrifices.
Tasmaadomityudaahritya
yajnadaanatapahkriyaah;
Pravartante vidhaanoktaah satatam brahmavaadinaam.(24)
Therefore, with the utterance of
“Om” are the acts of gift, sacrifice and austerity as enjoined in the
scriptures always begun by the students of Brahman.
Tadityanabhisandhaaya phalam yajnatapah
kriyaah;
Daanakriyaashcha vividhaah kriyante
mokshakaangkshibhih.(25)
Uttering Tat, without aiming at
the fruits, are the acts of sacrifice and austerity and the various acts of
gift performed by the seekers of liberation.
Sadbhaave saadhubhaave cha
sadityetatprayujyate;
Prashaste karmani tathaa sacchabdah paartha
yujyate.(26)
The word Sat is used in the sense of reality
and of goodness; and so also, O Arjuna, it is used in the sense of an
auspicious act!
Yajne tapasi daane cha sthitih saditi
chochyate;
Karma chaiva tadartheeyam sadityevaabhidheeyate.(27)
Steadfastness in sacrifice,
austerity and gift, is also called Sat, and also action in connection with
these (or for the sake of the Supreme) is called Sat.
Ashraddhayaa hutam dattam tapastaptam
kritam cha yat;
Asadityuchyate paartha na cha tatpretya no
iha.(28)
Whatever is sacrificed, given or
performed, and whatever austerity is practised without faith, it is called
Asat, O Arjuna! It is naught here or hereafter (after death).
Hari Om Tat Sat
Iti Srimad Bhagavadgeetaasoopanishatsu
Brahmavidyaayaam
Yogashaastre Sri Krishnaarjunasamvaade
Shraddhaatrayavibhaagayogo Naama
Saptadasho’dhyaayah
Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the
science of the Eternal, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna
and Arjuna, ends the seventeenth discourse entitled:
This discourse is termed the
“Yoga of the Division of the Three Kinds of Faith”. The theme of this discourse
arises out of the question asked by Arjuna in Verse 1 with reference to the
final and closing advice of Lord Krishna in the previous discourse, contained
in the last two verses therein (Verses 23 and 24). Arjuna asks, “What about
those who, even though setting aside scriptural injunctions yet perform worship
with faith?”The Lord replies and states that the faith of such men who ignore
the injunctions of the scriptures could be either Sattwic, Rajasic or Tamasic.
This would be in accordance with the basic nature of the person himself. And,
conversely, as is the kind of faith, so develops the nature of the man. Thus,
in all things like sacrifice, worship, charity, penance, etc., these qualities
become expressed in accordance with the kind of faith in which the person
concerned is based. They produce results in accordance with the quality of the
doer’s faith. These acts done with right faith lead to supreme blessedness.
When done without any faith whatsoever, all these actions become barren and
useless
