Chapter 17 : Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga – अध्याय १७: श्रद्धात्रयविभागयोग

Arjuna said: Those who, abandoning the ordinances of the scriptures, worship with faith, what is their condition, O Krishna? Is it one of goodness, passion, or ignorance?

Arjuna said: O Krishna! What is the state of those men who, abandoning the ordinances of the scriptures, worship deities with faith? Is it Sattvic, Rajasic, or Tamasic? ॥ 1 ॥

The Blessed Lord said: The faith of embodied beings is of three kinds, born of their own nature: good, passionate, and ignorant. Hear now of these.

The Blessed Lord said: The faith of men, born only of their own nature, without the classical sacraments, is of three kinds: Sattvic, Rajasic, and Tamasic. Hear about it from me. ॥ 2 ॥

The faith of each is in accordance with his nature, O Arjuna. Man is made up of faith; as a man believes, so he is.

O Bharat! The faith of all men is according to their inner self. This man is full of faith, therefore, whatever faith a man has, he himself is the same. ॥ 3 ॥

Men of goodness worship the gods; those of passion, the demigods and demons; and those of ignorance worship ghosts and spirits.

Sattvic men worship the gods, Rajasic men worship Yakshas and demons, and other Tamasic men worship ghosts and spirits. ॥ 4 ॥

Those men who practice severe austerities not enjoined by the scriptures, given over to hypocrisy and egotism, impelled by the force of their desires and attachments,

Those men who practice severe austerities not enjoined by the scriptures, but only imagined by the mind, and who are full of hypocrisy and egoism, and also full of desire, attachment, and pride of strength, ॥ 5 ॥

senseless, tormenting all the elements in the body, and Me also, who am within the body, know that they are of demoniacal resolves.

Those who weaken the multitude of elements situated in the body and also weaken Me, the Supreme Soul situated in the inner self, know those ignorant people to be of demonic nature. ॥ 6 ॥

The food which each prefers is also of three kinds, as also sacrifice, austerity, and alms-giving. Listen now to their distinctions.

Food is also of three kinds, dear to everyone according to his nature. Similarly, sacrifice, austerity, and charity are also of three kinds. Hear from me their separate distinctions. ॥ 7 ॥

Foods that augment life, energy, strength, health, joy, and cheerfulness, which are savory and oleaginous, substantial and agreeable, are dear to men of goodness.

Foods that increase life, intelligence, strength, health, happiness, and love, which are juicy, oily, lasting, and naturally pleasing to the mind, such foods, that is, substances for eating, are dear to Sattvic men. ॥ 8 ॥

Foods that are bitter, sour, saline, excessively hot, pungent, dry, and burning, are dear to men of passion, and productive of pain, grief, and disease.

Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, very hot, pungent, dry, burning, and productive of pain, sorrow, and disease, such foods, that is, substances for eating, are dear to Rajasic men. ॥ 9 ॥

Food that is stale, tasteless, putrid, rotten, and refuse, is dear to men of darkness.

Food that is half-cooked, tasteless, foul-smelling, stale, and leftover, and which is also impure, that food is dear to Tamasic men. ॥ 10 ॥

That sacrifice which is offered by men who do not desire any reward, according to the ordinances of the scriptures, believing firmly that it is their duty to do so, is of goodness.

That which is performed according to the ordinances of the scriptures, with the mind resolved that it is one's duty to perform the sacrifice, and without desiring any fruit, that sacrifice is Sattvic. ॥ 11 ॥

But that which is offered with a view to gaining reward, or for the sake of ostentation, know that sacrifice, O best of the Bharatas, to be of passion.

But O Arjuna! That sacrifice which is performed only for hypocrisy or with a view to gaining reward, know that sacrifice to be Rajasic. ॥ 12 ॥

That sacrifice which is devoid of faith, in which no food is distributed, which is without mantras and gifts, is said to be of darkness.

That sacrifice which is devoid of scriptural ordinances, without distribution of food, without mantras, without gifts, and without faith, is called a Tamasic sacrifice. ॥ 13 ॥

Worship of the gods, the twice-born, the teachers, and the wise; purity, uprightness, continence, and non-injury, are called the austerity of the body.

Worship of the gods, Brahmins, gurus, and wise men, purity, simplicity, celibacy, and non-violence - this is called austerity of the body. ॥ 14 ॥

Speech that causes no vexation, which is true, agreeable, and beneficial, and also the practice of the study of the scriptures, are called the austerity of speech.

Speech that does not cause agitation, which is pleasant and beneficial and truthful, and the practice of reading the Vedas and scriptures and chanting the name of God - that is called austerity of speech. ॥ 15 ॥

Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-control, purity of heart, this is called the austerity of the mind.

Serenity of mind, gentleness, the habit of contemplating God, control of the mind, and purity of the feelings of the inner self - this is called austerity of the mind. ॥ 16 ॥

This threefold austerity, practiced with supreme faith by men who do not desire any reward, is said to be of goodness.

That aforementioned threefold austerity, performed with supreme faith by yogis who do not desire any fruit, is called Sattvic. ॥ 17 ॥ 

The austerity which is practiced for the sake of gaining respect and honor, or for ostentation, is said to be of passion, unstable and transient.

That austerity which is performed for the sake of respect, honor, and worship, and also for some other selfish motive, either naturally or hypocritically, that austerity, which has uncertain and transient results, is said to be Rajasic. ॥ 18 ॥

That austerity which is practiced through delusion, with self-torture, or for the purpose of destroying another, is said to be of darkness.

That austerity which is performed foolishly with stubbornness, with pain to the mind, speech, and body, or for the purpose of harming another, that austerity is said to be Tamasic. ॥ 19 ॥

That gift which is given, believing that it ought to be given, to one who does no service in return, in a fit place and time, and to a worthy person, is said to be of goodness.

That gift which is given with the feeling that it is one's duty to give, to one who does no service in return, when the right place, time, and recipient are available, that gift is said to be Sattvic. ॥ 20 ॥

But that which is given with a view to receiving something in return, or looking for the fruit, or grudgingly, is said to be of passion.

But that gift which is given reluctantly and with the intention of receiving something in return or with a view to the fruit, that gift is said to be Rajasic. ॥ 21 ॥

That gift which is given without respect, at an improper place and time, and to an unworthy person, is said to be of darkness. That gift which is given without respect or with contempt, at an improper place and time, and to an unworthy person, that gift is said to be Tamasic. ॥ 22 ॥

Om Tat Sat: this is declared to be the threefold designation of Brahman. By this were ordained of old the Brahmanas, the Vedas, and sacrifices.

Om, Tat, Sat - these are said to be the three names of the blissful Brahman; from that, in the beginning of creation, the Brahmins, the Vedas, and sacrifices were created. ॥ 23 ॥

Therefore the acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity, as enjoined by the scriptures, are always begun by the followers of Brahman with the utterance of Om.

Therefore, the acts of sacrifice, charity, and austerity, as enjoined by the scriptures, are always begun by the best men who chant the Vedic mantras, uttering the name 'Om' of the Supreme Soul. ॥ 24 ॥

Uttering Tat, without seeking a reward, the various acts of sacrifice, austerity, and gift are performed by those who seek liberation.

 With the feeling that all this belongs to the Supreme Soul, who is called by the name 'Tat', various acts of sacrifice and austerity, and acts of charity, are performed by men who desire welfare, without desiring the fruit. ॥ 25 ॥

Sat is used in the sense of reality and goodness; and also, O Arjuna, the word Sat is used in the sense of an auspicious act.

The name of the Supreme Soul, 'Sat', is used in the sense of truth and excellence, and also, O Arjuna! The word 'Sat' is used in the sense of a good deed. ॥ 26 ॥

Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity, and gift is also called Sat; and also an act done for the sake of the Supreme is called Sat.

And the steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity, and charity is also called 'Sat', and the action done for the sake of that Supreme Soul is certainly called Sat. ॥ 27 ॥

Whatever is offered, given, or done, without faith, is called Asat, O Arjuna; it is of no account, either here or hereafter.

O Arjuna! Whatever oblation is offered, whatever charity is given, whatever austerity is practiced, and whatever good deed is done without faith, all that is called 'Asat'; therefore, it is neither beneficial in this world nor after death. ॥ 28 ॥

Om Tat Sat, thus in the Upanishad of the Bhagavad Gita, the knowledge of Brahman, the supreme science of Yoga, in the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the seventeenth discourse entitled: "The Yoga of the Division of the Threefold Faith." ॥ 17 ॥