Chapter 17: Sraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga

Sanskrit Transliteration:

arjuna uvācha ye śhāstra-vidhim utsṛijya yajante śhraddhayānvitāḥ teṣhāṁ niṣhṭhā tu kā kṛiṣhṇa sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ

Translation:

Arjuna said: Those who set aside scriptural injunctions but worship with faith—what is their standing, O Krishna? Is it sattva, rajas, or tamas?

Commentary:

Arjuna asks about people who disregard formal scripture but still worship with sincere faith. What category do they fall into? Is their faith sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic? This question addresses informal but genuine spirituality.

Learning:

Faith without formal scriptural backing still exists and matters. Some people worship sincerely without knowing texts. The question is: what quality is their faith? Understanding the gunas helps evaluate any form of faith.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

śhrī bhagavān uvācha tri-vidhā bhavati śhraddhā dehināṁ sā svabhāva-jā sāttvikī rājasī chaiva tāmasī cheti tāṁ śhṛiṇu

Translation:

The Supreme Lord said: The faith of embodied beings is of three kinds, born of their own nature—sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic. Hear about these.

Commentary:

Krishna explains that faith is threefold, arising from one's innate nature (svabhava) formed by past impressions. Everyone has faith of some kind; the question is which guna dominates it. All three types will be explained.

Learning:

Everyone has faith in something. Faith isn't optional—it's built into human nature. The variable is quality, determined by which guna dominates. Understanding the three types helps you assess and elevate your own faith.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

sattvānurūpā sarvasya śhraddhā bhavati bhārata śhraddhā-mayo 'yaṁ puruṣho yo yach-chhraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ

Translation:

The faith of each person conforms to their nature, O Bharata. A person is made of faith; whatever faith one has, that one becomes.

Commentary:

Faith matches one's inner nature. A person essentially is their faith—what you believe shapes who you are. This is a powerful statement: you become what you have faith in.

Learning:

You are what you believe. Faith isn't just opinion; it shapes identity and destiny. Whatever you truly place faith in, you become. Choose your objects of faith carefully—they determine who you will be.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

yajante sāttvikā devān yakṣha-rakṣhāṁsi rājasāḥ pretān bhūta-gaṇāṁśh chānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ

Translation:

Sattvic people worship the gods; rajasic people worship nature spirits and demons; tamasic people worship ghosts and departed spirits.

Commentary:

The object of worship reveals faith quality: sattvic faith worships celestial beings, rajasic faith worships power-spirits and ambitious deities, tamasic faith worships ghosts and spirits of the dead. What you worship shows your guna.

Learning:

What you worship reveals your inner condition. Higher worship indicates sattvic nature; worship of power-beings shows rajas; worship of dark spirits shows tamas. Evaluate your objects of reverence to understand your guna.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

aśhāstra-vihitaṁ ghoraṁ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ dambhāhaṅkāra-saṁyuktāḥ kāma-rāga-balānvitāḥ karṣhayantaḥ śharīra-sthaṁ bhūta-grāmam achetasaḥ māṁ chaivāntaḥ śharīra-sthaṁ tān viddhy āsura-niśhchayān

Translation:

Those who perform terrible austerities not prescribed by scripture, impelled by hypocrisy and ego, driven by desire and passion, torturing the bodily elements and also Me who dwell within—know them to be of demonic resolve.

Commentary:

Severe austerities performed without scriptural guidance, motivated by ego and desire, that torture the body and the divine within—these indicate demonic determination. Harsh practices for wrong reasons harm body and soul.

Learning:

Austerity can be demonic. Extreme practices driven by ego or desire, torturing the body without wise guidance, harm rather than help. Not all spiritual discipline is good—motivation and method matter.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

āhāras tv api sarvasya tri-vidho bhavati priyaḥ yajñas tapas tathā dānaṁ teṣhāṁ bhedam imaṁ śhṛiṇu

Translation:

Food, too, which is dear to all, is of three kinds. So also are sacrifice, austerity, and charity. Hear the distinction among them.

Commentary:

Food preferences, sacrifices, austerities, and charitable giving are all threefold, according to guna. Krishna will explain each category. Understanding these helps evaluate and elevate all aspects of life.

Learning:

Everything is influenced by gunas—what you eat, how you worship, what disciplines you practice, how you give. Each area can be sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic. Conscious living means elevating each area toward sattva.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛidyā āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ kaṭv-amla-lavaṇāty-uṣhṇa-tīkṣhṇa-rūkṣha-vidāhinaḥ āhārā rājasasyeṣhṭā duḥkha-śhokāmaya-pradāḥ yāta-yāmaṁ gata-rasaṁ pūti paryuṣhitaṁ cha yat uchchhiṣhṭam api chāmedhyaṁ bhojanaṁ tāmasa-priyam

Translation:

Foods that promote longevity, virtue, strength, health, happiness, and satisfaction—juicy, fatty, wholesome, and pleasing to the heart—are dear to the sattvic. Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, very hot, pungent, dry, and burning, causing pain, grief, and disease—these are liked by the rajasic. Food that is stale, tasteless, putrid, leftover, impure, and unfit for sacrifice—this is dear to the tamasic.

Commentary:

Sattvic foods nourish life, health, and happiness—fresh, pleasant, wholesome. Rajasic foods are extreme in taste (very bitter, sour, salty, hot) and cause suffering and illness. Tamasic foods are old, tasteless, spoiled, and impure.

Learning:

Diet affects consciousness. Fresh, wholesome food supports clarity; extreme foods agitate; stale or spoiled food dulls. What you eat influences your mind. Choose sattvic food for spiritual clarity.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

aphalākāṅkṣhibhir yajño vidhi-diṣhṭo ya ijyate yaṣhṭavyam eveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ abhisandhāya tu phalaṁ dambhārtham api chaiva yat ijyate bharata-śhreṣhṭha taṁ yajñaṁ viddhi rājasam vidhi-hīnam asṛiṣhṭānnaṁ mantra-hīnam adakṣhiṇam śhraddhā-virahitaṁ yajñaṁ tāmasaṁ parichakṣhate

Translation:

Sacrifice offered according to scripture, by those expecting no fruit, with the conviction that it should be done—this is sattvic. But sacrifice performed for show and expecting results, O best of Bharatas, know that to be rajasic. Sacrifice against the rules, without food distribution, without mantras, without proper gifts, devoid of faith—this is declared tamasic.

Commentary:

Sattvic sacrifice: follows scripture, expects no reward, done from duty. Rajasic sacrifice: for show or seeking results. Tamasic sacrifice: improper, without proper elements, faithless. The quality of worship depends on motivation and method.

Learning:

Evaluate your worship: Is it dutiful and selfless (sattvic)? For show or reward (rajasic)? Improper and faithless (tamasic)? The same ritual can be any of these depending on how it's performed.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

deva-dvija-guru-prājña-pūjanaṁ śhaucham ārjavam brahmacharyam ahiṁsā cha śhārīraṁ tapa uchyate anudvega-karaṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priya-hitaṁ cha yat svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ chaiva vāṅ-mayaṁ tapa uchyate manaḥ-prasādaḥ saumyatvaṁ maunam ātma-vinigrahaḥ bhāva-saṁśhuddhir ity etat tapo mānasam uchyate

Translation:

Worship of gods, the twice-born, teachers, and the wise; purity, straightforwardness, celibacy, and nonviolence—this is called austerity of the body. Speech that causes no distress, that is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial, and regular study of scriptures—this is called austerity of speech. Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-control, and purity of thought—this is called austerity of the mind.

Commentary:

Three types of austerity: bodily (worship, purity, uprightness, celibacy, nonviolence), verbal (non-disturbing, truthful, pleasant, beneficial speech plus scripture study), and mental (serenity, gentleness, silence, self-control, pure thought).

Learning:

Discipline applies to body, speech, and mind. Each domain has its proper austerity. Physical practices alone are insufficient—speech and thought must also be disciplined. Complete spiritual discipline covers all three.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

śhraddhayā parayā taptaṁ tapas tat tri-vidhaṁ naraiḥ aphalākāṅkṣhibhir yuktaiḥ sāttvikaṁ parichakṣhate satkāra-māna-pūjārthaṁ tapo dambhena chaiva yat kriyate tad iha proktaṁ rājasaṁ chalam adhruvam mūḍha-grāheṇātmano yat pīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ parasyotsādanārthaṁ vā tat tāmasam udāhṛitam

Translation:

This threefold austerity, practiced with supreme faith by steadfast people expecting no reward, is said to be sattvic. Austerity performed for honor, respect, and reverence, ostentatiously—that is called rajasic, unstable and transient. Austerity practiced out of foolish notions, with self-torture or to harm others—that is declared tamasic.

Commentary:

Sattvic austerity: with faith, steadiness, and no desire for reward. Rajasic austerity: for honor and show, unstable and temporary. Tamasic austerity: from delusion, with self-harm or intent to harm others.

Learning:

The same discipline can be sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic depending on motivation. Practice for self-purification without seeking recognition (sattvic), not for status (rajasic), and never to harm self or others (tamasic).

Sanskrit Transliteration:

dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ dīyate 'nupakāriṇe deśhe kāle cha pātre cha tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛitam yat tu pratyupakārārthaṁ phalam uddiśhya vā punaḥ dīyate cha parikliṣhṭaṁ tad dānaṁ rājasaṁ smṛitam adeśha-kāle yad dānam apātrebhyaśh cha dīyate asat-kṛitam avajñātaṁ tat tāmasam udāhṛitam

Translation:

Charity given as a duty, to one who cannot return the favor, at the proper place and time, to a worthy person—this is considered sattvic. But charity given expecting something in return, or hoping for reward, or grudgingly—this is considered rajasic. Charity given at the wrong place or time, to unworthy persons, without respect, and with disdain—this is declared tamasic.

Commentary:

Sattvic charity: given from duty, to those who can't repay, appropriately placed and timed, to worthy recipients. Rajasic charity: expecting return or given reluctantly. Tamasic charity: wrong place/time, to unworthy recipients, without respect.

Learning:

Giving is threefold too. Pure giving expects nothing back and is offered properly. Rajasic giving hopes for reward or is reluctant. Tamasic giving is inappropriate, disrespectful, or to wrong recipients. Elevate your giving.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

om tat sad iti nirdeśho brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ smṛitaḥ brāhmaṇās tena vedāśh cha yajñāśh cha vihitāḥ purā

Translation:

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

Commentary:

Om Tat Sat is the three-part name of Brahman. By this sacred formula, the priestly tradition, scriptures, and sacrificial practices were established in ancient times. These syllables consecrate all spiritual activity.

Learning:

Om Tat Sat represents the ultimate reality. Using these sacred syllables connects any activity to Brahman. They transform ordinary action into sacred offering. Remember this formula when undertaking spiritual practices.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

tasmād om ity udāhṛitya yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satataṁ brahma-vādinām tad ity anabhisandhāya phalaṁ yajña-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ dāna-kriyāśh cha vividhāḥ kriyante mokṣha-kāṅkṣhibhiḥ sad-bhāve sādhu-bhāve cha sad ity etat prayujyate praśhaste karmaṇi tathā sach-chhabdaḥ pārtha yujyate yajñe tapasi dāne cha sthitiḥ sad iti chochyate karma chaiva tad-arthīyaṁ sad ity evābhidhīyate

Translation:

Therefore, acts of sacrifice, charity, and austerity, as prescribed by scripture, are always begun with the utterance of "Om" by expounders of Brahman. Those who desire liberation perform various acts of sacrifice, austerity, and charity with the word "Tat," without aiming at reward. "Sat" is used in the sense of reality and goodness. It is also used for praiseworthy action, O Partha. Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity, and charity is also called "Sat." Any action for such purposes is likewise called "Sat."

Commentary:

Om begins spiritual practices. Tat is used by liberation-seekers to indicate dedication to the Supreme without seeking reward. Sat indicates reality, goodness, and commendable action. Together, Om Tat Sat sanctifies sacrifice, austerity, and charity.

Learning:

These three syllables transform actions: Om invokes the divine, Tat dedicates without expectation, Sat affirms reality and goodness. Using this formula elevates any practice. It connects finite action to infinite reality.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

aśhraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ tapas taptaṁ kṛitaṁ cha yat asad ity uchyate pārtha na cha tat pretya no iha

Translation:

Whatever sacrifice, charity, or austerity is done without faith—that is called "asat" (unreal), O Partha. It is of no value here or hereafter.

Commentary:

Actions without faith—sacrifice, charity, or austerity—are "asat" (false, unreal). They produce no good result in this life or the next. Faith is essential; without it, even proper actions are fruitless.

Learning:

Faith is essential for spiritual effectiveness. Without faith, correct actions yield nothing. Both here and hereafter, faithless practice fails. Cultivate faith; without it, spiritual mechanics are empty.