Conversation 17. Threefold Division of Faith

Bhagavad Gita with Commentaries / Conversation 17. Threefold Division of Faith

Conversation 17. Threefold Division of Faith

Arjuna said:

17:1. What is the state of those who are endowed with faith but disregard the precepts of the Holy Scriptures. Are they in the states of sattva, rajas, or tamas?

The Blessed One said:

17:2. The faith of incarnate one can be of three kinds: sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic. Hear about all three.

17:3. Faith of man corresponds to his essence. Man corresponds to his faith: what man’s faith is, so he is.

17:4. The sattvic worship the Divine, the rajasic worship the beings of demonic nature*, the tamasic worship the dead and the lower spirits.

17:5. Know that they who perform severe ascetic exploits not prescribed by the Holy Scriptures for the sake of self-admiration and pride, yet subjected to the sexual passion, to attachments, and to violence,

17:6. unwise, torturing the elements that compose their bodies as well as Me residing in their bodies — know that their decisions are demonic.

17:7. Even so the food pleasant to all can be of three kinds, as well as sacrifice, ascetic exploits, and gifts. Hear from Me what about the difference between them.

17:8. Food that promotes longevity, strength, health, jocundity, and serenity of mood, which is succulent, oily, substantial, and tasty — such food is dear to the sattvic.

17:9. Passionate ones hunger for bitter, sour, salty, too spicy, exciting, dry, and burning food, i.e. the food that causes sorrow, suffering, sickness.

17:10. Spoiled, tasteless, with bad smell, putrid, cooked of garbage, unclean food is dear to the tamasic.

17:11. Sacrifice performed by man without a thought about the reward, in accordance with the Holy Scriptures, with firm belief that this is his duty — such a sacrifice is sattvic.

17:12. Sacrifice performed with expectation of the reward and for the sake of pleasing oneself — know that such a sacrifice originates from rajas.

17:13. Sacrifice that contradicts the religious precepts, performed without feeding the hungry, without sacred words, without charity, without faith — such a sacrifice is called tamasic.

17:14. Homage paid to the Divine, to brahmans, to teachers, and to sages, purity, simplicity, abstention, and causing no harm (to the body) — such is the asceticism of the body.

17:15. Speech causing no dislike, honest, pleasant, and beneficial, and also repetition of the holy texts — such is the asceticism of the speech.

17:16. Clarity of thoughts, lowliness of mind, control over thoughts, amicability toward everyone, naturalness of life — such is the asceticism of the mind.

17:17. This threefold asceticism, if it is performed by steady people endowed with deep faith and without expectation of the reward, — such asceticism is considered sattvic.

17:18. Asceticism performed for the sake of praise, honor, and glory, as well as asceticism performed with pride — is rajasic in its nature, unsteady, not firm.

17:19. Asceticism performed under delusion, with self-torture, or with the purpose of destroying someone — such asceticism is tamasic in its nature.

17:20. The gift, which is given without a thought about repayment, out of the call of duty, at the right time and in the right place to a worthy person — such a gift is considered sattvic.

17:21. That which is given with expectation of repayment or reward, or with grudging — such a gift is called rajasic.

17:22. Gift given in inappropriate place, at inappropriate time, to unworthy people, with disrespect or disregard — such a gift is tamasic.

17:23. “AUM — TAT — SAT” is a threefold designation of Brahman in the Vedas. In old time, it was used in performance of sacrifices.

17:24. Therefore, the knowers of Brahman begin sacrificial acts and acts of self-restraint with the word AUM, as it is prescribed by the Holy Scriptures.

17:25. When those seeking the Liberation perform various sacrifices and purifying acts of self-restraint, or give sattvic gifts — then it is performed with the word TAT.

17:26. The word SAT is used for designating the true reality and good, as well as righteous acts, O Partha.

17:27. The word SAT also is always uttered in sacrificing, self-restraint, and charity. And the actions aimed at these purposes are also designated by the word SAT.

17:28. And that which is performed without faith — whether it is sacrifice, exploit, or giving — is ASAT, that is NOTHING both here and after death.

Thus in the upanishads of the blessed Bhagavad Gita, the Science of Eternal, the Scripture of yoga, says the seventeenth conversation between Shri Krishna and Arjuna, entitled:

Threefold Division of Faith.