अर्जुन उवाच |
arjuna uvāca |
Arjuna asks Krishna: those who worship with faith but set aside the rules of scripture — what is their standing? Is their faith sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic? This question opens the chapter's inquiry into the nature and quality of faith itself.
श्रीभगवानुवाच |
śrībhagavānuvāca |
Krishna answers: the faith of embodied beings is of three kinds, born of their inherent nature — sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic. Listen now about this threefold faith.
सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत |
sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata |
The faith of each person corresponds to their inner nature, O Bharata. A person is made of their faith — whatever their faith is, that is what they truly are. This is one of the Gita's most quoted verses on the power of belief.
यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः |
yajante sāttvikā devānyakṣarakṣāṃsi rājasāḥ |
Sattvic people worship the gods (devas), rajasic people worship nature spirits and power beings (yakshas and rakshasas), and tamasic people worship ghosts and spirits of the dead. The object of one's worship reveals the quality of one's faith.
अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जनाः |
aśāstravihitaṃ ghoraṃ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ |
Those who practice terrible austerities not enjoined by scripture, driven by hypocrisy, ego, desire, attachment, and brute force — these are described as harmful practitioners whose penance is born of delusion rather than wisdom.
कर्षयन्तः शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतसः |
karṣayantaḥ śarīrasthaṃ bhūtagrāmamacetasaḥ |
Those senseless people who torture the aggregate of elements in the body, and also Me who dwells within the body — know them to be of demonic resolve. Krishna declares that harming the body is harming the Divine within.
आहारस्त्वपि सर्वस्य त्रिविधो भवति प्रियः |
āhārastvapi sarvasya trividho bhavati priyaḥ |
The food that is dear to each person is also of three kinds. So too are sacrifice, austerity, and charity. Hear now the distinction among them. Krishna introduces the threefold classification that structures the rest of the chapter.
आयुःसत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धनाः |
āyuḥsattvabalārogyasukhaprītivivardhanāḥ |
Foods that promote longevity, vitality, strength, health, happiness, and satisfaction — foods that are juicy, smooth, nourishing, and pleasing to the heart — are dear to sattvic people. This is one of the most practical verses in the Gita.
कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः |
kaṭvamlalavāṇātyuṣṇatīkṣṇarūkṣavidāhinaḥ |
Foods that are excessively bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry, and burning are favored by rajasic people. Such foods cause pain, distress, and disease.
यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत् |
yātayāmaṃ gatarasaṃ pūti paryuṣitaṃ ca yat |
Food that is stale, tasteless, putrid, leftover, and impure is preferred by tamasic people. Such food has lost its life force and vitality, leading to dullness and degradation of body and mind.
अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते |
aphalākāṅkṣibhiryajño vidhidṛṣṭo ya ijyate |
Sacrifice that is performed according to scriptural injunction, by those who expect no reward, with the firm conviction that it is simply one's duty to offer — that sacrifice is sattvic.
अभिसन्धाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत् |
abhisandhāya tu phalaṃ dambhārthamapi caiva yat |
O best of the Bharatas, know that sacrifice which is performed for the sake of reward and also for show and ostentation is rajasic in nature.
विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम् |
vidhihīnamasṛṣṭānnaṃ mantrahīnamadakṣiṇam |
Sacrifice performed without regard for scriptural injunctions, without distribution of food, without proper mantras, without gifts to the priests, and devoid of faith is declared to be tamasic.
देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम् |
devadvijaguruprājñapūjanaṃ śaucamārjavam |
Worship of the gods, the twice-born, teachers, and the wise; purity, straightforwardness, celibacy (or sexual restraint), and non-violence — these constitute austerity of the body.
अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत् |
anudvegakaraṃ vākyaṃ satyaṃ priyahitaṃ ca yat |
Speech that does not cause distress, that is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial, as well as the regular practice of scriptural study — this is declared to be austerity of speech. This verse provides a complete guide to conscious communication.
मनःप्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः |
manaḥprasādaḥ saumyatvaṃ maunamātmavinigrahaḥ |
Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-restraint, and purity of heart — this is declared to be austerity of the mind. Together with verses 14 and 15, this completes the threefold discipline of body, speech, and mind.
श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः |
śraddhayā parayā taptaṃ tapastattrividhaṃ naraiḥ |
When this threefold austerity (of body, speech, and mind) is practiced with supreme faith by balanced people who have no desire for reward, it is declared to be sattvic austerity.
सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत् |
satkāramānapūjārthaṃ tapo dambhena caiva yat |
Austerity performed for the sake of gaining respect, honor, and reverence from others, or done with hypocrisy, is rajasic — it is unstable and impermanent in its results.
मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः |
mūḍhagrāheṇātmano yatpīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ |
Austerity performed with foolish stubbornness, through self-torture, or for the purpose of destroying or harming another person — that is declared to be tamasic.
दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे |
dātavyamiti yaddānaṃ dīyate'nupakāriṇe |
Charity given with the sense that it is simply one's duty to give, to a person who will not return the favor, at the right place, right time, and to a worthy recipient — that charity is considered sattvic.
यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः |
yattu pratyupakārārthaṃ phalamudiśya vā punaḥ |
Charity given with the expectation of something in return, or with the desire for some reward, or given reluctantly and with a grudging heart — that charity is considered rajasic.
अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते |
adeśakāle yaddānamapātrebhyaśca dīyate |
Charity given at the wrong place and time, to unworthy recipients, without respect, and with contempt — that is declared to be tamasic.
ॐ तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः |
oṃ tatsaditi nirdeśo brahmaṇastrividhaḥ smṛtaḥ |
OM TAT SAT — this is declared to be the threefold designation of Brahman. By this, the Brahmanas (knowers of Brahman), the Vedas, and sacrifices were ordained in the beginning. This is one of the most sacred verses in the Gita.
तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाः |
tasmādomityudāhṛtya yajñadānatapaḥkriyāḥ |
Therefore, the acts of sacrifice, charity, and austerity prescribed by the scriptures are always begun by the knowers of Brahman with the utterance of OM.
तदित्यनभिसन्धाय फलं यज्ञतपःक्रियाः |
tadityanbhisandhāya phalaṃ yajñatapaḥkriyāḥ |
With the utterance of TAT ("That"), acts of sacrifice, austerity, and various forms of charity are performed by seekers of liberation without desire for personal reward. TAT points to the transcendent reality beyond the individual self.
सद्भावे साधुभावे च सदित्येतत्प्रयुज्यते |
sadbhāve sādhubhāve ca sadityetatprayujyate |
The word SAT is used in the sense of reality and goodness, O Partha. And the word SAT is also used for praiseworthy and auspicious action. SAT affirms that which is true, good, and real.
यज्ञे तपसि दाने च स्थितिः सदिति चोच्यते |
yajñe tapasi dāne ca sthitiḥ saditi cocyate |
Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity, and charity is also called SAT. And action performed for the sake of the Supreme is also called SAT. Consistency and sacred purpose make action real and true.
अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् |
aśraddhayā hutaṃ dattaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat |
Whatever is sacrificed, given, or practiced as austerity without faith is called ASAT (unreal), O Partha. It bears no fruit either in this world or the next. This concluding verse makes faith the indispensable ingredient of all spiritual action.