Chapter
17 - The Yoga of the Division of the
Threefold Faith
Arjun
said:
Those
who, endowed with faith, worship gods and
others casting aside the injunctions of
the scriptures, where do they stand, Krsn
- in Sattva, Rajas or Tamas? (17.01)
The
Blessed Sri Krsn said:
That
untutored innate faith of men is of three
kinds - Sattvika, Rajasika,Tamasika. Hear
of it from Me. (17.02)
O
Arjun, the faith of all men conforms to
their mental constitution. This man
consists of faith; whatever the nature of
his faith, he is verily that. (17.03)
Men
of a Saattvika disposition worship gods;
those of a Rajasika temprament worship
demigods and demons; while others, who are
men of Tamasika disposition, worship the
spirits of the dead and groups of ghosts.
(17.04)
Men
who practice dire penance of an arbitrary
type not sanctioned by the scriptures, and
who are full of hypocrisy and egotism and
are obsessed with desire, attachment and
pride of power. (17.05)
And
who emaciate the elements constituting
their bodies as well as Me, the Supreme
Spirit, dwelling in their heart, - knowing
these senseless people to have a demoniac
disposition. (17.06)
Food
also, which is agreeable to different men
according to their innate disposition is
of three kinds. And likewise sacrifice,
penance and charity too are three kinds
each; hear their distinction as follows:
(17.07)
Foods
which promote longevity, intelligence,
vigor, health, happiness and cheerfulness
and which are sweet, bland and substantial
and naturally agreeable, are dear to the
Sattvika type of men. (17.08)
Foods
which are bitter, acid, salty, over-hot,
pungent, dry and burning, and which cause
suffering, grief and sickness are dear to
the Rajasika type of men. (17.09)
Foods
which is half-cooked or half-ripe,
insipid, putrid, stale and polluted, and
which is impure too, is dear to men of
Tamasika disposition. (17.10)
The
sacrifice which is offered, as ordained by
scriptural injunctions, by men who expect
no return and who believe that such
sacrifice must be performed, is Sattavika
in character. (17.11)
That
sacrifice, however, which is offered for
the sake of mere show or even with an eye
to its fruit, know it is to be Rajasika.
(17.12)
A
sacrifice which has no respect for
scriptural injunctions, in which no food
is offered, and no sacrificial fees are
paid, which is without sacred chant and
devoid of faith, is said to be Tamasika.
(17.13)
Worship
of gods, the Brahman, one's elders and
wise men, purity and straightforwardness,
continence and harmlessness - this is
called bodily penance. (17.14)
Words
which cause no annoyance to others and are
truthful, agreeable and wholesome, as well
as the study of Vedas and other scriptures
and the practice of repetition of the
Divine Name - this is know as the
austerity of speech. (17.15)
Cheerfulness
of mind, placidity, habit and
contemplation on God, control of the mind
and perfect purity and inner feelings -
all this is called austerity of the mind.
(17.16)
This
threefold austerity (of thought, word, and
deed) practiced by yogis with supreme
faith, without a desire for the fruit, is
said to be Saattvika austerity. (17.17)
The
penance which is performed for the sake of
renown, honor and worship as well as for
any other selfish gain either in all
sincerity or by way of ostentation, and
yields an uncertain and momentary fruit,
has been spoken of here as Rajasika.
(17.18)
Austerity,
which is practiced through perversity and
is accompanied with self-mortification or
is intended to harm others, such austerity
has been declared as Tamasika. (17.19)
A
gift (charity) which is bestowed with a
sense of duty on one who is no benefactor
when a fit place, suitable time and a
deserving person are available, that gift
has been pronounced as Sattvika. (17.20)
A
gift which is bestowed in a grudging
spirit and with the object of getting a
service in return or in the hope of
obtaining a reward, is called Rajasika.
(17.21)
A
gift which is made without good grace and
in a disdainful spirit out of time and
place and to undeserving persons, is said
to be Tamasika. (17.22)
"OM
TAT SAT" this has been declared as
the threefold appellation of the Absolute,
who is Truth, Consciousness and Bliss
solidified. By that were the Brahmans and
the Vedas as well as sacrifices created a
the cosmic dawn. (17.23)
Therefore,
acts of sacrifice, charity, and austerity
as enjoyed by sacred precepts are always
commenced by noble souls given to the
recitation of Vedic chants with utterance
of the Divine name OM. (17.24)
With
the idea that all this belongs to God, who
is denoted by the appellation TAT acts of
sacrifice and austerity as well as acts of
charity of various kinds are performed by
the seekers of blessedness expecting no
return for them. (17.25)
The
name of God, SAT, is employed in the sense
of truth and goodness. And the word SAT is
also used I the sense of a praiseworthy
act, Arjun. (17.26)
The
steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity and
charity is likewise spoken of as
"SAT" and action for the sake of
God is verily termed as "SAT."
(17.27)
An
oblation which is offered, a gift given,
an austerity practiced, and whatever good
deed is performed, without faith, it is
all termed as naught; therefore, it is of
no avail here or hereafter. (17.28)
Thus
with the utterance of Om, Tat, Sat, the
names of the Lord, in the Upanisad of the
Bhagawad Gita, the knowledge of Brahman,
the Supreme, the science of yoga and the
dialogue between Sri Krsn and Arjun, this
is the seventeenth discourse designated:
The Yoga of Division of the Threefold
Faith"
Swami Veet Chintan T'Zorba-Krsna
Jyotish
Shastracharya
& Vedic Astrologer of India
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