śraddhātrayavibhāgayoga
atha saptadaśo'dhyāyaḥ
śloka 1
arjuna uvāca |
ye śāstravidhimutsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ |
teṣāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvamāho rajastamaḥ ||17-1||
Translation
Arjuna said: O Krishna! What is the state (faith) of those who perform sacrifice (worship) with faith alone, abandoning scriptural injunctions? Is it Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic?
śloka 2
śrībhagavānuvāca |
trividhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṃ sā svabhāvajā |
sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti tāṃ śṛṇu ||17-2||
Translation
Sri Bhagavan said: The natural (uninformed by knowledge) faith of embodied beings (humans) is of three kinds—Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic. Hear it from Me.
śloka 3
sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata |
śraddhāmayo'yaṃ puruṣo yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ ||17-3||
Translation
O Bharata! The faith of all human beings is in accordance with their nature (Sattva, disposition, impressions). This person is made of faith; therefore whatever faith a person has, he himself is that—as is one's faith, so is one's nature.
śloka 4
yajante sāttvikā devānyakṣarakṣāṃsi rājasāḥ |
pretānbhūtagaṇāṃścānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ ||17-4||
Translation
Sattvic persons worship the deities; Rajasic people worship Yakshas and Rakshasas; and other Tamasic people worship spirits and ghosts.
śloka 5 and 6
aśāstravihitaṃ ghoraṃ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ |
dambhāhaṃkārasaṃyuktāḥ kāmarāgabalānvitāḥ ||17-5||
karṣayantaḥ śarīrasthaṃ bhūtagrāmamacetasaḥ |
māṃ caivāntaḥśarīrasthaṃ tānviddhyāsuraniścayān ||17-6||
Translation
Those who perform severe austerity without scriptural injunctions and are also endowed with hypocrisy, ego, desire and attachment. And those undiscerning people who torment the beings dwelling in the body and Me the inner ruler—know them to be of demonic resolve.
śloka 7
āhārastvapi sarvasya trividho bhavati priyaḥ |
yajñastapastathā dānaṃ teṣāṃ bhedamimaṃ śṛṇu ||17-7||
Translation
The food dear to each (according to their own nature) is also of three kinds; likewise sacrifice, austerity and charity are of three kinds. Hear their distinctions from Me.
śloka 8
āyuḥsattvabalārogyasukhaprītivivardhanāḥ |
rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā āhārāḥ sāttvikapriyāḥ ||17-8||
Translation
Foods that promote longevity, purity (Sattva), strength, health, happiness and delight—and that are savoury, smooth (oily like ghee), substantial and pleasing to the mind—are dear to Sattvic persons.
śloka 9
kaṭvamlalavaṇātyuṣṇatīkṣṇarūkṣavidāhinaḥ |
āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā duḥkhaśokāmayapradāḥ ||17-9||
Translation
Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, excessively hot, pungent (spicy, with chillies), dry, burning, and that produce sorrow, grief and disease—are dear to Rajasic persons.
śloka 10
yātayāmaṃ gatarasaṃ pūti paryuṣitaṃ ca yat |
ucchiṣṭamapi cāmedhyaṃ bhojanaṃ tāmasapriyam ||17-10||
Translation
Food that is half-cooked, tasteless, foul-smelling, stale, leftover and impure (unclean) is dear to Tamasic people.
śloka 11
aphalāṅkṣibhiryajño vidhidṛṣṭo ya ijyate |
yaṣṭavyameveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ ||17-11||
Translation
That sacrifice which is performed according to scriptural injunctions and by those who, with the mind resolved that 'this is my duty,' do not desire the fruit—that sacrifice is Sattvic.
śloka 12
abhisandhāya tu phalaṃ dambhārthamapi caiva yat |
ijyate bharataśreṣṭha taṃ yajñaṃ viddhi rājasam ||17-12||
Translation
O best of Bharata, Arjuna! That sacrifice which is performed for the sake of show and with desire for fruit—know that sacrifice to be Rajasic.
śloka 13
vidhihīnamasṛṣṭānnaṃ mantrahīnamadakṣiṇam |
śraddhāvirahitaṃ yajñaṃ tāmasaṃ paricakṣate ||17-13||
Translation
That sacrifice which is performed without scriptural injunctions, without offering of food, without mantras, without dakshina and without faith—is called Tamasic sacrifice.
śloka 14
devadvijaguruprājñapūjanaṃ śaucamārjavam |
brahmacaryamahiṃsā ca śārīraṃ tapa ucyate ||17-14||
Translation
Worship of deities, twice-born (Brahmins), Guru and the wise; purity, straightforwardness, celibacy and non-violence—this is called austerity of the body.
śloka 15
anudvegakaraṃ vākyaṃ satyaṃ priyahitaṃ ca yat |
svādhyāyābhyasanaṃ caiva vāṅmayaṃ tapa ucyate ||17-15||
Translation
Speech that does not cause agitation, that is pleasing, beneficial and true, and the study of the Vedas—this is called austerity of speech.
śloka 16
manaḥ prasādaḥ saumyatvaṃ maunamātmavinigrahaḥ |
bhāvasaṃśuddhirityetattapo mānasamucyate ||17-16||
Translation
Cheerfulness of mind, gentleness, silence, self-restraint and purity of the inner being—all this is called austerity of the mind.
śloka 17
śraddhayā parayā taptaṃ tapastattrividhaṃ naraiḥ |
aphalākāṅkṣibhiryuktaiḥ sāttvikaṃ paricakṣate ||17-17||
Translation
That aforementioned threefold austerity performed with supreme faith by persons who are disciplined and do not desire the fruit—is called Sattvic.
śloka 18
satkāramānapūjārthaṃ tapo dambhena caiva yat |
kriyate tadiha proktaṃ rājasaṃ calamadhruvam ||17-18||
Translation
That austerity which is performed for the sake of honour, respect and worship, or merely out of hypocrisy—that uncertain and fleeting austerity is here said to be Rajasic.
śloka 19
mūḍhagrāheṇātmano yatpīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ |
parasyotsādanārthaṃ vā tattāmasamudāhṛtam ||17-19||
Translation
That austerity which is performed foolishly by tormenting oneself or for the destruction of others—that austerity is said to be Tamasic.
śloka 20
dātavyamiti yaddānaṃ dīyate'nupakāriṇe |
deśe kāle ca pātre ca taddānaṃ sāttvikaṃ smṛtam ||17-20||
Translation
That charity which is given with the feeling "to give is duty itself," considering the appropriate place and time, to a worthy recipient from whom no return is expected—that charity is considered Sattvic.
śloka 21
yattu pratyupakārārthaṃ phalamuddiśya vā punaḥ |
dīyate ca parikliṣṭaṃ taddānaṃ rājasaṃ smṛtam ||17-21||
Translation
And that charity which is given with reluctance, or with the desire for return, or with desire for fruit—that charity is considered Rajasic.
śloka 22
adeśakāle yaddānamapātrebhyaśca dīyate |
asatkṛtamavajñātaṃ tattāmasamudāhṛtam ||17-22||
Translation
That charity which is given without respect, or with contempt, at an improper place and time, to unworthy recipients—that charity is considered Tamasic.
śloka 23
oṃtatsaditi nirdeśo brahmaṇastrividhaḥ smṛtaḥ |
brāhmaṇāstena vedāśca yajñāśca vihitāḥ purā ||17-23||
Translation
'Om, Tat, Sat'—thus is this threefold designation (name) of Brahman spoken; from that alone did Brahman, the Vedas and sacrifice originate in the beginning.
śloka 24
tasmādomityudāhṛtya yajñadānatapaḥkriyāḥ |
pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satataṃ brahmavādinām ||17-24||
Translation
Therefore, the actions of sacrifice, charity and austerity as prescribed by scripture for those who know Brahman always begin with the utterance of Om.
śloka 25
tadityanabhisandhāya phalaṃ yajñatapaḥkriyāḥ |
dānakriyāśca vividhāḥ kriyante mokṣakāṅkṣibhiḥ ||17-25||
Translation
Uttering the word 'Tat,' without desiring the fruit, those who seek liberation perform various actions such as sacrifice, austerity and charity.
śloka 26
sadbhāve sādhubhāve ca sadityetatprayujyate |
praśaste karmaṇi tathā sacchabdaḥ pārtha yujyate ||17-26||
Translation
O Partha! The word 'Sat' is used when referring to truth and goodness, and the word 'Sat' is employed for praiseworthy (excellent, auspicious) action.
śloka 27
yajñe tapasi dāne ca sthitiḥ saditi cocyate |
karma caiva tadarthīyaṃ sadityevābhidhīyate ||17-27||
Translation
Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity and charity is also called Sat, and action performed for His (the Paramatman's) sake is also called Sat.
śloka 28
aśraddhayā hutaṃ dattaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat |
asadityucyate pārtha na ca tatpretya no iha ||17-28||
Translation
O Partha! Whatever sacrifice, charity, austerity or action is performed without faith is called 'Asat'; it is beneficial neither in this world nor after death.
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