The seventeenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is Sraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga. In this chapter, Krishna describes the three types of faith corresponding to the three modes of the material nature. Lord Krishna further reveals that it is the nature of faith that determines the quality of life and the character of living entities. Those who have faith in passion and ignorance perform actions that yield temporary, material results while those who have faith in goodness perform actions in accordance with scriptural instructions and hence their hearts get further purified.

slok:’17.1′,

‘arjuna uvāca . ye śāstravidhimutsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ . teṣāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvamāho rajastamaḥ ||17-1||’,

‘17.1 Arjuna said Those who, setting aside the ordinances of the scriptures, perform sacrifice with faith, what is their condition, O Krishna? Is is Sattva, Rajas or Tamas?’,

slok:’17.2′,

‘śrībhagavānuvāca . trividhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṃ sā svabhāvajā . sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti tāṃ śṛṇu ||17-2||’,

‘17.2 The Blessed Lord said Threefold is the faith of the embodied, which is inherent in their nature the Sattvic (pure), the Rajasic (passionate) and the Tamasic (dark). Do thou hear of it.’,

slok:’17.3′,

‘sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata . śraddhāmayo.ayaṃ puruṣo yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ ||17-3||’,

‘17.3 The faith of each is in accordance with his nature, O Arjuna. The man consists of his faith; as a man’s faith is, so is he.’,

slok:’17.4′,

‘yajante sāttvikā devānyakṣarakṣāṃsi rājasāḥ . pretānbhūtagaṇāṃścānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ ||17-4||’,

‘17.4 The Sattvic or the pure men worship the gods; the Rajasic or the passionate worship the Yakshas and the Rakshasas; the others (the Tamasic or the deluded people) worship the ghosts and the hosts of the nature-spirits.’,

slok:’17.5′,

‘aśāstravihitaṃ ghoraṃ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ . dambhāhaṃkārasaṃyuktāḥ kāmarāgabalānvitāḥ ||17-5||’,

‘17.5 Those men who practise terrific austerities not enjoined by the scriptures, given to hypocrisy and egoism, impelled by the force of lust and attachment.’,

slok:’17.6′,

‘karṣayantaḥ śarīrasthaṃ bhūtagrāmamacetasaḥ . māṃ caivāntaḥśarīrasthaṃ tānviddhyāsuraniścayān ||17-6||’,

‘17.6 Senseless, torturing all the elements in the body and Me also, Who dwell in the body, know thou these to be of demonical resolves.’,

slok:’17.7′,

‘āhārastvapi sarvasya trividho bhavati priyaḥ . yajñastapastathā dānaṃ teṣāṃ bhedamimaṃ śṛṇu ||17-7||’,

‘17.7 The food also which is dear to each is threefold, as also sacrifice, austerity and almsgiving. Hear thou the distinction of these.’,

slok:’17.8′,

‘āyuḥsattvabalārogyasukhaprītivivardhanāḥ . rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā āhārāḥ sāttvikapriyāḥ ||17-8||’,

‘17.8 The foods which increase life, purity, strength, health, joy and cheerfulness (good appetite), which are savoury and oleaginous, substantial and agreeable, are dear to the Sattvic (pure) people.’,

slok:’17.9′,

‘kaṭvamlalavaṇātyuṣṇatīkṣṇarūkṣavidāhinaḥ . āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā duḥkhaśokāmayapradāḥ ||17-9||’,

‘17.9 The foods that are bitter, sour, saline, excessively hot, pungent, dry and burning, are liked by the Rajasic and are productive of pain, grief and disease.’,

slok:’17.10′,

‘yātayāmaṃ gatarasaṃ pūti paryuṣitaṃ ca yat . ucchiṣṭamapi cāmedhyaṃ bhojanaṃ tāmasapriyam ||17-10||’,

‘17.10 That which is state, tasteless, putrid, rotten, refuse and impure, is the food liked by the Tamasic.’,

slok:’17.11′,

‘aphalāṅkṣibhiryajño vidhidṛṣṭo ya ijyate . yaṣṭavyameveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ ||17-11||’,

‘17.11 That sacrifice which is offered by men without desire for reward as enjoined by the ordinance (scripture), with a firm faith that to do so is a duty, is Sattvic or pure.’,

slok:’17.12′,

‘abhisandhāya tu phalaṃ dambhārthamapi caiva yat . ijyate bharataśreṣṭha taṃ yajñaṃ viddhi rājasam ||17-12||’,

‘17.12 The sacrifice which is offered, O Arjuna, seeking a reward and for ostentation, know thou that to be a Rajasic Yajna.’,

slok:’17.13′,

‘vidhihīnamasṛṣṭānnaṃ mantrahīnamadakṣiṇam . śraddhāvirahitaṃ yajñaṃ tāmasaṃ paricakṣate ||17-13||’,

‘17.13 They declare that sacrifice to be Tamasic which is contrary to the ordinances of the scriptures, in which no food is distributed, which is devoid of Mantras, gifts and faith.’,

slok:’17.14′,

‘devadvijaguruprājñapūjanaṃ śaucamārjavam . brahmacaryamahiṃsā ca śārīraṃ tapa ucyate ||17-14||’,

‘17.14 Worship of the gods, the twice-born, the teachers and the wise, purity, straightforwardness, celibacy and non-injury are called the austerities of the body.’,

slok:’17.15′,

‘anudvegakaraṃ vākyaṃ satyaṃ priyahitaṃ ca yat . svādhyāyābhyasanaṃ caiva vāṅmayaṃ tapa ucyate ||17-15||’,

‘17.15 Speech which causes no excitement, truthful, pleasant and beneficial, the practice of the study of the Vedas, are called austerity of speech.’,

slok:’17.16′,

‘manaḥ prasādaḥ saumyatvaṃ maunamātmavinigrahaḥ . bhāvasaṃśuddhirityetattapo mānasamucyate ||17-16||’,

‘17.16 Serenity of mind, good-heartedness, self-control, purity of nature this is called mental austerity.’,

slok:’17.17′,

‘śraddhayā parayā taptaṃ tapastattrividhaṃ naraiḥ . aphalākāṅkṣibhiryuktaiḥ sāttvikaṃ paricakṣate ||17-17||’,

‘17.17 This threefold austerity, practised by steadfast men, with the utmost faith, desiring no reward, they call Sattvic.’,

slok:’17.18′,

‘satkāramānapūjārthaṃ tapo dambhena caiva yat . kriyate tadiha proktaṃ rājasaṃ calamadhruvam ||17-18||’,

‘17.18 The austerity which is practised with the object of gaining good reception, honour and worship, and with hypocrisy, is here said to be Rajasic, unstable and transitory.’,

slok:’17.19′,

‘mūḍhagrāheṇātmano yatpīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ . parasyotsādanārthaṃ vā tattāmasamudāhṛtam ||17-19||’,

‘17.19 That austerity which is practised out of a foolish notion, with self-torture, or for the purpose of destroying another, is declared to be Tamasic.’,

slok:’17.20′,

‘dātavyamiti yaddānaṃ dīyate.anupakāriṇe . deśe kāle ca pātre ca taddānaṃ sāttvikaṃ smṛtam ||17-20||’,

‘17.20 That gift which is given to one who does nothing in return, knowing it to be a duty to give in a fit place and time to a worthy person, that gift is held to be Sattvic.’,

slok:’17.21′,

‘yattu pratyupakārārthaṃ phalamuddiśya vā punaḥ . dīyate ca parikliṣṭaṃ taddānaṃ rājasaṃ smṛtam ||17-21||’,

‘17.21 And, that gift which is given with a view to receive something in return, or looking for a reward, or reluctantly, is held to be Rajasic.’,

slok:’17.22′,

‘adeśakāle yaddānamapātrebhyaśca dīyate . asatkṛtamavajñātaṃ tattāmasamudāhṛtam ||17-22||’,

‘17.22 The gift that is given at a wrong place and time, to unworthy persons, without respect or with insult is declared to be Tamasic.’,

slok:’17.23′,

‘OMtatsaditi nirdeśo brahmaṇastrividhaḥ smṛtaḥ . brāhmaṇāstena vedāśca yajñāśca vihitāḥ purā ||17-23||’,

‘17.23 “Om Tat Sat”: This has been declared to be the triple designation of Brahman. By that were created formerly, the Brahmanas, the Vedas and the sacrifices.’,

slok:’17.24′,

‘tasmādomityudāhṛtya yajñadānatapaḥkriyāḥ . pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satataṃ brahmavādinām ||17-24||’,

‘17.24 Therefore, with the utterance of “Om” are the acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity as enjoined in the scriptures, always begun by the students of Brahman.’,

slok:’17.25′,

‘tadityanabhisandhāya phalaṃ yajñatapaḥkriyāḥ . dānakriyāśca vividhāḥ kriyante mokṣakāṅkṣibhiḥ ||17-25||’,

‘17.25 Uttering ï1Tatï1, without aiming at the fruits, are the acts of sacrifice and austerity and the various acts of gifts performed by the seekers of liberation.’,

slok:’17.26′,

‘sadbhāve sādhubhāve ca sadityetatprayujyate . praśaste karmaṇi tathā sacchabdaḥ pārtha yujyate ||17-26||’,

‘17.26 The word ï1Satï1 is used in the sense of reality and of goodness; and so also, O Arjuna, the word ï1Satï1 is used in the sense of an auspicious act.’,

slok:’17.27′,

‘yajñe tapasi dāne ca sthitiḥ saditi cocyate . karma caiva tadarthīyaṃ sadityevābhidhīyate ||17-27||’,

‘17.27 Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity and gift, is also called ‘Sat’ and also action in connection with these (or for the sake of the Supreme) is called ‘Sat’.’,

slok:’17.28′,

‘aśraddhayā hutaṃ dattaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat . asadityucyate pārtha na ca tatprepya no iha ||17-28||’,

‘17.28 Whatever is sacrificed, given or performed, and whatever austerity is practised without faith, it is called ‘Asat’, O Arjuna; it is naught here or hereafter (after death).’,

slok:’17.29′,

‘OM tatsaditi śrīmadbhagavadgītāsūpaniṣatsu brahmavidyāyāṃ yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjunasaṃvāde śraddhātrayavibhāgayogo nāma saptadaśo.adhyāyaḥ ||17-29||’,

‘Swami Sivananda did not comment on this sloka’,