Chapter 17 · Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga

ಅರ್ಜುನ ಉವಾಚ ಯೇ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವಿಧಿಮುತ್ಸೃಜ್ಯ ಯಜನ್ತೇ ಶ್ರದ್ಧಯಾಽನ್ವಿತಾಃ। ತೇಷಾಂ ನಿಷ್ಠಾ ತು ಕಾ ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಸತ್ತ್ವಮಾಹೋ ರಜಸ್ತಮಃ

arjuna uvācha ye śhāstra-vidhim utsṛijya yajante śhraddhayānvitāḥ teṣhāṁ niṣhṭhā tu kā kṛiṣhṇa sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ

📖 Meaning

Arjuna said, "What is the condition of those who, disregarding the injunctions of the scriptures, perform sacrifice with faith—is it Sattva, Rajas, or Tamas, O Krishna?"

ಶ್ರೀ ಭಗವಾನುವಾಚತ್ರಿವಿಧಾ ಭವತಿ ಶ್ರದ್ಧಾ ದೇಹಿನಾಂ ಸಾ ಸ್ವಭಾವಜಾ। ಸಾತ್ತ್ವಿಕೀ ರಾಜಸೀ ಚೈವ ತಾಮಸೀ ಚೇತಿ ತಾಂ ಶ್ರೃಣು

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha tri-vidhā bhavati śhraddhā dehināṁ sā svabhāva-jā sāttvikī rājasī chaiva tāmasī cheti tāṁ śhṛiṇu

📖 Meaning

The Blessed Lord said, "There are threefold faiths inherent in the nature of the embodied: the sattvic (pure), the rajasic (passionate), and the tamasic (dark). Hear of them."

ಸತ್ತ್ವಾನುರೂಪಾ ಸರ್ವಸ್ಯ ಶ್ರದ್ಧಾ ಭವತಿ ಭಾರತ। ಶ್ರದ್ಧಾಮಯೋಽಯಂ ಪುರುಷೋ ಯೋ ಯಚ್ಛ್ರದ್ಧಃ ಸ ಏವ ಸಃ

sattvānurūpā sarvasya śhraddhā bhavati bhārata śhraddhā-mayo ‘yaṁ puruṣho yo yach-chhraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ

📖 Meaning

The faith of each is in accordance with their nature, O Arjuna. People consist of their faith; as a person's faith is, so are they.

ಯಜನ್ತೇ ಸಾತ್ತ್ವಿಕಾ ದೇವಾನ್ಯಕ್ಷರಕ್ಷಾಂಸಿ ರಾಜಸಾಃ। ಪ್ರೇತಾನ್ಭೂತಗಣಾಂಶ್ಚಾನ್ಯೇ ಯಜನ್ತೇ ತಾಮಸಾ ಜನಾಃ

yajante sāttvikā devān yakṣha-rakṣhānsi rājasāḥ pretān bhūta-gaṇānśh chānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ

📖 Meaning

The sattvic, or pure, men worship the gods; the rajasic, or passionate, worship the yakshas and rakshasas; the others, the tamasic or deluded people, worship ghosts and hosts of nature-spirits.

ಅಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವಿಹಿತಂ ಘೋರಂ ತಪ್ಯನ್ತೇ ಯೇ ತಪೋ ಜನಾಃ। ದಮ್ಭಾಹಙ್ಕಾರಸಂಯುಕ್ತಾಃ ಕಾಮರಾಗಬಲಾನ್ವಿತಾಃ

aśhāstra-vihitaṁ ghoraṁ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ dambhāhankāra-sanyuktāḥ kāma-rāga-balānvitāḥ

📖 Meaning

Those men who practice terrific austerities not prescribed by the scriptures, given to hypocrisy and egoism, driven by the force of lust and attachment.

ಕರ್ಷಯನ್ತಃ ಶರೀರಸ್ಥಂ ಭೂತಗ್ರಾಮಮಚೇತಸಃ। ಮಾಂ ಚೈವಾನ್ತಃಶರೀರಸ್ಥಂ ತಾನ್ವಿದ್ಧ್ಯಾಸುರನಿಶ್ಚಯಾನ್

karṣhayantaḥ śharīra-sthaṁ bhūta-grāmam achetasaḥ māṁ chaivāntaḥ śharīra-sthaṁ tān viddhy āsura-niśhchayān

📖 Meaning

Know thou these to be of demonical resolves, senselessly torturing all the elements in the body and Me who dwell in the body.

ಆಹಾರಸ್ತ್ವಪಿ ಸರ್ವಸ್ಯ ತ್ರಿವಿಧೋ ಭವತಿ ಪ್ರಿಯಃ। ಯಜ್ಞಸ್ತಪಸ್ತಥಾ ದಾನಂ ತೇಷಾಂ ಭೇದಮಿಮಂ ಶ್ರೃಣು

āhāras tv api sarvasya tri-vidho bhavati priyaḥ yajñas tapas tathā dānaṁ teṣhāṁ bhedam imaṁ śhṛiṇu

📖 Meaning

The food that is dear to each is threefold, as well as sacrifice, austerity, and almsgiving. Hear the distinction of these.

ಆಯುಃಸತ್ತ್ವಬಲಾರೋಗ್ಯಸುಖಪ್ರೀತಿವಿವರ್ಧನಾಃ। ರಸ್ಯಾಃ ಸ್ನಿಗ್ಧಾಃ ಸ್ಥಿರಾ ಹೃದ್ಯಾ ಆಹಾರಾಃ ಸಾತ್ತ್ವಿಕಪ್ರಿಯಾಃ

āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛidyā āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ

📖 Meaning

The foods that increase life, purity, strength, health, joy, and cheerfulness (good appetite), which are savory, oily, substantial, and agreeable, are dear to the Sattvic (pure) people.

ಕಟ್ವಮ್ಲಲವಣಾತ್ಯುಷ್ಣತೀಕ್ಷ್ಣರೂಕ್ಷವಿದಾಹಿನಃ। ಆಹಾರಾ ರಾಜಸಸ್ಯೇಷ್ಟಾ ದುಃಖಶೋಕಾಮಯಪ್ರದಾಃ

kaṭv-amla-lavaṇāty-uṣhṇa- tīkṣhṇa-rūkṣha-vidāhinaḥ āhārā rājasasyeṣhṭā duḥkha-śhokāmaya-pradāḥ

📖 Meaning

The foods that are bitter, sour, salty, overly hot, pungent, dry, and burning are liked by the Rajasic and are productive of pain, grief, and disease.

ಯಾತಯಾಮಂ ಗತರಸಂ ಪೂತಿ ಪರ್ಯುಷಿತಂ ಚ ಯತ್। ಉಚ್ಛಿಷ್ಟಮಪಿ ಚಾಮೇಧ್ಯಂ ಭೋಜನಂ ತಾಮಸಪ್ರಿಯಮ್

yāta-yāmaṁ gata-rasaṁ pūti paryuṣhitaṁ cha yat uchchhiṣhṭam api chāmedhyaṁ bhojanaṁ tāmasa-priyam

📖 Meaning

That which is stale, tasteless, putrid, rotten, rejected, and impure is the food liked by the Tamasic.

ಅಫಲಾಕಾಙ್ಕ್ಷಿಭಿರ್ಯಜ್ಞೋ ವಿಧಿದೃಷ್ಟೋ ಯ ಇಜ್ಯತೇ। ಯಷ್ಟವ್ಯಮೇವೇತಿ ಮನಃ ಸಮಾಧಾಯ ಸ ಸಾತ್ತ್ವಿಕಃ

aphalākāṅkṣhibhir yajño vidhi-driṣhṭo ya ijyate yaṣhṭavyam eveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ

📖 Meaning

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

ಅಭಿಸಂಧಾಯ ತು ಫಲಂ ದಮ್ಭಾರ್ಥಮಪಿ ಚೈವ ಯತ್। ಇಜ್ಯತೇ ಭರತಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ತಂ ಯಜ್ಞಂ ವಿದ್ಧಿ ರಾಜಸಮ್

abhisandhāya tu phalaṁ dambhārtham api chaiva yat ijyate bharata-śhreṣhṭha taṁ yajñaṁ viddhi rājasam

📖 Meaning

The sacrifice that is offered, O Arjuna, seeking a reward and for show, know that to be a Rajasic Yajna.

ವಿಧಿಹೀನಮಸೃಷ್ಟಾನ್ನಂ ಮನ್ತ್ರಹೀನಮದಕ್ಷಿಣಮ್। ಶ್ರದ್ಧಾವಿರಹಿತಂ ಯಜ್ಞಂ ತಾಮಸಂ ಪರಿಚಕ್ಷತೇ

vidhi-hīnam asṛiṣhṭānnaṁ mantra-hīnam adakṣhiṇam śhraddhā-virahitaṁ yajñaṁ tāmasaṁ parichakṣhate

📖 Meaning

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

ದೇವದ್ವಿಜಗುರುಪ್ರಾಜ್ಞಪೂಜನಂ ಶೌಚಮಾರ್ಜವಮ್। ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಚರ್ಯಮಹಿಂಸಾ ಚ ಶಾರೀರಂ ತಪ ಉಚ್ಯತೇ

deva-dwija-guru-prājña- pūjanaṁ śhaucham ārjavam brahmacharyam ahinsā cha śhārīraṁ tapa uchyate

📖 Meaning

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

ಅನುದ್ವೇಗಕರಂ ವಾಕ್ಯಂ ಸತ್ಯಂ ಪ್ರಿಯಹಿತಂ ಚ ಯತ್। ಸ್ವಾಧ್ಯಾಯಾಭ್ಯಸನಂ ಚೈವ ವಾಙ್ಮಯಂ ತಪ ಉಚ್ಯತೇ

anudvega-karaṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priya-hitaṁ cha yat svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ chaiva vāṅ-mayaṁ tapa uchyate

📖 Meaning

Speech that causes no excitement, is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial; the practice of studying the Vedas is called austerity of speech.

ಮನಃಪ್ರಸಾದಃ ಸೌಮ್ಯತ್ವಂ ಮೌನಮಾತ್ಮವಿನಿಗ್ರಹಃ। ಭಾವಸಂಶುದ್ಧಿರಿತ್ಯೇತತ್ತಪೋ ಮಾನಸಮುಚ್ಯತೇ

manaḥ-prasādaḥ saumyatvaṁ maunam ātma-vinigrahaḥ bhāva-sanśhuddhir ity etat tapo mānasam uchyate

📖 Meaning

Serenity of mind, good-heartedness, self-control, and purity of nature—this is called mental austerity.

ಶ್ರದ್ಧಯಾ ಪರಯಾ ತಪ್ತಂ ತಪಸ್ತತ್ಿತ್ರವಿಧಂ ನರೈಃ। ಅಫಲಾಕಾಙ್ಕ್ಷಿಭಿರ್ಯುಕ್ತೈಃ ಸಾತ್ತ್ವಿಕಂ ಪರಿಚಕ್ಷತೇ

śhraddhayā parayā taptaṁ tapas tat tri-vidhaṁ naraiḥ aphalākāṅkṣhibhir yuktaiḥ sāttvikaṁ parichakṣhate

📖 Meaning

This threefold austerity, practiced by steadfast men, with the utmost faith, desiring no reward, is called Sattvic.

ಸತ್ಕಾರಮಾನಪೂಜಾರ್ಥಂ ತಪೋ ದಮ್ಭೇನ ಚೈವ ಯತ್। ಕ್ರಿಯತೇ ತದಿಹ ಪ್ರೋಕ್ತಂ ರಾಜಸಂ ಚಲಮಧ್ರುವಮ್

satkāra-māna-pūjārthaṁ tapo dambhena chaiva yat kriyate tad iha proktaṁ rājasaṁ chalam adhruvam

📖 Meaning

The austerity that is practiced with the aim of gaining good reception, honor, and worship, and with hypocrisy, is said to be Rajasic, unstable, and transient.

ಮೂಢಗ್ರಾಹೇಣಾತ್ಮನೋ ಯತ್ಪೀಡಯಾ ಕ್ರಿಯತೇ ತಪಃ। ಪರಸ್ಯೋತ್ಸಾದನಾರ್ಥಂ ವಾ ತತ್ತಾಮಸಮುದಾಹೃತಮ್

mūḍha-grāheṇātmano yat pīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ parasyotsādanārthaṁ vā tat tāmasam udāhṛitam

📖 Meaning

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

ದಾತವ್ಯಮಿತಿ ಯದ್ದಾನಂ ದೀಯತೇಽನುಪಕಾರಿಣೇ। ದೇಶೇ ಕಾಲೇ ಚ ಪಾತ್ರೇ ಚ ತದ್ದಾನಂ ಸಾತ್ತ್ವಿಕಂ ಸ್ಮೃತಮ್

dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ dīyate ‘nupakāriṇe deśhe kāle cha pātre cha tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛitam

📖 Meaning

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

ಯತ್ತು ಪ್ರತ್ಯುಪಕಾರಾರ್ಥಂ ಫಲಮುದ್ದಿಶ್ಯ ವಾ ಪುನಃ। ದೀಯತೇ ಚ ಪರಿಕ್ಲಿಷ್ಟಂ ತದ್ದಾನಂ ರಾಜಸಂ ಸ್ಮೃತಮ್

yat tu pratyupakārārthaṁ phalam uddiśhya vā punaḥ dīyate cha parikliṣhṭaṁ tad dānaṁ rājasaṁ smṛitam

📖 Meaning

And, that gift which is given with the intention of receiving something in return, or expecting a reward, or begrudgingly, is considered to be Rajasic.

ಅದೇಶಕಾಲೇ ಯದ್ದಾನಮಪಾತ್ರೇಭ್ಯಶ್ಚ ದೀಯತೇ। ಅಸತ್ಕೃತಮವಜ್ಞಾತಂ ತತ್ತಾಮಸಮುದಾಹೃತಮ್

adeśha-kāle yad dānam apātrebhyaśh cha dīyate asat-kṛitam avajñātaṁ tat tāmasam udāhṛitam

📖 Meaning

The gift that is given in the wrong place and at the wrong time, to unworthy persons, without respect or with insult, is declared to be of a Tamasic nature.

ತತ್ಸದಿತಿ ನಿರ್ದೇಶೋ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಣಸ್ತ್ರಿವಿಧಃ ಸ್ಮೃತಃ। ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣಾಸ್ತೇನ ವೇದಾಶ್ಚ ಯಜ್ಞಾಶ್ಚ ವಿಹಿತಾಃ ಪುರಾ

oṁ tat sad iti nirdeśho brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ smṛitaḥ brāhmaṇās tena vedāśh cha yajñāśh cha vihitāḥ purā

📖 Meaning

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

ತಸ್ಮಾದೋಮಿತ್ಯುದಾಹೃತ್ಯ ಯಜ್ಞದಾನತಪಃಕ್ರಿಯಾಃ। ಪ್ರವರ್ತನ್ತೇ ವಿಧಾನೋಕ್ತಾಃ ಸತತಂ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮವಾದಿನಾಮ್

tasmād oṁ ity udāhṛitya yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satataṁ brahma-vādinām

📖 Meaning

Therefore, with the utterance of "Om," the acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity, as enjoined in the scriptures, are always begun by the students of Brahman.

ತದಿತ್ಯನಭಿಸನ್ಧಾಯ ಫಲಂ ಯಜ್ಞತಪಃಕ್ರಿಯಾಃ। ದಾನಕ್ರಿಯಾಶ್ಚ ವಿವಿಧಾಃ ಕ್ರಿಯನ್ತೇ ಮೋಕ್ಷಕಾಙ್ಕ್ಷಿ

tad ity anabhisandhāya phalaṁ yajña-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ dāna-kriyāśh cha vividhāḥ kriyante mokṣha-kāṅkṣhibhiḥ

📖 Meaning

Uttering "Tat," without aiming for the fruits, are the acts of sacrifice, austerity, and the various acts of gifts performed by those seeking liberation.

ಸದ್ಭಾವೇ ಸಾಧುಭಾವೇ ಚ ಸದಿತ್ಯೇತತ್ಪ್ರಯುಜ್ಯತೇ। ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತೇ ಕರ್ಮಣಿ ತಥಾ ಸಚ್ಛಬ್ದಃ ಪಾರ್ಥ ಯುಜ್ಯತೇ

sad-bhāve sādhu-bhāve cha sad ity etat prayujyate praśhaste karmaṇi tathā sach-chhabdaḥ pārtha yujyate

📖 Meaning

The word "Sat" is used to refer to reality and goodness; likewise, O Arjuna, the word "Sat" is used to refer to an auspicious act.

ಯಜ್ಞೇ ತಪಸಿ ದಾನೇ ಚ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಃ ಸದಿತಿ ಚೋಚ್ಯತೇ। ಕರ್ಮ ಚೈವ ತದರ್ಥೀಯಂ ಸದಿತ್ಯೇವಾಭಿಧೀಯತೇ

yajñe tapasi dāne cha sthitiḥ sad iti chochyate karma chaiva tad-arthīyaṁ sad ity evābhidhīyate

📖 Meaning

Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity, and gift is also called 'Sat', and action in connection with these, or for the sake of the Supreme, is also called 'Sat'.

ಅಶ್ರದ್ಧಯಾ ಹುತಂ ದತ್ತಂ ತಪಸ್ತಪ್ತಂ ಕೃತಂ ಚ ಯತ್। ಅಸದಿತ್ಯುಚ್ಯತೇ ಪಾರ್ಥ ನ ಚ ತತ್ಪ್ರೇತ್ಯ ನೋ ಇಹ

aśhraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ tapas taptaṁ kṛitaṁ cha yat asad ity uchyate pārtha na cha tat pretya no iha

📖 Meaning

Whatever is sacrificed, given, or performed, and whatever austerity is practiced without faith, it is called 'Asat', O Arjuna; it is of no value here or hereafter (after death).