Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 17: श्रद्धात्रयविभागयोगः
Twenty-eight verses. Arjuna’s question about those who worship with faith without knowing scripture, the three kinds of faith, of food, of sacrifice, of austerity and of giving, and ‘Om Tat Sat’, which hallows all action, are here.
Tap any verse card to open its page with the word-by-word meaning. Pages are ready for every verse of this chapter.
ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः।
तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ॥ 1 ॥Meaning of verse 17.1 →2श्रीभगवानुवाच
त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा।
सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु ॥ 2 ॥Meaning of verse 17.2 →3सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत।
श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः ॥ 3 ॥Meaning of verse 17.3 →4यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः।
प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥ 4 ॥Meaning of verse 17.4 →5अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जनाः।
दम्भाहङ्कारसंयुक्ताः कामरागबलान्विताः ॥ 5 ॥Meaning of verse 17.5 →6कर्षयन्तः शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतसः।
मां चैवान्तःशरीरस्थं तान्विद्ध्यासुरनिश्चयान् ॥ 6 ॥Meaning of verse 17.6 →7आहारस्त्वपि सर्वस्य त्रिविधो भवति प्रियः।
यज्ञस्तपस्तथा दानं तेषां भेदमिमं शृणु ॥ 7 ॥Meaning of verse 17.7 →8आयुःसत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धनाः।
रस्याः स्निग्धाः स्थिरा हृद्या आहाराः सात्त्विकप्रियाः ॥ 8 ॥Meaning of verse 17.8 →9कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः।
आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः ॥ 9 ॥Meaning of verse 17.9 →10यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत्।
उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम् ॥ 10 ॥Meaning of verse 17.10 →11अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते।
यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः ॥ 11 ॥Meaning of verse 17.11 →12अभिसन्धाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत्।
इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम् ॥ 12 ॥Meaning of verse 17.12 →13विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम्।
श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ॥ 13 ॥Meaning of verse 17.13 →14देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम्।
ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते ॥ 14 ॥Meaning of verse 17.14 →15अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत्।
स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते ॥ 15 ॥Meaning of verse 17.15 →16मनःप्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः।
भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते ॥ 16 ॥Meaning of verse 17.16 →17श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः।
अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ॥ 17 ॥Meaning of verse 17.17 →18सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत्।
क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम् ॥ 18 ॥Meaning of verse 17.18 →19मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः।
परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥ 19 ॥Meaning of verse 17.19 →20दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे।
देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥ 20 ॥Meaning of verse 17.20 →21यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः।
दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम् ॥ 21 ॥Meaning of verse 17.21 →22अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते।
असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥ 22 ॥Meaning of verse 17.22 →23ॐ तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः।
ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा ॥ 23 ॥Meaning of verse 17.23 →24तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाः।
प्रवर्तन्ते विधानोक्ताः सततं ब्रह्मवादिनाम् ॥ 24 ॥Meaning of verse 17.24 →25तदित्यनभिसन्धाय फलं यज्ञतपःक्रियाः।
दानक्रियाश्च विविधाः क्रियन्ते मोक्षकाङ्क्षिभिः ॥ 25 ॥Meaning of verse 17.25 →26सद्भावे साधुभावे च सदित्येतत्प्रयुज्यते।
प्रशस्ते कर्मणि तथा सच्छब्दः पार्थ युज्यते ॥ 26 ॥Meaning of verse 17.26 →27यज्ञे तपसि दाने च स्थितिः सदिति चोच्यते।
कर्म चैव तदर्थीयं सदित्येवाभिधीयते ॥ 27 ॥Meaning of verse 17.27 →28अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत्।
असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह ॥ 28 ॥Meaning of verse 17.28 →
ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे श्रद्धात्रयविभागयोगो नाम सप्तदशोऽध्यायः ॥
About Śraddhātraya Vibhāga Yoga
The previous chapter ended with ‘scripture is the authority’. From that Arjuna’s question arises: what is the standing of those who, not knowing the injunctions of scripture, worship with faith by watching their elders? Krishna’s answer is ‘shraddhamayo ’yam purushah’: a person is formed of faith, and as one’s faith is, so is one.
Faith cannot be seen, but its fruits can. So the chapter sets up four mirrors: the food we like, the sacrifice we perform, our austerity and our giving. Each has three kinds, sattvic, rajasic and tamasic. At the end the three names of Brahman, ‘Om Tat Sat’, make even imperfect actions complete, while action without faith becomes ‘asat’.
How the chapter moves
- Verses 1 to 6: Arjuna’s question, the three kinds of faith, and a warning against terrible austerities not taught by scripture.
- Verses 7 to 10: The three kinds of food.
- Verses 11 to 13: The three kinds of sacrifice.
- Verses 14 to 19: Austerity of body, speech and mind, and the three kinds of austerity.
- Verses 20 to 22: The three kinds of giving.
- Verses 23 to 28: Om Tat Sat, and action without faith as asat.
Faith and Om Tat Sat: the acharyas’ views
Shankara identifies those in Arjuna’s question not as rejecters of scripture but as those who follow their elders without knowing it, and says ‘Om Tat Sat’ completes even deficient action. Ramanuja calls faith an eagerness born of the confidence that ‘this will give what I desire’, and sees sattvic action as worship of the Lord. Madhva cites the Rigveda Khila to show that ‘Om Tat Sat’ are names of the supreme Brahman. Sridhara Swami gives examples of foods, and says that small services such as sweeping the courtyard and drawing rangoli are also ‘Sat’.
These pages do not decide between the readings. Wherever the acharyas part, each position is recorded in its own terms.
About these pages
The text is that of the Gita Press edition. In 17.23, following the Gita Press text, the verse begins with ‘Om’. Verses 17.5 and 17.6 form a single sentence, and their meaning is given that way.
The ‘For life today’ box of the food verses carries general information about salt and blood pressure, very hot drinks, the safety of leftovers, and cautions about fasting. Those with diabetes, those who are pregnant or those with other illnesses should seek a doctor’s advice about fasting and changes in diet.
Sources: several.
ಪಾಠದಲ್ಲಿ ತಪ್ಪೋ ಬೇರೆ ಪಾಠಾಂತರವೋ ಕಂಡಿತೇ? ನಮಗೆ ತಿಳಿಸಿ.
Noticed a mistake or a different reading? Tell us.
ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆ ಬರೆಯಿರಿ