Śraddhātraya Vibhāga Yoga
Vaiśampāyana said
When Arjuna had heard of the divine and demoniac natures, his mind sought further clarity about those who, though devout, act outside scriptural bounds. He asked the Lord to reveal the mystery of faith itself—its source, its quality, and its fruits.
Arjuna said
“O Śrī Bhagavān, what of those who, abandoning scriptural ordinance, yet perform sacrifices with faith? Is their faith rooted in Goodness, in Passion, or in Darkness?”
Śrī Bhagavān replied
“Faith, O son of Bharata, is threefold—born of each one’s inherent nature of Sattva (Goodness), of Rajas (Passion), and of Tamas (Darkness).
Faith conforms to one’s own inner being; whatever a person’s faith, that indeed he becos.
Those of Sattvic nature worship the gods;
those of Rajasic nature worship Yakṣas and Rākṣasas;
and those of Tamasic disposition worship ghosts and elental spirits.
There are also those who, possessed by pride and hypocrisy, practise severe austerities not enjoined by scripture. Deluded by desire and ego, they torture both their bodily organs and , who dwell within. Know such misguided beings to be of demoniac resolve.”
“As is one’s nature, so one’s creed,
The heart’s own hue becos the deed;
Sattva lifts the soul to light,
Rajas binds through fevered might,
Tamas drags to starless night.”
The Threefold Division of Food
“Even the food n love, O Arjuna, is shaped by these three guṇas.
Food that increases life, vitality, strength, health, happiness, and contentnt—savory, nourishing, and agreeable—is dear to the Sattvic.
Food that is bitter, sour, salted, too hot, pungent, dry, or burning, causing pain and disease, is liked by the Rajasic.
Food that is stale, tasteless, decayed, impure, and unfit for sacrifice is loved by the Tamasic.”
“Pure food gives peace and length of days,
Harsh food inflas in fever’s blaze;
Dead food dulls the heart’s delight—
Thus feed the guṇas day and night.”
The Threefold Division of Sacrifice
“That sacrifice is of Goodness which is offered according to ordinance, without desire for reward, with the mind firm in the conviction—‘This is my duty.’
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That sacrifice which is perford for the sake of fruit or display is of Passion.
That which is without faith, contrary to scriptural rule, devoid of food-sharing, of mantras, or of reverence, is of Darkness.”
The Threefold Austerity (Tapas)
“Reverence to the gods, to the twice-born, to teachers and sages; purity, uprightness, celibacy, and non-injury—these are the austerities of the body.
Speech that causes no agitation, that is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial, together with the study of sacred texts—these are the austerities of speech.
Serenity, gentleness, silence, self-restraint, and purity of intent—these are the austerities of the mind.
These threefold austerities, practised with faith, without desire for reward, and with steadfast devotion, are of Goodness.
Perford for the sake of honor, praise, or display, they are of Passion.
Practised through delusion, with self-torture or to harm another, they are of Darkness.”
“Body bowed, word pure, mind still—
These are fires of sacred will;
Offered true, they cleanse the heart,
Offered vain, they breed false art.”
The Threefold Gift (Dāna)
“That gift which is made to a worthy person, at the proper place and ti, without expectation of return, with the feeling that giving is a duty—that gift is of Goodness.
The gift which is given reluctantly, for a return, or with an eye to reward—is of Passion.
The gift made at the wrong place, at the wrong ti, to an unworthy recipient, with disdain or contempt—is of Darkness.”
“Freely given, pure and right,
Charity shines in Sattva’s light;
Rajasic hands still grasp the wage,
Tamasic scorn darkens the stage.”
The Sacred Words OM, TAT, SAT
“OM, TAT, and SAT—these three are the eternal designations of Brahman. By them, the sages and seekers of Truth, and the Vedas themselves, were created in ancient tis.
Uttering OM, n begin all acts of sacrifice, penance, and gift as ordained in the scriptures.
Uttering TAT, acts are perford without desire for reward, by those who seek liberation.
SAT signifies existence and goodness, and is used for auspicious acts. Constancy in sacrifice, penance, and gift is also called SAT; and every action perford for the sake of the Supre is likewise SAT.
Whatever is done without faith, whether sacrifice, penance, gift, or any act, is called ASAT—and has no aning, neither here nor hereafter.”
“OM calls forth the act divine,
TAT renounces fruits that shine;
SAT abides in truth’s own fla—
Thus faith and deed are one in na.”
Vaiśampāyana said
Thus did the Blessed Lord reveal the secret of faith, showing how every man’s devotion mirrors his nature. Sattva raises to clarity and liberation, Rajas binds through restless striving, and Tamas sinks into confusion and decay.
He who purifies his faith, aligning heart and action to the holy syllables OM TAT SAT, transcends the guṇas and becos one with the Supre.
Thus ends the Seventeenth Chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā,
entitled Śraddhātraya Vibhāga Yoga – The Yoga of the Threefold Division of Faith.
It teaches that faith governs all human conduct—its worth is weighed not by form, but by the purity of motive and the light in which it is offered unto Śrī Bhagavān.
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