Conversation 17
Threefold Division of Faith
Arjuna said:
17:1. What is the state of those who are endowed with faith, but disregard the precepts of the Holy Scriptures. Are they in the states of sattva, rajas, or tamas?
The Blessed Lord said:
17:2. The faith of incarnated one can be of three kinds: sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic. Hear about all three.
17:3. Faith of man corresponds to his essence. The man corresponds to his faith: what his faith is — so he is.
17:4. The sattvic worship the Divine, the rajasic worship the beings of the demonic nature, the tamasic worship the dead and the lower spirits.
17:5. Know that they who perform severe ascetic exploits not prescribed by the Holy Scriptures for the sake of self-admiration and pride, yet subjected to the sexual passion, to attachments, and to violence,
17:6. unwise, torturing the elements that their bodies are composed of, as well as Me residing in their bodies, — know that their decisions are demonic.
17:7. Even so the food pleasant to all can be of three kinds, as well as sacrifice, ascetic exploits, and gifts. Hear from Me what is the difference between them.
17:8. Food that promotes longevity, strength, health, jocundity, and serenity of mood, which is succulent, oily, substantial, and tasty — such food is dear to the sattvic.
17:9. The passionate hunger for bitter, sour, salty, too spicy, exciting, dry, and burning food, i.e. the food that causes sorrow, suffering, sickness.
17:10. Spoiled, tasteless, with bad smell, putrid, cooked of garbage, unclean food is dear to the tamasic.
17:11. Sacrifice performed by man without a thought about the reward, in accordance to the Holy Scriptures, with firm belief that this is his duty — such a sacrifice is sattvic.
17:12. Sacrifice performed with expectation of reward and for the sake of pleasing oneself — know that such a sacrifice originates from rajas.
17:13. Sacrifice that contradicts the religious precepts, performed without feeding the hungry, without sacred words, without charity, without faith — such a sacrifice is called tamasic.
17:14. Homage paid to the Divine, to brahmans, to teachers, and sages, purity, simplicity, abstention, and causing no harm (to the body) — such is the asceticism of the body.
17:15. Speech causing no dislike, honest, pleasant, and beneficial, and also repeating the holy texts — such is the asceticism of the speech.
17:16. Clarity of thoughts, thinking humbly of oneself, control over thoughts, amicability towards everyone, and also naturalness of life — such is the asceticism of the mind.
17:17. This threefold asceticism, if it is performed by steady people endowed with deep faith and without expectation of reward — such asceticism is considered sattvic.
17:18. Asceticism performed for the sake of praise, honor and glory, as well as asceticism performed with pride — is rajasic in its nature, unsteady, not firm.
17:19. Asceticism performed under delusion, with self-torture, or with the purpose to destroy someone — such asceticism is tamasic in its nature.
17:20. The gift, which is given without a thought about repayment, out of call of duty, at the right time and on the right place to a worthy person — such a gift is considered sattvic.
17:21. That which is given with expectation of repayment or reward, or with grudging — such a gift is called rajasic.
17:22. Gift given in inappropriate place, at inappropriate time, to unworthy people, with disrespect or disregard — such a gift is tamasic.
17:23. “AUM — TAT — SAT” — is the threefold designation of Brahman in the Vedas. In old time it was also used in performing sacrifices.
17:24. Therefore, the knowers of Brahman begin the acts of sacrifice and self-restraint with the word “AUM”, as it is prescribed by the Holy Scriptures.
17:25. When they who seek the Liberation perform various sacrifices and purifying acts of self-restraint, or give sattvic gifts — then it is performed with the word “TAT”.
17:26. The word “SAT” is used for designating the true reality and good, as well as righteous acts, O Partha.
17:27. Also the word “SAT” is always uttered in sacrificing, self-restraint and charity. And the actions aimed at these purposes are also designated by the word “SAT”.
17:28. And that which is performed without faith — whether it is sacrifice, exploit or giving — is “ASAT”, that is “NOTHING” both here and after death.
Thus in the upanishads of the blessed Bhagavad Gita, the Science of Eternal, the Scripture of yoga, says the seventeenth conversation between Shri Krishna and Arjuna, entitled:
Threefold Division of Faith.
