Chapter 17

English Meaning Adhyay SeventeenThe Yoga of Division of Threefold Faith.

.	Arjuna said
1	Those who, endowed with faith, worship gods and others casting aside the injunctions of scriptures, where do they stand, Krishna,- in Sattva, Rajas or Tams.
.	Shree Bhagwan
2	That untutored innate faith of men is of three kinds-- Sattvika, Rajasika and Tamasika. Hear of it from Me.
3	The faith of all men conforms to their mental constitution, Arjuna. The man consists of faith; whatever the nature of his faith, he is verily that.
4	Men of Sattvika disposition worship gods; those of Rajasika temperament worship demigods and demons; while others, who are men of Tamasika disposition, worship the spirits of dead and groups of ghosts.
5	Men who practice dire penance of an arbitrary type not sanctioned by scriptures, and who are full of hypocrisy and egotism are obsessed with desire, attachment and pride of power;
6	And who emaciate the elements constituting their body as well as Me, the Supreme Spirit, dwelling in their heart,- know these senseless people to have a demoniac disposition.
7	Food also, which is agreeable to different men according to their innate disposition is of three kinds. and likewise sacrifice, penance and charity too are of three kinds each; hear their distinction as follows.
8	Foods which promote longevity, intelligence, vigor, health, happiness and cheerfulness, and which are sweet, bland, substantial and naturally agreeable, are dear to the Sattvika type of men.
9	Foods which are bitter, acidly, salty, over hot, pungent, dry and burning, and which cause, grief and sickness, are dear to the Rajasika type of men.
10	Food which is half cooked or half-ripe, insipid, putrid, stale and polluted, and which is impure too, is dear to men of a Tamasika disposition.
11	The sacrifice which is offered, as ordained by scriptural injunctions, by men who expect no return and who believe that such sacrifices must be performed, is Sattvika in character.
12	That sacrifice however, which is offered for the sake of mere show or even with an eye to its fruit, know it to be Rajasika, Arjuna.
13	A sacrifice, which has no respect for scriptural injunctions, in which no food is offered, and no sacrificial fees are paid, which is without sacred chant and devoid of faith, is said to be Tamasika.
14	Worship of gods, the Bahamans, one's elders and wise men, purity, straightforwardness, continence and harmlessness--this is called bodily penance.
15	Words which cause no annoyance to others and are truthful, agreeable and wholesome, as well as study of Vedas and other shastras and the practice of repetition of Divine Name--- this is known as austerity of speech.
16	Cheerfulness of mind, placidity, habit of contemplation on God, control of mind and perfect purity of inner feeling--all this is called austerity of mind.
17	This threefold penance performed with supreme faith by Yogis expecting no return is called Sattvika.
18	The penance which is performed for the sake of renown, honor and worship as well as for any other selfish gain either in all sincerity or by way of ostentation, and yields an uncertain and momentary fruit, has been spoken of here as Rajasika.
19	Austerity which is practiced through perversity and is accompanied with self-mortification or is intended to harm others,-- such austerity has been declared as Tamasika.
20	A gift which is bestowed with a sense of duty, at a fit place, suitable time and to deserving person,-- on one who is no benefactor,-- that gift has been pronounced as Sattvika.
21	A gift which is bestowed in grudging spirit and with the object of getting a service in return or in the hope of obtaining a reward, is called Rajasika.
22	A gift which is made without good grace and in disdainful spirit out of time and place and to undeserving person, is said to be Tamasika.
23	OM, TAT, and SAT-- this has been declared as the three fold appellation of the Absolute, who is Truth, Consciousness, and Bliss solidified. By that were the Brahmans and the Vedas as well as sacrifices created at the cosmic dawn.
24	Therefore, acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity as enjoined by sacred precepts are always commenced by noble souls -given to the recitation of Vedic chants- with utterances of divine name OM.
25	With the idea that all belongs to God, who is denoted by the appellation TAT, acts of sacrifice and austerity as well as acts of charity of various kinds are performed by seekers of blessedness expecting no return for them.
26	The name of God, Sat is employed in the sense of truth and goodness. And the word SAT is also used in the sense of a praiseworthy act, Arjuna.
27	And steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity and charity is likewise spoken of as 'SAT' and action for the sake of God is verily termed as 'SAT'.
28	An oblation which is offered, a gift given, an austerity practiced, and whatever good deed is performed, without faith, it is all termed as naught; therefore, it is of no avail here or hereafter.
end	Thus in the Upanishad sung by the Lord, the Science of Brahma, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Shree Krishna and Arjuna, ends the sixth chapter entitled " The Yoga of Division of Threefold Faith. "