The Yoga of the Threefold Division of Faith

ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः ।तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ॥

ye śāstravidhimutsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ |teṣāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvamāho rajastamaḥ ||

Arjuna asks: Krishna, those who set aside the rules of scripture but still worship with faith: what is their standing? Is it sattva, rajas or tamas?

त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा ।सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु ॥

trividhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṃ sā svabhāvajā |sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti tāṃ śṛṇu ||

Shri Krishna says: The faith of embodied beings, born of their own nature, is of three kinds: sattvic, rajasic and tamasic. Hear about it.

यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः ।प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥

yajante sāttvikā devānyakṣarakṣāṃsi rājasāḥ |pretānbhūtagaṇāṃścānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ ||

Sattvic people worship the gods; rajasic people worship yakshas and rakshasas, powerful spirits and demons; and the tamasic worship ghosts and hosts of spirits.

अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जनाः ।दम्भाहंकारसंयुक्ताः कामरागबलान्विताः ॥

aśāstravihitaṃ ghoraṃ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ |dambhāhaṃkārasaṃyuktāḥ kāmarāgabalānvitāḥ ||

Those who practise fierce austerities not taught by scripture, full of hypocrisy and ego, driven by desire, attachment and force,

कर्षयन्तः शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतसः ।मां चैवान्तःशरीरस्थं तान्विद्ध्यासुरनिश्चयान् ॥

karṣayantaḥ śarīrasthaṃ bhūtagrāmamacetasaḥ |māṃ caivāntaḥśarīrasthaṃ tānviddhyāsuraniścayān ||

senselessly tormenting the elements of their own body, and me who dwell within the body: know them to be of demonic resolve.

आहारस्त्वपि सर्वस्य त्रिविधो भवति प्रियः ।यज्ञस्तपस्तथा दानं तेषां भेदमिमं शृणु ॥

āhārastvapi sarvasya trividho bhavati priyaḥ |yajñastapastathā dānaṃ teṣāṃ bhedamimaṃ śṛṇu ||

Even the food each person likes is of three kinds, and so are sacrifice, austerity and giving. Hear how they differ.

आयुःसत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धनाः ।रस्याः स्निग्धाः स्थिरा हृद्या आहाराः सात्त्विकप्रियाः ॥

āyuḥsattvabalārogyasukhaprītivivardhanāḥ |rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā āhārāḥ sāttvikapriyāḥ ||

Foods that increase life, purity, strength, health, happiness and cheerfulness, and that are tasty, smooth, nourishing and pleasing to the heart, are dear to sattvic people.

कट्‌वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः ।आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः ॥

kaṭvamlalavaṇātyuṣṇatīkṣṇarūkṣavidāhinaḥ |āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā duḥkhaśokāmayapradāḥ ||

Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, very hot, sharp, dry and burning are liked by rajasic people; they cause pain, sorrow and illness.

यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत् ।उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम् ॥

yātayāmaṃ gatarasaṃ pūti paryuṣitaṃ ca yat |ucchiṣṭamapi cāmedhyaṃ bhojanaṃ tāmasapriyam ||

Food that is stale, tasteless, rotten, kept overnight, left over by others and impure is dear to tamasic people.

अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते ।यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः ॥

aphalākāṅkṣibhiryajño vidhidṛṣṭo ya ijyate |yaṣṭavyameveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ ||

Sacrifice offered according to the rules, by those who seek no reward, with the mind firmly set on the thought that it simply ought to be done, is sattvic.

अभिसंधाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत् ।इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम् ॥

abhisaṃdhāya tu phalaṃ dambhārthamapi caiva yat |ijyate bharataśreṣṭha taṃ yajñaṃ viddhi rājasam ||

But sacrifice offered with an eye on the reward, or just for show, O best of the Bharatas, know that to be rajasic.

विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम् ।श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ॥

vidhihīnamasṛṣṭānnaṃ mantrahīnamadakṣiṇam |śraddhāvirahitaṃ yajñaṃ tāmasaṃ paricakṣate ||

Sacrifice done without following the rules, without sharing food, without sacred words, without gifts to the priests and without faith is called tamasic.

देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम् ।ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते ॥

devadvijaguruprājñapūjanaṃ śaucamārjavam |brahmacaryamahiṃsā ca śārīraṃ tapa ucyate ||

Honouring the gods, the twice-born, teachers and the wise, along with cleanliness, straightforwardness, celibacy and non-violence: this is called austerity of the body.

मनः प्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः ।भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते ॥

manaḥ prasādaḥ saumyatvaṃ maunamātmavinigrahaḥ |bhāvasaṃśuddhirityetattapo mānasamucyate ||

A calm and cheerful mind, gentleness, silence, self-control and purity of feeling: this is called austerity of the mind.

श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः ।अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ॥

śraddhayā parayā taptaṃ tapastattrividhaṃ naraiḥ |aphalākāṅkṣibhiryuktaiḥ sāttvikaṃ paricakṣate ||

This threefold austerity, practised with deep faith by steady people who seek no reward, is called sattvic.

सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत् ।क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम् ॥

satkāramānapūjārthaṃ tapo dambhena caiva yat |kriyate tadiha proktaṃ rājasaṃ calamadhruvam ||

Austerity done to win respect, honour and worship, and for show, is called rajasic here. It is unsteady and does not last.

मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः ।परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥

mūḍhagrāheṇātmano yatpīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ |parasyotsādanārthaṃ vā tattāmasamudāhṛtam ||

Austerity done out of foolish stubbornness, by torturing oneself, or in order to harm someone else, is called tamasic.

यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः ।दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम् ॥

yattu pratyupakārārthaṃ phalamuddiśya vā punaḥ |dīyate ca parikliṣṭaṃ taddānaṃ rājasaṃ smṛtam ||

But a gift given to get something back, or with a reward in mind, or given grudgingly, is considered rajasic.

अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते ।असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥

adeśakāle yaddānamapātrebhyaśca dīyate |asatkṛtamavajñātaṃ tattāmasamudāhṛtam ||

A gift given at the wrong place and time, to unworthy people, without respect or with contempt, is called tamasic.

ॐतत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः ।ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा ॥

oṃtatsaditi nirdeśo brahmaṇastrividhaḥ smṛtaḥ |brāhmaṇāstena vedāśca yajñāśca vihitāḥ purā ||

'Om Tat Sat' is taught to be the threefold name of Brahman. Through it, in ancient times, the Brahmins, the Vedas and sacrifices were established.

तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाः ।प्रवर्तन्ते विधानोक्ताः सततं ब्रह्मवादिनाम् ॥

tasmādomityudāhṛtya yajñadānatapaḥkriyāḥ |pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satataṃ brahmavādinām ||

Therefore those who follow the Vedas always begin their acts of sacrifice, giving and austerity, as taught in scripture, by saying 'Om'.

तदित्यनभिसन्धाय फलं यज्ञतपःक्रियाः ।दानक्रियाश्च विविधाः क्रियन्ते मोक्षकाङ्क्षिभिः ॥

tadityanabhisandhāya phalaṃ yajñatapaḥkriyāḥ |dānakriyāśca vividhāḥ kriyante mokṣakāṅkṣibhiḥ ||

Saying 'Tat', those who seek liberation perform various acts of sacrifice, austerity and giving without aiming at any reward.

सद्भावे साधुभावे च सदित्येतत्प्रयुज्यते ।प्रशस्ते कर्मणि तथा सच्छब्दः पार्थ युज्यते ॥

sadbhāve sādhubhāve ca sadityetatprayujyate |praśaste karmaṇi tathā sacchabdaḥ pārtha yujyate ||

The word 'Sat' is used to mean what is real and what is good. It is also used, Arjuna, for an action that deserves praise.

यज्ञे तपसि दाने च स्थितिः सदिति चोच्यते ।कर्म चैव तदर्थीयं सदित्येवाभिधीयते ॥

yajñe tapasi dāne ca sthitiḥ saditi cocyate |karma caiva tadarthīyaṃ sadityevābhidhīyate ||

Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity and giving is also called 'Sat', and any action done for such a purpose is also called 'Sat'.

अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् ।असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह ॥

aśraddhayā hutaṃ dattaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat |asadityucyate pārtha na ca tatpretya no iha ||

Whatever is offered, given or done as austerity without faith is called 'asat', Arjuna. It is of no use, either after death or here.