Chapter 17

ET74-4HPT-4T:
Sraddhatraya-vibhga-yogah
Topic of the description of
the three types of [raddh

Introduction
In the last verse of the last chapter, it was said, Therefore
with reference to knowing what is to be done and
what is not

to be done, sãstra is the means of knowledge

for you
tasmat
-

sastrari praminarn te kryakrya-vyazasthitau. Even though

common
sense gives rise to the
knowledge of what is right and wrong,
yet, we do not find people doing what is right and refraining
from what is wrong. It is not out of ignorance.
Everybody knows
stealing, for example, is wrong; but there are thieves. And the
thief also knows that stealing is wrong because he does not
want his own
goods to be stolen. Further more, when he steals,
he uses stealth, because he knows it is not proper. Therefore,
his knowledge of the impropriety of stealing is not completely
assimilated. He knows that his property should not be stolen
and that another person does not want his
property to be stolen.
He knows what he gains and he knows the risks involved.
At
the same time, he does not know what he loses if he
steals
Only by sstra can we understand this properly.
I cannot escape the consequences of an action, because the

faculty of choice and the law of karma go together. Choice

presupposes a set of norms that determine which option I choose
 rstand this well. I can steal, or I need not. I can
t o unders

Ineent t
refrain trom urting. I cantell a lie or I can tell the
or
I can need not. Once this
hurt.
re or I choice is there, on
ruth. I«
i Choice means the
what
hasis
do I make
sibility of right
wrong
and
nd also
II al should know this. I must be
able to gather
and
erstanding of what is right and wrong, and I am able to,
through a common sense that has been given to all of us. This
universal sense ot right and wrong is what is called dharma.
Evern knows it without being taught. It is sensed by all of
us commonly, like any otner natural law. Without knowing

the law of gravity, even a baby monkey knows that it will fall

to the ground it it lets go ot its mother while she is

swinging
through the trees. Like the law ot gravitation, this law of dharma,
right and wTong. which is commonly sensed, is also not created
by us. It is very important to understand this. lfit is man made,
it can alwavs be different. In America, we drive on the right
side of the road, and in India on the left. Taxation, what
constitutes a crime, punishment for crimes, is all man made.
These laws are different from the dhärmika fabric, the law of
right and wrong that is part of the creation.
This law of dharma already exists and is known to me. And
I have a faculty of choice. called free will, with which I am

goung to choose an action. If I choose an action that is in keeping

with or is against the law of dharma, that very law must impact
law, then l must experience
me appropriately. If I go againsta
the triction it causes; if I
act in keeping
with the
laws I must

the result ot that. This is haw

Laws ae
an ber
experience matter w hat the vbievt
it will tall, n o
S dropped trom
a height, at tihe
the law t iui

that w e call
it is the law. The law
IS
224 Bhagavad Ga Home Sludy Course

level of choice, and the law of karma at the

level of acti
same. There is no way
escape from I can
a
natural law
a law created by man.I can
always avoid the sight of unlike
the s
officer and drive seventy-tive miles an
hour traffie
There, you can avoid detection, and
therefore tho
he
consequences. But you cannot avoid the
detection
or the
action that
result
of an is
against a natural law. If you have
any douh
touch a live wire and you will understand. Even if you are in
charge of the hydroelectric scheme, you will be electrocuted
No one is
exempt from a natural law. If you touch
fire, you
will be burnt, and similarly, if you rub against the law, you
will be rubbed in the process. This law of karma is centred on
the law of dharma and is connected to your free will your sense
of doership, kartytva. This is the unique privilege of a human
being. Other living beings, including the gods, are only

equipped to experience karma, not to generate any new karma-

phala, because they have no free will. Where there is a sense of
agency, kartrtoa, there should be freedom to choose.

action, avoid it.

You have the freedom to perform an or

When you can avoid an avoided, but

action that should be
the result. Why do people
you still do it, you definitely get
when they know what dharnma
is? Because they do
cut corners

know very well what

not know what they stand to lose. They
money and s
it
somebody, I get some
they gain. By robbing I lose,
do for me. But what
what money can
very clear to me

s stra educates me. It tels me

do not know, and that is where

which generates a
that there is such a thing as a law of karma,
tels me
action, and it also
unseen result, adr_ta-phala, for every
done. Sastra, the scriptur,
to be done and not to be
what is
 Chapter 17 225

the means
of knowledge for this. Kr_na tells
Arjuna in the last

TeTse
of the previous chapler, herefore, with reference to
knowing
what is tobe done, and what is be done, sastra
not to
Is the means of wledge for you. This becomes the basis of
a doubt for Arjuna. He raises the following question.

Verse T

Arjuna s question

arjuna uv ca

ye astravidhim utsrjya yajante [raddhaynvith

tesn ni_th tu kä kysna sattvam äho rajastamalh (1)
arjunali - Arjuna; uvaca - said;

krsma - O Krsna!; ye - those; s stra-vidhim - what is stipulated

by the sãastra; utstjya giving up; tu but; [raddhaya with

- - -

[raddha; anvith endowed; yajante perform rituals; te_m

- - -

their; nisth - basis; kä - what; sattuam - (is it) sattoa, äho - or,

rajas-(or) rajas; tamas-(or) tamas

Arjuna said:

Krsna! Those who perform a ritual giving up what is

stipulated by the astra, but endowed with srddhä,
what is their basis? Is it sattva or rajas or
tamas.
This is a very interesting question. Arjuna addresses this
question to Krsna, and asks, What about certain group of
226 Bhagavad Gila Home Study Course

people who offer worship or prayer to the deities, wit

following the various stipulations laid down in the Sas.
istra
about how they are to be done? What is the basis of such rituale
Is it sattva, rajas, or, tamas? In the sruti, the Vedas, and tho
supporting smrtis, we have varieties of torms of worship, with
rules about how they are to be done. Suppose there are son
people who do a Vedic ritual like agnihotra, or a smarta-karme

like püja, prayer, or any action where a deity is invoked, but

do not follow the stipulations of the sastra. Sastra-vidhim utsri
vajante giving up the stipulations of the sñstra they perform
these rituals. Here the word utsrjya, means not only, 'givine

up' but also, 'not following exactly, or completely.' We cannot

would not
they do not follow [stra; otherwise, call it
we
say
of rules, but they do not follow
worship. They followa number
are stipulated by the sästra.
meticulously all of them that
In a ritual to worship a particular deity, there is no
immediate result. Generally, we take short cuts only when

there is an immediate result, and we are under some pressure

me to offer
to complete the action. But here, nobody pressures
or I need not do it.
a ritual. I can do it,
a prayer or pertorm
because the sästra tells me, and
I know this is an act of worship
it also tells me the manner in which it has to be done. Why

the prescribed method? After

should I do it without following
When I have chosen to do it, why
all, I need not do it at all.
should anybody perform
would I not follow all the rules? Why
ritual without following the rules?
a

One is that they do not know.

There are two possibilities.
it
This is often the case with püja or other rituals. People know
seeing it
how to do it from
is to be done, but have learned
 Chapter 17 227

either by people the in or family elsewhere. They

d e -

hollow the convention,

just
tra, without studving further. Why?

cause
of sraddha. They perform the worship, following
onventon, because they have [raddha, but they do not know

all the nulations, and therefore, do not follow them. The

possibility is that a person knows the
other
stipulations
but
not follow them. In that case, there is no [raddha. Why do
does
thev do the ritual then Oniy for some name or fame. The

people under discussion here, however, do have [raddha

Arjuna wonders what is their ni_tha, their basis for

operation. their commitment. What is the disposition of their
Ttah-karana in terms ot the three guNas? Is sattra the basis of

theiroperation, or is it rajas or tamas: Sankara says, the question

is whether the worship they offer is sättrika, rajasika or tämasika.

There are diferent types of worship depending on who is
wershipped, and the atttude and intent of the worshipper.
Ravana's prayer and black magic, which is also prayer, are
tAmasika. Of which type is an act of worship, not done in the
specified way, but with aradäha? Krsna can answer this in one

senten ce, and say, "It is sättvika: But Arjuna's question arises
from his incomplete understanding of the nature of sraddh.
Sankara introduces the answer of Bhagavn by saying that one
should not answer a general question on a subject without
dividing it into the component parts, in order to make it more
specific. This is a very important thing in understanding any
topic. If someone goes to a doctor complaining that he is in
pain, the doctor will ask specific questions to find the location
and the nature of the This is called
pain. prarivhga. You keep
on
negating until you localise the problem.
 Gita tfome Study Course
228 Bhagarmd

three types when looked at on th

Sraddha is of of the
tamas. The t f this whole
gunas,
satta, rajas,
chapter
division of the three-told smdana, aradadha-traya-vibhao
viblhaga-yoga.The
going has is
even to decide
tvpe of Sraddha person a
ating
habits and a number of other things. Thus, tho.various

ditterent types of sraddlha are also goi

gong to
manifestations of

be told in
this chapter.

Verse 2

sraddhä based on gunas

The three-fold

sinwTRIGAT|

sriblagav n uv ca

bhavati araddh dehinäm sã svabhvaja

trividh
caioa tänasi ceti târin sypu (2)
sättoiki rjasi
Sri Bhagavn; uvãca -

said;
[ribhagavn-
born of the
dehindm of the embodied beings; svabhävaja - is
that sraddhiä; sättviki -

sättvika;
nature of the mind; s araddh
-

rajasi ca eva - and r jasika; tämasi ca - and tänmasika; iti - thus;

trividh bhavati - is three-fold; tän [rpu - listen to that (three-

fold [raddhaä)

Sri Bhagav n said:

The sraddhia of the embodied beings is born of the

nature of the mind. It is three-fold as sättvika, räjasika,
and tamusika. Listen to
that (three-fold sraddiha).
 ne. but the shades of differernces in its nature

hree-fold, trividh.
Srada

Like bread is
v i e w e d
as
three-fold,
one, but then,
can be ferent types of bread -French, sourdough, and
t h e r e a r e d

however, [raddh is not an

external object; it
on Unlike bread,

I s i n v o u r
ind alone. Though you may call it faith, sraddha is
at. It is the whole person. Sraddh is not
more
your belief
tem,
but your whole attitude towards life. Your
body, towards wealth, towards
attitude
toward
food, altruistic acts
people, towards
fworship, like
charity, and so on. All
these have implications for your araddh towards I[vara. Even
how a person dresses, reveals SO much about his or her
and attitudes. It can be value
ostentatious, sloppy and
or neat and refined. From the tasteless,
very dress we can
whether he is sattvika, understand
a
thinking person, who has some
and really wants to know values
something more, whether there is
some depth to the
person. The whole demeanour of the
his actions, the
way in which he person,
the type of [raddh he has keeps the house, all indicate
towards everything in life. It
from inside into overflows
is in
everything you do. Sraddha is not outside; it
your thinking, your
and your understanding, your value structure,
priorities. All these are implied, and it is, thus, not an
ordinary word. Therefore, we have a whole
to understanding [addh . chapter dedicated
For whom is the [raddha? Dehinm -

for those who have a

body, a human body. The individual human being is the one
who has this three-fold, trividha, [raddha. What determines the
type of sraddhd a person will have? It is borm out of the nature
of antah-karana, and therefore it is soabhavaja. The type of mind
you have determines the type of [raddha you have. That is more
230 Bhagavad Git Home Study Course
appropriate than considering that
propensities that determine his or her [raddha, Then certain
consider that you are rjasIka or tanmasika by nature and ha.
resign yourself to that. It is not like that, have to
because you an
become såttoika. The whole teaching is meant to
sättoika, not to categorise makeKe you
people. Iheretore, the
Stabhäva here is the nature of the meaning ofof
antal-karana. There are threo
ree
tvpes of sraddhä depending on the nature of the
the mind you have, in which you
antah-karana1a,
can
bring about a change.
Before going into detail about the
three types of
Krsna makes a general statement about [raddha,
sraddh and the
person.
Verse 3
A
person is permeated by his [raddh
sattoänurüp sarvasya [raddh bhavati
[raddhämayo' yam puru_o yo yacchraddhahbhärata
sa eva
bharata O sah (3)
descendent of Bharata, Arjuna!;
everyone; [raddh -[raddh; sarvasya of -
his/her mind; sattoa-anurüp in keeping with -
bhavati is; ayam puru_ah
[raddhamayah is
- this
person;
whatever is one's permeated by [raddhä; yalh
[raddha; sah eva sal he is that -

yat-[raddhal
Bharata (Sraddh) alone
with
(Arjuna)! Sraddha of
his mind.
This everyone is in
keeping
person is
Whatever is his
[raddha, he
permeated by
[raddha.
conforms to that [raddha
 Chapter 17 231
sraddhà is commoniy translated as taith, since itis
Though
than tnat, as we have seen, let us leave it
more
much
here is hot the 8una but the antah-karana,
translated. Sattiu
sradana is satra-anurupa, that is, according
the
mind. A person' s
or nis mind, its tendencies and value
to the disposition
assumes a
form in Keeping with the type of mind
structure. lt mind means thinking
And it can be changed, tor the
vou have.
your thinkng Is changed, everything changed.
is
and once
will bring about a change in your attitude,
The cognitivechange sraddha. The tendencies
will have an impact on your
and that
understanding you nave,
all determine the type of [raddha
and
vou have
his aradáha
-
puru_aBh araddha-
A person is permeated by
sraddha he has, that is exactly what he
maual.
Whatever type ot
nmaya
suttix in the word, araddhl-maya is in the
is. Here, the
but an
saturation. Ihe person is nothing
sense ot pracurya,
Sankara makes it clear that puru_a
his araddha.
expression ot not tma. Whatever
individual, the samsari, jiza, and
here is the
is sättvika
is what he is. If his [radah
s sradáha 1s, that
a person All his activities, his whole life,
sättvika, and so on.
he will be
aradáhä.
manifestation of his
will be a
and just think
the term aradáha tor
the time being
Forget life. It is going
determines the expression of your
about what
value structure and priorities. SupPpose
to be in terms
of your
he he has n o time
to a movie and says
ask s o m e o n e to go
you are clear. One
is more
The priorities
because he has to play bridge.
with
Another person may go
him than the other.
important for to the dsrama.
not because he
is going
you, and yet another may
 a y Ourse
I see this all the time
when I
three give public talks.
nights, will never
I
get the same IfIf .
they
even though I deliberately leave them people
ople the second
secou are
for
is with a ni
no
way they can figure out the
and vet, they do not come the
next
topic I am clif-hanger.
goin Ther
here
other engagement was more night. Why? Prioritios
and so on. Even it God important -
a
dinner, a COne
Some
were to
for one more
come, he would have concert,
dav. A person is
nothing but his
to wais
wait
That is why vou have to prioritie or her
understand how ities.
whole
change takes place only when the important it is. The
rearrangement as to
- which is
priorities change. That
more
important -
really brings important, which is less
about the
sets him in a
change in the person
that
new direction. That
pursuits indicates the
prioritising of values and
of sraddha
type of
thinking person has, the a
he has. And type
therefore, Bhagavn makes a sweeping
statement here, which is
Whatever is a applicable to
any person
anywhere,
person's [raddh, he is indeed the
of
that
[raddh; that is, he conforms
that [raddh to
personification
sraddhh sa eva
sah. - yo yat
Verse 4
Three-fold [raddh
- sttvika, rjasika and tkmasika
yajante sattvika devan
pretan yak_arak_ari1si rajasal
bhutaganarmscanye yajante tamasa janal (-4)
 Chapter 17 233

sättoika people; devdn the devas; yajante -

-

the
slttrukaljanal

the räjasika people; yaksa-raksamsi the

-

w o r s h i p ; r jas lh

rak_as; anye
{ and) others; tamasüh the tämasika
-

and
Vaksa

üta-gann ca and the 1üta-ganas;

ghosts;
pretän
people

yajante- worship

the devas; the rjasika

sättoika people worship
The
the yak_a-rak_as, (and) the others,
worship
(people) and bhüta-ganas.
tämasika (people),
worship ghosts
we can see what kind of sraddha
standpoints
From different
has whether sattoa, rajas, or tamas. One way of
a person
is by the deities he worships. If he worships
determining this
who are mentioned in
like Indra, Varuna and Agni,
the devas, [raddh is sättvika.
or Brahm, Visnu or Siva, his
the Vedas, certain kind of
those who worship
a yak_a, a
Then there are
or a spirit. Their worship is
celestial, or a raksas, a goblin
invoke pretas, ghosts,
or
And those who
considered rajasika.
is tämasika. A
have a sraddh that
harmful spirits to worship
who did not follow proper
soul of a person
preta is the departed in that form for some
has to exist
conduct during his
life and
ones worshipped
by
These a r e the
time before he proceeds. reflects a sradaha
such worship
black magic, and
people who do done, zilhi,
and
what is to be
that is tamasika. In prescribing method ot
follows a
ni_edha, the Veda
what is not to be done, o r qualitying
t,

and negating
general rule, utsarga,
shoula
a one
Stating rule that
no

general
example, it is
a kuryät.
puonaa, For "hims nit
na

o r thing;
it says.
hurt another living being allowed.
Somebody
hirisd is
involv there is
ustice
But where there is homicide.
Thus,
c o m m i t t e d
a

because he
is hanged
 234 Bhagavad GHa
lo Stuly nre
no rule, which does not have an
exeption, firt o
of Bhagavän.
There are general rues in the astra abonut heu the
vatna
devas like Brahm, Vi_nu, Siva, Indra, Varuna, Appi, ard
on, are to be worshipped. From this standprint a br
worship may or may not be said to be sattoika But even
who worship the devas only a rare one 1s committed t,
and does a sållvka form of worship, says Sankara. N Y
uses the criterion of the
motive of the worship t tlasif te
or fämasika. Among the many who ar
sãttvika, räjasika
of the gods and so on, onl: me
committed to the worship
who want or
these, some are jijñasus
are based
in sattva. Of
in order to gain
knowledge of their idere
antal-karana-sudahi devas according
result of the worship of the
as a
with Isvara, is surelr s~mi
kind of worship
vidhi. This
c o m m i t t e d to the spec
the prescribed who are
most people deoat s are gener
But generally, offered to these
that a r e Because ther
results of prayers t masika
worship. Why?
or saris a. through
to r jasika ends
within
given other ignoble
and
seek power
the worship.
How?
Verses 5&&6
c o n v i c t i o n
People ofsura
apyant
e ty:
glhoraim
dambhähaikärasannyuktall kämarag
asãstravihitari
 Chapter 17 235

aarirastham bhütagrmam acetasah

kar[ayanlalh
Caiväntahsarirastham tan viddhysuraniscayn (6)
urit

who; dambha-ahankära-sarnyuktah
-

janah
those people
e egoity; and käma-rga-bala-anvitah
-

riddled with pretension

passion and longing; acetasah lacking
endowed with strong
[arirastham bhata-grämam
-

the sense organs

in discrimination;
mait ca and me,
body; antajsarírastharm
-

in the
obtaining
also; kar[ayantalh emaciating;
-

obtaining in the body;

eva -

the astra; ghoram terrible;

a[ãstra-vihitam not enjoined by
-

perform; tän viddhi

-

religious disciplines; tapyante

-

tapas
be; sura-niacayn
-

of Asura conviction
know them to

who are riddled with pretension and

Those people
endowed with
egoity, who lack in discrimination,
and longingwho perform terrible
strong passion
the [Astra, emaciating
religious disciplines not enjoined by
and me as well,
the sense organs obtaining in the body,
them
who obtains within the body may you know

(to be) of sura conviction.

These two verses have to be read together to formn a

complete sentence. Tapas here is religious worship that may
do is
consist of prayers, rituals, etc. The tapas that these people
not enjoined by the sästra, a[stra-vihitam. And it is ghora,

afflicting one's own body-mind-sense complex.

Not only that,
when such people worship, others are also afflicted. Many
want
animals
may die, as on 'thanksgiving:' Just because you