Bhagavad Gita
Chapter XVII — Religion by the Threefold Faith
Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa18853 min read
Bhagavad GitaKrishnaBhakti
Arjuna
If men forsake the holy ordinance,Heedless of Shastras, yet keep faith at heartAnd worship, what shall be the state of those,Great Krishna! Sattwan, Rajas, Tamas? Say!
Krishna
Threefold the faith is of mankind and springsFrom those three qualities,--becoming "true,"Or "passion-stained," or "dark," as thou shalt hear!
The faith of each believer, Indian Prince!Conforms itself to what he truly is.Where thou shalt see a worshipper, that oneTo what he worships lives assimilate,[Such as the shrine, so is the votary,]The "soothfast" souls adore true gods; the soulsObeying Rajas worship RakshasasOr Yakshas; and the men of Darkness prayTo Pretas and to Bhutas. Yea, and thoseWho practise bitter penance, not enjoinedBy rightful rule--penance which hath its rootIn self-sufficient, proud hypocrisies--Those men, passion-beset, violent, wild,Torturing--the witless ones--My elementsShut in fair company within their flesh,(Nay, Me myself, present within the flesh!)Know them to devils devoted, not to Heaven!For like as foods are threefold for mankindIn nourishing, so is there threefold wayOf worship, abstinence, and almsgiving!Hear this of Me! there is a food which bringsForce, substance, strength, and health, and joy to live,Being well-seasoned, cordial, comforting,The "Soothfast" meat. And there be foods which bringAches and unrests, and burning blood, and grief,Being too biting, heating, salt, and sharp,And therefore craved by too strong appetite.And there is foul food--kept from over-night,Savourless, filthy, which the foul will eat,A feast of rottenness, meet for the lipsOf such as love the "Darkness."
Thus with rites;--A sacrifice not for rewardment made,Offered in rightful wise, when he who vowsSayeth, with heart devout, "This I should do!"Is "Soothfast" rite. But sacrifice for gain,Offered for good repute, be sure that this,O Best of Bharatas! is Rajas-rite,With stamp of "passion." And a sacrificeOffered against the laws, with no due doleOf food-giving, with no accompanimentOf hallowed hymn, nor largesse to the priests,In faithless celebration, call it vile,The deed of "Darkness!"--lost!
Worship of godsMeriting worship; lowly reverenceOf Twice-borns, Teachers, Elders; Purity,Rectitude, and the Brahmacharya's vow,And not to injure any helpless thing,--These make a true religiousness of Act.
Words causing no man woe, words ever true,Gentle and pleasing words, and those ye sayIn murmured reading of a Sacred Writ,--These make the true religiousness of Speech.
Serenity of soul, benignity,Sway of the silent Spirit, constant stressTo sanctify the Nature,--these things makeGood rite, and true religiousness of Mind.
Such threefold faith, in highest pietyKept, with no hope of gain, by hearts devote,Is perfect work of Sattwan, true belief.
Religion shown in act of proud displayTo win good entertainment, worship, fame,Such--say I--is of Rajas, rash and vain.
Religion followed by a witless willTo torture self, or come at power to hurtAnother,--'tis of Tamas, dark and ill.
The gift lovingly given, when one shall say"Now must I gladly give!" when he who takesCan render nothing back; made in due place,Due time, and to a meet recipient,Is gift of Sattwan, fair and profitable.
The gift selfishly given, where to receiveIs hoped again, or when some end is sought,Or where the gift is proffered with a grudge,This is of Rajas, stained with impulse, ill.
The gift churlishly flung, at evil time,In wrongful place, to base recipient,Made in disdain or harsh unkindliness,Is gift of Tamas, dark; it doth not bless!
“HERE ENDETH CHAPTER XVII. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, Entitled "Sraddhatrayavibhagayog," Or "The Book of Religion by the Threefold Kinds of Faith."”
— Bhagavad Gita