BHAGAVAD-GITA 17:1

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 17:1

 

arjuna uvaca

ye sastra-vidhim utsrjya

yajante sraddhayanvitah

tesam nistha tu ka krsna

sattvam aho rajas tamah

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

arjunah uvaca--Arjuna said; ye--those who; sastra-vidhim--the

regulations of scripture; utsrjya--giving up; yajante--worship;

sraddhaya--full faith; anvitah--possessed of; tesam--of them;

nistha--the faith; tu--but; ka--what; krsna--O Krsna; sattvam--in

goodness; aho--or else; rajah--in passion; tamah--in ignorance.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Arjuna inquired: O Krsna, what is the situation of those who do not

follow the principles of scripture but worship according to their own

imagination? Are they in goodness, in passion or in ignorance?

 

PURPORT

 

In the Fourth Chapter, thirty-ninth verse, it is said that a person

faithful to a particular type of worship gradually becomes elevated to

the stage of knowledge and attains the highest perfectional stage of

peace and prosperity. In the Sixteenth Chapter, it is concluded that

one who does not follow the principles laid down in the scriptures is

called an asura, demon, and one who follows the scriptural injunctions

faithfully is called a deva, or demigod. Now, if one, with faith,

follows some rules which are not mentioned in the scriptural

injunctions, what is his position? This doubt of Arjuna's is to be

cleared by Krsna. Are those who create some sort of God by selecting a

human being and placing their faith in him worshiping in goodness,

passion or ignorance? Do such persons attain the perfectional stage of

life? Is it possible for them to be situated in real knowledge and

elevate themselves to the highest perfectional stage? Do those who do

not follow the rules and regulations of the scriptures but who have

faith in something and worship gods and demigods and men attain

success in their effort? Arjuna is putting these questions to Krsna.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.