Bhagavatgita adetailed study chapter17 Three kinds of faith

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Bhagavatgita

chapter 17-Three kinds of faith,

 

 

 

Arjuna uvaacha

 

1.Ye Sasthra viDhim uthsrjyaa yajanthe SradDhayaanvithaaH

 

Theshaam nishTaa thu kaa

krshNa sathvam aaho

rajasthamaH

 

 

Arjuna said,

 

What will be the condition of those who

perform the vedic rituals with faith but

not according to the rules laid down by the sasthras, Krishna?

 

In the previous chapter Krishna said that sasthra must be the authority in all

actions. Now Arjuna gets a doubt as to whether those who perform ritualistic

actions with full faith but without recourse to sasthras will get results. Here the people that are

meant are not those who neglect the injunctions of the sasthras but those who

have full faith in scriptures but lack the capacity to learn them and

understand them and do the rituals as taught by the elders without knowing their significance and with blind

faith. Arjuna further wants to know whether such faith can be classified as

Satthvik rajasik or thamasik.

 

Krishna starts classifying faith in this adhyaya

and also the food, sacrifice, penance and acts of charity into three kinds,

satthvik, rajasik and Thamasik.

 

Sri Bhagavaan uvaacha

 

2.thriviDhaa bhavathi

SradDhaa dhehinaam saa svabhaavajaa

 

saathvikee raajasee chaiva thaamasee chethi

thaam SrNu

 

The

Lord said,

 

The

faith is of three kinds for the embodied beings depending on their nature and

classified as saathvik, raajasik and

thaamasik. Listen.

 

3.sathvaanuroopaa

sarvasya SradDhaa bhavathi bhaaratha

 

SradDhaamayo ayam purushaH yo yath SrdadhaH

sa eva saH

 

The faith differs according

to one's nature , oh the descendent of

Bharatha, and the man is as his faith is.

 

Faith

is the result of karma and varies according to the mental impressions due to

three gunas, which ever among the three is predominant at the time.

 

A

man is what he believes he is and this depends on the nature of the composition

of the three gunas in him, according to which ever guna is the uppermost. Hence

the faith also is of three kinds.

 

4.yajanthe saathvikaaH

dhevaan yaksharakshaamsi raajasaaH

 

Prethaan bhoothagaNan cha anye yajanthe

thaamasaa

janaaH

 

Those predominantly satthvik in nature offer

sacrifice to the devas, and the rajasik to the supernatural beings and

monsters. The thamasic offer sacrifices to the ancestral spirits and ghosts.

 

There

are divine forces and demonic forces and also monstrous forces in the world and

these are represented by devas, yaksha rakshasas and bhoothas respectively.

Sacrifices are also classified according to the three gunas. Those which are

done for the purpose of welfare of humanity propitiate sathvik forms of

divinity like Indra, varuna etc. The

rajasik are performed for power and wealth and they are directed towards the yakshas

and rakshas , meaning those like kali in her fierce form and the powers thus

acquired are used to oppress others. The thaamasik are those which are like the

abhichara homas, done for the destruction of others. They invoke evil forces of

destruction..

 

Even

in the modern sense of the term the yajna is any offering made by way of one's

activities. Whatever the saathvik people do is for the welfare of the world and

the vibrations sent out by them attract similar vibrations in the universe and

the acts gather strength and results in the welfare of all. On the other hand

the vibrations sent out by the raajasik attracts similar vibrations and they become more passionate and powerful and tend

to dominate the world. The thaamasika vibrations recoil on the one who

sends and even though it causes some

damage only to those who lack faith and are weak in mind it cannot affect

strong minded and those who believe in the divine protection and hence boomerangs

on the one who sent it.

 

Krishna further explains the

reason why the vast majority of people

are attracted towards rajasik and thamasik only.

 

5.asaasthra vihitham ghoram thapyanthe ye thapo

janaaH

 

dhambhaahamkaarasamyukthaaH

kaamraagabalaanvithaaH

 

Those who follow the

austerities not sanctioned by the sasthra because of their vanity, ego and

influenced by passion and power,

 

6. karSayanthaH SareerasTham bhoothagraamam achethaSaH

 

mam

chaiva anthaH SareerasTham thaan vidDhi

aasuraniSchayaan

 

They torment the elements

in their bodies in a mindless manner, and Me also who is inside the body. Know

them to be of aasurik resolve.

 

Those who are moved by greed and desire and

hungering for power resort to rajasik rituals to attain these. They torment

their bodies and thus persecute the Lord also who is inside them. This kind of

people include asuras such as Hirnayakasipu, Ravana etc. In modern days those

who perform rituals for fame and power also come under this category. Those

that perform abhichara homas propitiating the spirits come under thamasik kind.

 

Next Krishna

classifies the food also in to three kinds which are liked by saathvik raajasik

and thaamasik people and induces similar tendencies.