GG 17 The Divisions of Faith

Gītār Gān

GG 16 The Divine and Demoniac Nature - GG 18 Conclusion - The Perfection of Renunciation

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter 17
The Divisions of Faith

arjun kahilen:

śāstra-vidhi nāhi jāne kintu śraddhānvita

yajana karaye yārā kivā tār hita

kivā niṣṭhā tār kṛṣṇa sattva, rajotam

vistāra kaha'ta sei śuni icchā mama

Text 1: Arjuna inquired: O Kṛṣṇa, 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?

śrī-bhagavān kahilen:

svabhāvaja tin niṣṭhā śraddhā se dehīra

sāttvikī, rājasī ār tāmasī gabhīra

vivaraṇ kahi tār śuna diyā man

yār yebā śraddhā hay guṇera kāraṇ

Text 2: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: According to the modes of nature acquired by the embodied soul, one's faith can be of three kinds—in goodness, in passion or in ignorance. Now hear about this.

nija sattvā anurūpā śraddhā se bhārata

śraddhāmay puruṣa ye śraddhā ye temata

Text 3: O son of Bharata, according to one's existence under the various modes of nature, one evolves a particular kind of faith. The living being is said to be of a particular faith according to the modes he has acquired.

sāttvikī ye śraddhā sei pūje devatāre

rājasī ye śraddhā pūje yakṣa rākṣasere

tāmasī ye śraddhā tāhe bhūt pret pūje

yār sei śraddhā hay sei tathā bhaje

Text 4: Men in the mode of goodness worship the demigods; those in the mode of passion worship the demons; and those in the mode of ignorance worship ghosts and spirits.

śāstra-bidhi tyāg kari ye tapasyā kare

dambha darpa kām rāg yukta ahaṅkāre

vṛthā upavāsa kare kleś sahivāre

śarīrete bhūtgaṇe mūrkha karśivāre

āmākeo antaryāmī śarīra bhitare

āsurik jāna sei tār vyavahāre

Texts 5-6: Those who undergo severe austerities and penances not recommended in the scriptures, performing them out of pride and egoism, who are impelled by lust and attachment, who are foolish and who torture the material elements of the body as well as the Supersoul dwelling within, are to be known as demons.

āhāra-o trividha se yathāyatha priya

sāttvikī, rājasī ār tāmasī ye heya

yajña, jap, tap, dān se-o se trividha

yār yevā bhed guṇ bhinna vahuvidha

Text 7: Even the food each person prefers is of three kinds, according to the three modes of material nature. The same is true of sacrifices, austerities and charity. Now hear of the distinctions between them.

āyu sattva valārogya sukha prīti bāḍe

rasya snigdha sthir hṛdya sāttvika āhāre

kaṭu amla lavaṇākta ati uṣṇa yei

jvālā poḍā āmayī rājasika sei

vāsī śaitya gataras pacā vā durgandha

ucchiṣṭa amedhya yei khādya tamasāndha

Text 8: Foods dear to those in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one's existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such foods are juicy, fatty, wholesome, and pleasing to the heart.

Text 9: Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease.

Text 10: Food prepared more than three hours before being eaten, food that is tasteless, decomposed and putrid, and food consisting of remnants and untouchable things is dear to those in the mode of darkness.

aphalākāṅkṣī ye yajña vidhi-mata hay

kartavya ye mane kare sāttvikī se kay

Text 11: Of sacrifices, the sacrifice performed according to the directions of scripture, as a matter of duty, by those who desire no reward, is of the nature of goodness.

mūle abhisandhi yār ākāṅkṣā phalete

rājasik yajña hay dambhera sahite

Text 12: But the sacrifice performed for some material benefit, or for the sake of pride, O chief of the Bhāratas, you should know to be in the mode of passion.

vidhi annahīna nāi mantra vā dakṣiṇā

śraddhā-hīn yajña sei tamasā ācchannā

Text 13: Any sacrifice performed without regard for the directions of scripture, without distribution of prasādam (spiritual food), without chanting of Vedic hymns and remunerations to the priests, and without faith is considered to be in the mode of ignorance.

dev dvija guru prājña ye saba pūjan

śouca saralatā brahmacaryera pālan

sei sab siddha hay śarīra tapasyā

anudveg-kara vākya kiṁbā priya poṣya

Text 14: Austerity of the body consists in worship of the Supreme Lord, the brāhmaṇas, the spiritual master, and superiors like the father and mother, and in cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy and nonviolence.

svādhyāya abhyās yata ved uccāraṇ

vāṅmaya tapasyā se śāstrera vacan

Text 15: Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial, and not agitating to others, and also in regularly reciting Vedic literature.

cittera prasannatā ye ār saralatā

ātma-nigrahādi mouna bhāva pravaṇatā

sei saba mānasika tapa nāme khyāta

uparokta saba tapa triguṇa prakhyāta

Text 16: And satisfaction, simplicity, gravity, self-control and purification of one's existence are the austerities of the mind.

trividha tapasyā yadi parā-śraddhā-yukta

phalākāṅkṣā yadi nahe sāttvikī se ukta

Text 17: This threefold austerity, performed with transcendental faith by men not expecting material benefits but engaged only for the sake of the Supreme, is called austerity in goodness.

lābh pūjā sammānera janya dambhera sahit

ye tapasyā sādhe loka tāhā rājasik

se tapasyāra ye phal tāhā aniścit

antavat tāra phal haya śāstrete vidita

Text 18: Penance performed out of pride and for the sake of gaining respect, honor and worship is said to be in the mode of passion. It is neither stable nor permanent.

mūḍha-buddhi yārā tape ātma-pīḍā dey

aparera vināśārtha ye tapasyā karay

tāmasī se saba yata tapasyā vahula

alīka tāhāra nām nahe śāstra anukūl

Text 19: Penance performed out of foolishness, with self-torture or to destroy or injure others, is said to be in the mode of ignorance.

kartavya jāniyā yei dānakriy hay

deśakāl pātra bujhi dātavya karay

anupakārīke dān se sāttvika hay

Text 20: Charity given out of duty, without expectation of return, at the proper time and place, and to a worthy person is considered to be in the mode of goodness.

pratyupakārera janya phalānusandhān

kimbā dān kari hay anutāpavān

rājasik dān sei śāstrera vicār

tāmasika dān yāhā śuna ei vār

adeśakāle ye dān apātrete hay

asatkār avaktā yei tāmasika kay

Text 21: But charity performed with the expectation of some return, or with a desire for fruitive results, or in a grudging mood, is said to be charity in the mode of passion.

Text 22: And charity performed at an impure place, at an improper time, to unworthy persons, or without proper attention and respect is said to be in the mode of ignorance.

yajña dān tapasyādi yāhā śāstrera nirṇay

oṁ tat sat se uddeśye anya kichu naya

se uddeśye pūrva-kāle brāhmanādigaṇ

yajña dān tapa ādi karila pālan

Text 23: From the beginning of creation, the three words oṁ tat sat were used to indicate the Supreme Absolute Truth. These three symbolic representations were used by brāhmaṇas while chanting the hymns of the Vedas and during sacrifices for the satisfaction of the Supreme.

sejanya brāhmaṇagaṇ 'om' uccāraṇe

yajñādi vidhān kare brahma ācaraṇe

Text 24: Therefore, transcendentalists undertaking performances of sacrifice, charity and penance in accordance with scriptural regulations begin always with 'oṁ', to attain the Supreme.

ataeva yajña dān tapasyāra phal

anyābhilāṣ nahe bhaktira kāraṇ

mokṣā-kāṅkṣī sejanya yajña dāna kare

sei se yajñādi phal vidita saṁsāre

Text 25: Without desiring fruitive results, one should perform various kinds of sacrifice, penance and charity with the word 'tat'. The purpose of such transcendental activities is to get free from material entanglement.

sat se śavdera artha brahma brahma-par

se uddeśye yata karma saba brahma-par

yajña dān tap kārya se uddeśye kare

loukika vaidika karma brahma nām dhare

Texts 26-27: The Absolute Truth is the objective of devotional sacrifice, and it is indicated by the word 'sat'. The performer of such sacrifice is also called 'sat', as are all works of sacrifice, penance and charity which, true to the absolute nature, are performed to please the Supreme Person, O son of Pṛthā.

se śraddhā vinā yāhā karmakṛta hay

asat karma tār nām śāstrete nirṇay

asat karma śuddha nahe iha parakāle

śāstra-vidhi parityāge sei phal phale

Text 28: Anything done as sacrifice, charity or penance without faith in the Supreme, O son of Pṛthā, is impermanent. It is called 'asat' and is useless both in this life and the next.

bhaktivedānta kahe śrī-gītāra gān

śune yadi śuddha bhakta kṛṣṇagata-prāṇ

Thus Bhaktivedānta sings the song of Śrī Gītā, with the hope that hearing this, Kṛṣṇa conscious pure devotees will be pleased.

Gītār Gān

GG 16 The Divine and Demoniac Nature - GG 18 Conclusion - The Perfection of Renunciation