06.039
Pancharatra: Bhagavad Gita 17th chapter.
arjuna uvāca॥
Arjuna said:
ye śāstravidhim utsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ। teṣāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvam āho rajastamaḥ ॥6-39-1॥
O Krishna, those who, abandoning scriptural rules, worship with faith, what is the nature of their faith? Is it characterized by goodness, passion, or ignorance?
śrībhagavānuvāca॥
The Blessed Lord said:
trividhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṃ sā svabhāvajā। sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti tāṃ śṛṇu ॥6-39-2॥
Faith in embodied beings is of three kinds, arising from their nature: it can be pure, passionate, or ignorant. Listen to this.
sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata। śraddhāmayo'yaṃ puruṣo yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ ॥6-39-3॥
O Bharata, the faith of every person is in accordance with their nature. A person is made of faith; whatever faith they have, that is what they truly are.
yajante sāttvikā devānyakṣarakṣāṃsi rājasāḥ। pretānbhūtagaṇāṃścānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ ॥6-39-4॥
People in the mode of goodness worship the gods, those in the mode of passion worship yakṣas and rākṣasas, while others, in the mode of ignorance, worship spirits and ghosts.
aśāstravihitaṃ ghoraṃ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ। dambhāhaṅkārasaṃyuktāḥ kāmarāgabalānvitāḥ ॥6-39-5॥
People who perform severe austerities not prescribed by the scriptures are filled with hypocrisy and ego, driven by desire, attachment, and strength.
karśayantaḥ śarīrasthaṃ bhūtagrāmamacetasaḥ। māṃ caivāntaḥśarīrasthaṃ tānviddhyāsuraniścayān ॥6-39-6॥
Those who foolishly torment the elements of their own body and also me, who am situated within the body, should be known as having a demoniac determination.
āhāras tv api sarvasya trividho bhavati priyaḥ। yajñas tapas tathā dānaṃ teṣāṃ bhedam imaṃ śṛṇu ॥6-39-7॥
The food that everyone prefers is of three kinds. Similarly, sacrifices, austerities, and charities are of three kinds. Listen to the distinctions of these.
āyuḥsattvabalārogyasukhaprītivivardhanāḥ। rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā āhārāḥ sāttvikapriyāḥ ॥6-39-8॥
Foods that are juicy, nourishing, stable, and pleasing to the heart increase longevity, purity, strength, health, happiness, and affection, and are favored by those who are pure.
kaṭv-amla-lavaṇa-atyuṣṇa-tīkṣṇa-rūkṣa-vidāhinaḥ। āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā duḥkha-śokāmaya-pradāḥ ॥6-39-9॥
Passionate people prefer foods that are pungent, sour, salty, very hot, sharp, dry, and burning, which lead to pain, sorrow, and illness.
yātayāmaṃ gatarasaṃ pūti paryuṣitaṃ ca yat। ucchiṣṭamapi cāmedhyaṃ bhojanaṃ tāmasapriyam ॥6-39-10॥
Food that is stale, tasteless, rotten, putrid, leftover, and impure is preferred by those in the mode of ignorance.
aphalākāṅkṣibhiryajño vidhidṛṣṭo ya ijyate। yaṣṭavyameveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ ॥6-39-11॥
A sacrifice performed without any desire for its fruits, according to scriptural injunctions, with a mind focused on the duty itself, is considered to be in the mode of goodness.
abhisandhāya tu phalaṃ dambhārthamapi caiva yat। ijyate bharataśreṣṭha taṃ yajñaṃ viddhi rājasam ॥6-39-12॥
O best of the Bharatas, know that the sacrifice performed with the intention of gaining fruit and for show is in the mode of passion.
vidhihīnamasṛṣṭānnaṃ mantrahīnamadakṣiṇam। śraddhāvirahitaṃ yajñaṃ tāmasaṃ paricakṣate ॥6-39-13॥
A sacrifice performed without adherence to proper procedures, without offering food, without chanting mantras, without giving gifts, and devoid of faith is considered to be in the mode of ignorance.
devadvijaguruprajñapūjanaṁ śaucamārjavam। brahmacaryamahiṁsā ca śārīraṁ tapa ucyate ॥6-39-14॥
The worship of gods, the twice-born, teachers, and the wise, along with purity, simplicity, celibacy, and non-violence, is considered as physical austerity.
anudvegakaraṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priyahitaṁ ca yat। svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ caiva vāṅmayaṁ tapa ucyate ॥6-39-15॥
Speech that does not cause agitation, is truthful, pleasing, and beneficial, along with the study and practice of scriptures, is considered verbal austerity.
manaḥprasādaḥ saumyatvaṃ maunamātmavinigrahaḥ। bhāvasaṃśuddhirityetattapo mānasamucyate ॥6-39-16॥
Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-control, and purity of disposition are considered as mental austerity.
śraddhayā parayā taptaṃ tapastattrividhaṃ naraiḥ। aphalākāṅkṣibhiryuktaiḥ sāttvikaṃ paricakṣate ॥6-39-17॥
Austerity performed with great faith by those who do not seek any reward is considered to be in the mode of goodness.
satkāramānapūjārthaṃ tapo dambhena caiva yat। kriyate tadiha proktaṃ rājasaṃ calamadhruvam ॥6-39-18॥
Austerity performed with the intent of gaining respect, honor, and worship, and done with hypocrisy, is considered to be in the mode of passion, which is unstable and temporary.
mūḍhagrāheṇātmano yatpīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ। parasyotsādanārthaṃ vā tattāmasamudāhṛtam ॥6-39-19॥
Austerity that is performed with foolish stubbornness, causing self-torment or intended to harm others, is said to be in the mode of ignorance.
dātavyamiti yaddānaṃ dīyate'nupakāriṇe। deśe kāle ca pātre ca taddānaṃ sāttvikaṃ smṛtam ॥6-39-20॥
A gift given without expectation of return, at the proper place and time, and to a deserving person, is considered to be in the mode of goodness.
yattu pratyupakārārthaṃ phalamuddiśya vā punaḥ। dīyate ca parikliṣṭaṃ taddānaṃ rājasaṃ smṛtam ॥6-39-21॥
A gift given with the expectation of a return or with a specific result in mind, and given reluctantly, is considered to be in the mode of passion.
adeśakāle yaddānamapātrebhyaśca dīyate। asatkṛtamavajñātaṃ tattāmasamudāhṛtam ॥6-39-22॥
A gift given at the wrong time and place, to those who are unworthy, without respect and with disdain, is considered a gift of darkness.
oṃ tatsaditi nirdeśo brahmaṇastrividhaḥ smṛtaḥ। brāhmaṇāstena vedāśca yajñāśca vihitāḥ purā ॥6-39-23॥
The phrase "Om, Tat, Sat" is considered a threefold designation of Brahman. It is through this designation that the Brahmanas, the Vedas, and the sacrifices were established in ancient times.
tasmādomityudāhṛtya yajñadānatapaḥkriyāḥ। pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satataṃ brahmavādinām ॥6-39-24॥
Therefore, the knowers of Brahman always begin their prescribed activities of sacrifice, charity, and austerity by uttering 'Om'.
tadityanabhisandhāya phalaṃ yajñatapaḥkriyāḥ। dānakriyāśca vividhāḥ kriyante mokṣakāṅkṣibhiḥ ॥6-39-25॥
Acts of sacrifice, austerity, and charity are performed without attachment to the results by those who seek liberation.
sadbhāve sādhubhāve ca sadityetatprayujyate। praśaste karmaṇi tathā sacchabdaḥ pārtha yujyate ॥6-39-26॥
The term 'Sat' is employed to denote the state of goodness and virtue, and it is also used, O son of Pṛthā, in the context of auspicious actions.
yajñe tapasi dāne ca sthitiḥ saditi cocyate। karma caiva tadarthīyaṃ sadityevābhidhīyate ॥6-39-27॥
Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity, and charity is said to be true, and so is action for such purposes.
aśraddhayā hutaṃ dattaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat। asadityucyate pārtha na ca tatpretya no iha ॥6-39-28॥
O son of Pṛthā, actions such as offerings, giving, austerities, and deeds done without faith are considered unreal and hold no value here or in the afterlife.
