Verse 17-1
अर्जुन उवाच | ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः | तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ||१७-१||
arjuna uvāca . ye śāstravidhimutsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ . teṣāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvamāho rajastamaḥ ..17-1..
Arjuna said: 1. Those who, setting aside the ordinances of the scriptures, perform sacrifice with faith, what is their condition, O Krishna? Is it SATTWA, RAJAS or TAMAS?
Verse 17-2
श्रीभगवानुवाच | त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा | सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु ||१७-२||
śrībhagavānuvāca . trividhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṃ sā svabhāvajā . sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti tāṃ śṛṇu ..17-2..
The Blessed Lord said: 2. Three-fold is the faith of the embodied, which is inherent in their nature --- the SATTWIC (pure) , the RAJASIC (passionate) and the TAMASIC (dull, dark) . Thus thou hear of it.
Verse 17-3
सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत | श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः ||१७-३||
sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata . śraddhāmayo.ayaṃ puruṣo yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ ..17-3..
3. The faith of each is in accordance with his nature, O Bharata. Man consists of his faith; as a man's faith is, so is he.
Verse 17-4
यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः | प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ||१७-४||
yajante sāttvikā devānyakṣarakṣāṃsi rājasāḥ . pretānbhūtagaṇāṃścānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ ..17-4..
4. The SATTWIC , or "pure" men, worship the gods (DEVAS) ; the RAJASIC or the "passionate, " the YAKSHAS and the RAKSHASAS; the others --- TAMASIC people, or the "dark or dull" folk, worship the ghosts (PRETAS) and the hosts of BHUTAS, or the nature/spirits.
Verse 17-5
अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जनाः | दम्भाहंकारसंयुक्ताः कामरागबलान्विताः ||१७-५||
aśāstravihitaṃ ghoraṃ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ . dambhāhaṃkārasaṃyuktāḥ kāmarāgabalānvitāḥ ..17-5..
5. Those men who practice terrific austerities, not enjoined by the scriptures, given to hypocrisy and egoism, impelled by the force of lust and attachment . . .
Verse 17-6
कर्षयन्तः शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतसः | मां चैवान्तःशरीरस्थं तान्विद्ध्यासुरनिश्चयान् ||१७-६||
karṣayantaḥ śarīrasthaṃ bhūtagrāmamacetasaḥ . māṃ caivāntaḥśarīrasthaṃ tānviddhyāsuraniścayān ..17-6..
6. Senselessly torturing all the elements in the body, and Me also who dwells within the body --- you may know these to be of 'demoniacal' resolves.
Verse 17-7
आहारस्त्वपि सर्वस्य त्रिविधो भवति प्रियः | यज्ञस्तपस्तथा दानं तेषां भेदमिमं शृणु ||१७-७||
āhārastvapi sarvasya trividho bhavati priyaḥ . yajñastapastathā dānaṃ teṣāṃ bhedamimaṃ śṛṇu ..17-7..
7. The food also which is dear to each is three-fold, as also sacrifice, austerity and alms-giving. You may now hear the distinction of these.
Verse 17-8
आयुःसत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धनाः | रस्याः स्निग्धाः स्थिरा हृद्या आहाराः सात्त्विकप्रियाः ||१७-८||
āyuḥsattvabalārogyasukhaprītivivardhanāḥ . rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā āhārāḥ sāttvikapriyāḥ ..17-8..
8. The foods which increase life, purity, strength, health, joy and cheerfulness (good appetite) , which are savory and oleaginous, substantial and agreeable, are dear to the SATTWIC (Pure) .
Verse 17-9
कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः | आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः ||१७-९||
kaṭvamlalavaṇātyuṣṇatīkṣṇarūkṣavidāhinaḥ . āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā duḥkhaśokāmayapradāḥ ..17-9..
9. The foods that are bitter, sour, saline, excessively hot, pungent, dry and burning, are liked by the RAJASIC , and are productive of pain, grief and disease.
Verse 17-10
यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत् | उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम् ||१७-१०||
yātayāmaṃ gatarasaṃ pūti paryuṣitaṃ ca yat . ucchiṣṭamapi cāmedhyaṃ bhojanaṃ tāmasapriyam ..17-10..
10. That which is stale, tasteless, putrid and rotten, refuse and impure, is the food liked by the 'TAMASIC. '
Verse 17-11
अफलाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते | यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः ||१७-११||
aphalāṅkṣibhiryajño vidhidṛṣṭo ya ijyate . yaṣṭavyameveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ ..17-11..
11. That sacrifice which is offered by men without desire for fruit, and as enjoined by ordinance, with a firm faith that sacrifice is a duty, is SATTWIC or 'pure. '
Verse 17-12
अभिसन्धाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत् | इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम् ||१७-१२||
abhisandhāya tu phalaṃ dambhārthamapi caiva yat . ijyate bharataśreṣṭha taṃ yajñaṃ viddhi rājasam ..17-12..
12. The sacrifice which is offered, O best of the Bharatas, seeking for fruit and for ostentation, you may know that to be a RAJASIC YAJNA.
Verse 17-13
विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम् | श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ||१७-१३||
vidhihīnamasṛṣṭānnaṃ mantrahīnamadakṣiṇam . śraddhāvirahitaṃ yajñaṃ tāmasaṃ paricakṣate ..17-13..
13. They declare that sacrifice to be TAMASIC which is contrary to the ordinances, in which no food is distributed, which is devoid of MANTRAS and gifts, and which is devoid of faith.
Verse 17-14
देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम् | ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते ||१७-१४||
devadvijaguruprājñapūjanaṃ śaucamārjavam . brahmacaryamahiṃsā ca śārīraṃ tapa ucyate ..17-14..
14. Worship of the gods, the twice-born, the teachers and the 'wise' ; purity, straight-forwardness, celibacy, and non-injury; these are called the "austerity of the body. "
Verse 17-15
अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत् | स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते ||१७-१५||
anudvegakaraṃ vākyaṃ satyaṃ priyahitaṃ ca yat . svādhyāyābhyasanaṃ caiva vāṅmayaṃ tapa ucyate ..17-15..
15. Speech which causes no excitement, and is truthful, pleasant and beneficial, and the practice of the study of the VEDAS, these constitute the "austerity of speech. "
Verse 17-16
मनः प्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः | भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते ||१७-१६||
manaḥ prasādaḥ saumyatvaṃ maunamātmavinigrahaḥ . bhāvasaṃśuddhirityetattapo mānasamucyate ..17-16..
16. Serenity of mind, good-heartedness, silence, self-control, purity of nature --- these together are called the "mental austerity. "
Verse 17-17
श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः | अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ||१७-१७||
śraddhayā parayā taptaṃ tapastattrividhaṃ naraiḥ . aphalākāṅkṣibhiryuktaiḥ sāttvikaṃ paricakṣate ..17-17..
17. This three-fold austerity, practiced by steadfast men, with the utmost faith, desiring no fruit, they call 'SATTWIC. '
Verse 17-18
सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत् | क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम् ||१७-१८||
satkāramānapūjārthaṃ tapo dambhena caiva yat . kriyate tadiha proktaṃ rājasaṃ calamadhruvam ..17-18..
18. The austerity which is practiced with the object of gaining good reception, honor and worship, and with hypocrisy, is here said to be RAJASIC, unstable and transitory.
Verse 17-19
मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः | परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ||१७-१९||
mūḍhagrāheṇātmano yatpīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ . parasyotsādanārthaṃ vā tattāmasamudāhṛtam ..17-19..
19. That austerity which is practiced with self-torture, out of some foolish notion, for the purpose of destroying another, is declared to be TAMASIC.
Verse 17-20
दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे | देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ||१७-२०||
dātavyamiti yaddānaṃ dīyate.anupakāriṇe . deśe kāle ca pātre ca taddānaṃ sāttvikaṃ smṛtam ..17-20..
20. That gift which is given, knowing it to be a duty, in a fit time and place, to a worthy person, from whom we expect nothing in return, is held to be SATTWIC.