अर्जुन उवाचये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयाऽन्विताः
तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः
arjuna uvācaye śāstravidhimutsṛjya yajante śraddhayā'nvitāḥ|teṣāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvamāho rajastamaḥ||
Arjuna said: Those who endowed with faith, worship gods and others casting aside the injunctions of the scriptures, where do they stand, Krsna,- in Sattva, Rajas or Tamas?
श्री भगवानुवाचत्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा
सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां श्रृणु
śrī bhagavānuvācatrividhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṃ sā svabhāvajā|sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti tāṃ śrṛṇu||
Sri Bhagavan said: that untutored innate faith of men is of three kinds—Sattvika and Rajasika and Tamasika. Hear of it from Me.
सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत
श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः
sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata|śraddhāmayo'yaṃ puruṣo yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ||
The faith of all men conforms to their mental constitution, Arjuna. This man consists of faith; whatever the nature of his faith, he is verily that.
यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः
प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः
yajante sāttvikā devānyakṣarakṣāṃsi rājasāḥ|pretānbhūtagaṇāṃścānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ||
Men of a Sattvika disposition worship gods; those of Rajasika temperament worship demigods and demons; while others, who are men of a Tamasika disposition, worship the spirits of the dead and groups of ghosts.
अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जनाः
दम्भाहङ्कारसंयुक्ताः कामरागबलान्विताः
aśāstravihitaṃ ghoraṃ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ|dambhāhaṅkārasaṃyuktāḥ kāmarāgabalānvitāḥ||
Men who practise dire penance of an arbitrary type not sanctioned by the scriptures, and who are full of hypocrisy and egotism and are obsessed with desire, attachment and pride of power;
कर्षयन्तः शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतसः
मां चैवान्तःशरीरस्थं तान्विद्ध्यासुरनिश्चयान्
karṣayantaḥ śarīrasthaṃ bhūtagrāmamacetasaḥ|māṃ caivāntaḥśarīrasthaṃ tānviddhyāsuraniścayān||
And who emaciate the elements constituting their body as well as Me, the supreme Spirit, dwelling in their heart,—know these senseless people to have a demoniac disposition.
आहारस्त्वपि सर्वस्य त्रिविधो भवति प्रियः
यज्ञस्तपस्तथा दानं तेषां भेदमिमं श्रृणु
āhārastvapi sarvasya trividho bhavati priyaḥ|yajñastapastathā dānaṃ teṣāṃ bhedamimaṃ śrṛṇu||
Food also, which is agreeable to different men according to their innate disposition, is of three Kinds. And likewise sacrifice, penance and charity too are of three kinds each; hear their distinction as follows.
आयुःसत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धनाः
रस्याः स्निग्धाः स्थिरा हृद्या आहाराः सात्त्विकप्रियाः
āyuḥsattvabalārogyasukhaprītivivardhanāḥ|rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā āhārāḥ sāttvikapriyāḥ||
Foods which promote longevity, intelligence, vigour, health, happiness and cheerfulness, and which are sweet, bland, substantial and naturally agreeable, are dear to the Sattvika type of men.
कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः
आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः
kaṭvamlalavaṇātyuṣṇatīkṣṇarūkṣavidāhinaḥ|āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā duḥkhaśokāmayapradāḥ||
Foods which are bitter, acid, salty, overhot, pungent, dry and burning, and which cause suffering, grief and sickness, are dear to the Rajasika type of men.
यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत्
उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम्
yātayāmaṃ gatarasaṃ pūti paryuṣitaṃ ca yat|ucchiṣṭamapi cāmedhyaṃ bhojanaṃ tāmasapriyam||
Food which is half-cooked or half-ripe, insipid, putrid, stale and polluted, and which is impure too, is dear to men a Tamasika disposition.
अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते
यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः
aphalākāṅkṣibhiryajño vidhidṛṣṭo ya ijyate|yaṣṭavyameveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ||
The sacrifice which is offered, as ordained by scriptural injunctions, by men who expect no return and who believe that such sacrifices must be performed, is Sattvika in character.
अभिसंधाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत्
इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम्
abhisaṃdhāya tu phalaṃ dambhārthamapi caiva yat|ijyate bharataśreṣṭha taṃ yajñaṃ viddhi rājasam||
That sacrifice; however, which is offered for the sake of mere show or even with an eye to its fruit, know it to be Rajasika Arjuna.
विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम्
श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते
vidhihīnamasṛṣṭānnaṃ mantrahīnamadakṣiṇam|śraddhāvirahitaṃ yajñaṃ tāmasaṃ paricakṣate||
A sacrifice which has no respect for scriptural injunctions, in which no food is offered, and no sacrificial fees are paid, which is without sacred chant and devoid of faith, is said to be Tamasika.
देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम्
ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते
devadvijaguruprājñapūjanaṃ śaucamārjavam|brahmacaryamahiṃsā ca śārīraṃ tapa ucyate||
Worship of gods, the Brahmanas, one's elders and wise men, purity, straightness, continence and harmlessness—this is called bodily penance.
अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत्
स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते
anudvegakaraṃ vākyaṃ satyaṃ priyahitaṃ ca yat|svādhyāyābhyasanaṃ caiva vāṅmayaṃ tapa ucyate||
Words which cause no annoyance to others and are truthful, agreeable and wholesome, as well as the study of the Vedas and other Sastras and the practice of repetition of the Divine Name—this is known as the austerity of speech.
मनःप्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः
भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते
manaḥprasādaḥ saumyatvaṃ maunamātmavinigrahaḥ|bhāvasaṃśuddhirityetattapo mānasamucyate||
Cheerfulness of mind, placidity, habit of contemplation on God, control of the mind and perfect purity of inner feeling—all this is called austerity of the mind.
श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः
अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते
śraddhayā parayā taptaṃ tapastattrividhaṃ naraiḥ|aphalākāṅkṣibhiryuktaiḥ sāttvikaṃ paricakṣate||
This threefold penance performed with supreme faith by Yogis expecting no return is called Sattvika.
सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत्
क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम्
satkāramānapūjārthaṃ tapo dambhena caiva yat|kriyate tadiha proktaṃ rājasaṃ calamadhruvam||
The penance which is performed for the sake of renown, honour and worship as well as for any other selfish gain either in all sincerity or by way of ostentation, and yields an uncertain and momentary fruit, has been spoken of here as Rajasika.
मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः
परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्
mūḍhagrāheṇātmano yatpīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ|parasyotsādanārthaṃ vā tattāmasamudāhṛtam||
Austerity which is practised through perversity and is accompanied with self-mortification or is intended to harm others, such austerity has been declared as Tamasika.
दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे
देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम्
dātavyamiti yaddānaṃ dīyate'nupakāriṇe|deśe kāle ca pātre ca taddānaṃ sāttvikaṃ smṛtam||
A gift which is bestowed with a sense of duty on one who is no benefactor when a fit place, suitable time and a deserving person are available, that gift has been pronounced as Sattvika.
यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः
दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम्
yattu pratyupakārārthaṃ phalamuddiśya vā punaḥ|dīyate ca parikliṣṭaṃ taddānaṃ rājasaṃ smṛtam||
A gift which is bestowed in a grudging spirit and with the object of getting a service in return or in the hope of obtaining a reward, is called Rajasika.
अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते
असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्
adeśakāle yaddānamapātrebhyaśca dīyate|asatkṛtamavajñātaṃ tattāmasamudāhṛtam||
A gift which is made without good grace and in a disdainful spirit out of time and place and to undeserving persons, is said to be Tamasika.
तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः
ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा
tatsaditi nirdeśo brahmaṇastrividhaḥ smṛtaḥ|brāhmaṇāstena vedāśca yajñāśca vihitāḥ purā||
OM, TAT and SAT—This has been declared as the threefold appellation of the Absolute, who is Truth, Consciousness and Bliss solidified. By That the Brahmanas and the Vedas as well as sacrifices were created at the cosmic dawn.
तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाः
प्रवर्तन्ते विधानोक्ताः सततं ब्रह्मवादिनाम्
tasmādomityudāhṛtya yajñadānatapaḥkriyāḥ|pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satataṃ brahmavādinām||
Therefore, acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity as enjoined by sacred precepts are always commenced by noble souls given to the recitation of Vedic chants with utterance of the divine name OM.
तदित्यनभिसन्धाय फलं यज्ञतपःक्रियाः
दानक्रियाश्च विविधाः क्रियन्ते मोक्षकाङ्क्षिभि:
tadityanabhisandhāya phalaṃ yajñatapaḥkriyāḥ|
dānakriyāśca vividhāḥ kriyante mokṣakāṅkṣibhi:||
With the idea that all this belongs to God, who is denoted by the appellation TAT, acts of sacrifice and austerity as well as acts of charity of various kinds are performed by the seekers of blessedness expecting no return for them.
सद्भावे साधुभावे च सदित्येतत्प्रयुज्यते
प्रशस्ते कर्मणि तथा सच्छब्दः पार्थ युज्यते
sadbhāve sādhubhāve ca sadityetatprayujyate|praśaste karmaṇi tathā sacchabdaḥ pārtha yujyate||
The name of God, SAT, is employed in the sense of truth and goodness. And the word SAT is also used in the sense of a praiseworthy act, Arjuna.
यज्ञे तपसि दाने च स्थितिः सदिति चोच्यते
कर्म चैव तदर्थीयं सदित्येवाभिधीयते
yajñe tapasi dāne ca sthitiḥ saditi cocyate|karma caiva tadarthīyaṃ sadityevābhidhīyate||
And steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity and charity is likewise spoken of as 'Sat', and action for the sake of God is verily termed as 'Sat'.
अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत्
असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह
aśraddhayā hutaṃ dattaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat|asadityucyate pārtha na ca tatpretya no iha||
Whatsoever is wrought without faith, oblation, gift, austerity, or other deed, "Asat" it is called, O Pârtha; it is nought, here or hereafter.