ॐ श्री परमात्मने नमः !!
॥सप्तदशोऽध्यायः॥
अर्जुन उवाच ।
ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः ॥
तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ॥१७-१॥
Arjun said:
Those who, setting aside the ordinance of the Sastra, perform sacrifice with Sraddha, what is their condition, O Krishna? (Is it) Sattva, Rajas or Tamas?
Setting…. Sraddha: not that they believe the ordinance of the Sastra to be false, but out of laziness or because of the difficulty in adhering to them strictly, they let them alone and worship the gods, endued with Sraddha.
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा ॥
सात्त्विको राजसी चैव तामसी चेति ता शृणु ॥१७-२॥
The Blessed Lord said:
Threefold is the Sraddha of the embodied, which is inherent in their nature – the Sattvika, the Rajasika and the Tamasika. Do thou hear of it.
Inherent … nature: born of their past Samskaras.
It: the threefold Sraddha.
सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत ॥
श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः ॥१७-३॥
The Sraddha of each is according to his natural disposition, O descendant of Bharata. The man consists of his Sraddha; he verily is what his Sraddha is.
Natural disposition: the specific tendencies of Samskaras.
यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः ॥
प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥१७-४॥
Sattvika men worship the Devas, Rajasika, the Yaksas and the Raksasas; the others – the Tamasika men – the Pretas and the hosts of Bhutas.
अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जनाः ॥
दम्भाहङ्कारसंयुक्ताः कामरागबलान्विताः ॥१७-५॥
कर्शयन्तः शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतसः ॥
मां चैवान्तः शरीरस्थं तान्विद्ध्यासुरनिश्चयान् ॥१७-६॥
Those men who practise severe austerities not enjoined by the Sastras, given to ostentation and egoism, endowed with the power of lust and attachment, torture, senseless as they are, all the organs in the body, and Me dwelling in the body within; know them to be of Asurika resolve.
Austerities: which cause pain to himself and to other living beings.
Possessed …. attachment: may also be interpreted as, “possessed of lust, attachment and power”.
All the organs of the body: the aggregate of all the elements composing the body.
आहारस्त्वपि सर्वस्य त्रिविधो भवति प्रियः ॥
यज्ञस्तपस्तथा दानं तेषां भेदमिमं शृणु ॥१७-७॥
The food also which is liked by each of them is threefold, as also Yajna, austerity, and almsgiving. Do thou hear this, their distinction.
आयुःसत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धनाः ॥
रस्याः स्निग्धाः स्थिरा हृद्या आहाराः ॥१७-८॥
The foods which augment vitality, energy, strength, health, cheerfulness, and appetite, which are savoury and oleaginous, substantial and agreeable, are liked by the Sattvika.
कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहितः ॥
आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः ॥१७-९॥
The foods that are bitter, sour, saline, excessively hot, pungent, dry, and burning, are liked by the Rajasika, and are productive of pain, grief, and disease.
Excessively: this word should be construed with each of the seven; thus, excessively bitter, excessively sour, and so on.
याततामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत् ॥
उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम् ॥१७-१०॥
That which is stale, tasteless, stinking, cooked overnight, refuse, and impure, is the food liked by the Tamasika.
Stale: Yatayamam – lit., cooked three hours ago.
Refuse: left on the plate after a meal.
अफलाकांक्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते ॥
यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः ॥१७-११॥
That Yajna is Sattvika which is performed by men desiring no fruit, as enjoined by ordinance, with their mind fixed on the Yajna only, for its own sake.
अभिसन्धाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत् ॥
इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम् ॥१७-१२॥
That which is performed, O best of the Bharatas, seeking for fruit and for ostentation, know it to be a Rajasika Yajna.
विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम् ॥
श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ॥१७-१३॥
The Yajna performed without heed to ordinance, in which no food is distributed, which is devoid of Mantras, gifts, and Sraddha, is said to be Tamasika.
देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम् ॥
ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते ॥१७-१४॥
Worship of the Devas, the twice-born, the Gurus, and the wise; purity, straightforwardness, continence, and non-injury are called the austerity of the body.
अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत् ॥
स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते ॥१७-१५॥
Speech which causes no vexation, and is true, as also agreeable and beneficial and regular study of the Vedas – these are said to form the austerity of speech.
Speech, to be an austerity, must form an invariable combination of all the four attributes mentioned in the Sloka; if it lacks in one or other of them, it will no longer be an austerity of speech.
मनःप्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः ॥
भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते ॥१७-१६॥
Serenity of mind, kindliness, silence, self-control, honesty of motive – this is called the mental austerity.
Silence: Maunam – is the result of the control of thought so far as it concerns speech. Or it may mean, the condition of the Muni, i.e., practice of meditation.
श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः ॥
अफलाकांक्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ॥१७-१७॥
This threefold austerity practised by steadfast men, with great Sraddha, desiring no fruit, is said to be Sattvika.
सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत् ॥
क्रियते तदिहं प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम् ॥१७-१८॥
That austerity which is practised with the object of gaining welcome, honour, and worship, and with ostentation, is here said to be Rajasika, unstable, and transitory.
With ostentation: for mere show, hypocritically, with no sincere belief.
Here: is explained also in the sense of “of this world”, i.e., yielding fruit only in this world.
मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः ॥
परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥१७-१९॥
That austerity which is practised out of a foolish notion, with self-torture or for the purpose of ruining another, is declared to be Tamasika.
दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे ॥
देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥१७-२०॥
“To give is right” – gift given with this idea, to one who does no service in return, in a fit place and to a worthy person, that gift is held to be Sattvika.
Who …. return: one who cannot, or who though able is not expected to return the good.
यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः ॥
दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम् ॥१७-२१॥
And what is given with a view to receiving in return, or looking for the fruit, or again reluctantly, that gift is held to be Rajasika.
अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते ॥
असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥१७-२२॥
The gift that is given at the wrong place or time, to unworthy persons, without regard or with disdain, that is declared to be Tamasika.
ॐ तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः ॥
ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा ॥१७-२३॥
“Om, Tat, Sat”: this has been declared to be the triple designation of Brahman. By that were made of old the Brahmanas, the Vedas, and the Yajnas.
Om, Tat, Sat: Om is the principal name of the Lord, because it means all that is manifest and the beyond. It also means “Yes”. Tat means “That”; the Indefinable, that which can only be described indirectly as “That which”. Sat means “Reality”; which is ever permanent in one mode of being.
तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाः ॥
प्रवर्तन्ते विधानोक्ताः सततं ब्रह्मवादिनाम् ॥१७-२४॥
Therefore, uttering “Om”, are the acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity as enjoined in the ordinances, always begun by the followers of the Vedas.
तदित्यनभिसन्धाय फलं यज्ञतपःक्रियाः ॥
दानक्रियाश्च विविधाः क्रियन्ते मोक्षकांक्षिभिः ॥१७-२५॥
Uttering “Tat”, without aiming at fruits, are the various acts of Yajna, austerity, and gift performed by the seekers of Moksa.
सद्भावे साधुभावे च सदित्येतत्प्रयुज्यते ॥
प्रशस्ते कर्मणि तथा सच्छब्दः पार्थ युज्यते ॥१७-२६॥
The word “Sat” is used in the sense of reality and of goodness; and so also, O Partha, the word “Sat” is used in the sense of an auspicious act.
यज्ञे तपसि दाने च स्थितिः सदिति चोच्यते ॥
कर्म चैव तदर्थीयं सदित्येवाभिधीयते ॥१७-२७॥
Steadiness in Yajna, austerity, and gift is also called “Sat”; as also action in connection with these (or, action for the sake of the Lord) is called “Sat”.
अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् ॥
असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह ॥१७-२८॥
Whatever is sacrificed, given, or performed and whatever austerity is practised without Sraddha, it is called Asat, O Partha; it is naught here or hereafter.
It is naught here or hereafter: Thou costing much trouble it is of no use here as it is not acceptable to the wise ones, nor can it produce any effect conductive to good hereafter.
इति श्रद्धात्रयविभागयोगो नाम सप्तदशोऽध्यायः ॥
The end of the seventeenth chapter, designated, The Enquiry into the Threefold Sraddha.
Harih Harah!!
