Chapter 17
THE YOGA OF THE DIVISION OF THE THREE FOLD PATH
Verse 1
THE YOGA OF THE DIVISION OF THE THREE FOLD PATH
Verse 1
Arjuna said:
Those who, setting aside the ordinances of the
scriptures, perform sacrifice with faith, what is their condition, O Krishna?
Is it that of Sattwa, Rajas or Tamas?
Verse 2
The Blessed Lord said:
Threefold is the faith of the embodied, which is
inherent in their nature—the Sattwic (pure), the Rajasic (passionate), and the Tamasic
(dark). Do thou hear of it.
Verse 3
The faith of each is in accordance with his
nature, O Arjuna! The man consists of his faith; as a man’s faith is, so is he.
Verse 4
The Sattwic or pure men worship the gods; the Rajasic
or the passionate worship the Yakshas and the Rakshasas; the others (the Tamasic
or the deluded) worship the ghosts and the hosts of nature-spirits.
Verse 5
Those men who practise terrific austerities not
enjoined by the scriptures, given to hypocrisy and egoism, impelled by the
force of lust and attachment,
Verse 6
Senseless, torturing all the elements in the
body and Me also, who dwells in the body—know thou these to be of demoniacal
resolves.
Verse 7
The food also which is dear to each is
threefold, as also sacrifice, austerity and alms-giving. Hear thou the
distinction of these.
Verse 8
Foods which increase life, purity, strength,
health, joy and cheerfulness, which are oleaginous and savoury, substantial and
agreeable, are dear to the Sattwic people.
Verse 9
The foods that are bitter, sour, saline,
excessively hot, dry, pungent and burning, are liked by the Rajasic and are
productive of pain, grief and disease.
Verse 10
That which is stale, tasteless, putrid, rotten
and impure refuse, is the food liked by the Tamasic.
Verse 11
That sacrifice which is offered by men without
desire for reward as enjoined by the ordinance (scripture), with a firm faith
that to do so is a duty, is Sattwic (or pure).
Verse 12
The sacrifice which is offered, O Arjuna,
seeking a reward and for ostentation, know thou that to be a Rajasic Yajna!
Verse 13
They declare that sacrifice to be Tamasic which
is contrary to the ordinances of the scriptures, in which no food is
distributed, which is devoid of Mantras and gifts, and which is devoid of
faith.
Verse 14
Worship of the gods, the twice-born, the
teachers and the wise, purity, straightforwardness, celibacy and
non-injury—these are called the austerities of the body.
Continued…
Love.
Love.
