Bhagavad GitaHinduismAccepted ScriptureSanskritShareBhagavad Gita 17Edwin Arnold, The Song Celestial - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableEdwin Arnold, The Song CelestialLanguageEnglishEspañol‹Bhagavad Gita 1Bhagavad Gita 2Bhagavad Gita 3Bhagavad Gita 4Bhagavad Gita 5Bhagavad Gita 6Bhagavad Gita 7Bhagavad Gita 8Bhagavad Gita 9Bhagavad Gita 10Bhagavad Gita 11Bhagavad Gita 12Bhagavad Gita 13Bhagavad Gita 14Bhagavad Gita 15Bhagavad Gita 16Bhagavad Gita 17Bhagavad Gita 18›Bhagavad Gita: Religion by the Threefold FaithBhagavad Gita 17ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1Arjuna: If men forsake the holy ordinance, Heedless of Shastras, yet keep faith at heart And worship, what shall be the state of those, Great Krishna! Sattwan, Rajas, Tamas? Say! 2Krishna: Threefold the faith is of mankind and springs From those three qualities,--becoming "true," Or "passion-stained," or "dark," as thou shalt hear! 3The faith of each believer, Indian Prince! Conforms itself to what he truly is. Where thou shalt see a worshipper, that one To what he worships lives assimilate, [Such as the shrine, so is the votary,] The "soothfast" souls adore true gods; the souls Obeying Rajas worship Rakshasas Or Yakshas; and the men of Darkness pray To Pretas and to Bhutas. Yea, and those Who practise bitter penance, not enjoined By rightful rule--penance which hath its root In self-sufficient, proud hypocrisies-- Those men, passion-beset, violent, wild, Torturing--the witless ones--My elements Shut in fair company within their flesh, (Nay, Me myself, present within the flesh!) Know them to devils devoted, not to Heaven! For like as foods are threefold for mankind In nourishing, so is there threefold way Of worship, abstinence, and almsgiving! Hear this of Me! there is a food which brings Force, substance, strength, and health, and joy to live, Being well-seasoned, cordial, comforting, The "Soothfast" meat. And there be foods which bring Aches and unrests, and burning blood, and grief, Being too biting, heating, salt, and sharp, And therefore craved by too strong appetite. 4And there is foul food--kept from over-night, Savourless, filthy, which the foul will eat, A feast of rottenness, meet for the lips Of such as love the "Darkness." 5Thus with rites;-- A sacrifice not for rewardment made, Offered in rightful wise, when he who vows Sayeth, with heart devout, "This I should do!" Is "Soothfast" rite. But sacrifice for gain, Offered for good repute, be sure that this, O Best of Bharatas! is Rajas-rite, With stamp of "passion." And a sacrifice Offered against the laws, with no due dole Of food-giving, with no accompaniment Of hallowed hymn, nor largesse to the priests, In faithless celebration, call it vile, The deed of "Darkness!"--lost! 6Worship of gods Meriting worship; lowly reverence Of Twice-borns, Teachers, Elders; Purity, Rectitude, and the Brahmacharya's vow, And not to injure any helpless thing,-- These make a true religiousness of Act. 7Words causing no man woe, words ever true, Gentle and pleasing words, and those ye say In murmured reading of a Sacred Writ,-- These make the true religiousness of Speech. 8Serenity of soul, benignity, Sway of the silent Spirit, constant stress To sanctify the Nature,--these things make Good rite, and true religiousness of Mind. 9Such threefold faith, in highest piety Kept, with no hope of gain, by hearts devote, Is perfect work of Sattwan, true belief. 10Religion shown in act of proud display To win good entertainment, worship, fame, Such--say I--is of Rajas, rash and vain. 11Religion followed by a witless will To torture self, or come at power to hurt Another,--'tis of Tamas, dark and ill. 12The gift lovingly given, when one shall say "Now must I gladly give!" when he who takes Can render nothing back; made in due place, Due time, and to a meet recipient, Is gift of Sattwan, fair and profitable. 13The gift selfishly given, where to receive Is hoped again, or when some end is sought, Or where the gift is proffered with a grudge, This is of Rajas, stained with impulse, ill. 14The gift churlishly flung, at evil time, In wrongful place, to base recipient, Made in disdain or harsh unkindliness, Is gift of Tamas, dark; it doth not bless! ‹Previous chapterBhagavad Gita 16Next chapterBhagavad Gita 18›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain in the United States via Project Gutenberg