Home · Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 17: Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga · Verse 11-13

Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga · The Three Kinds of Faith

Bhagavad Gita 17.11-13

Sanskrit

अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते । यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः ॥17.11॥अभिसन्धाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत् । इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम् ॥17.12॥विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम् । श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ॥17.13॥

Transliteration

aphalākāṅkṣibhiryajño vidhidṛṣṭo ya ijyate | yaṣṭavyameveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ ‖17.11‖ abhisandhāya tu phalaṃ dambhārthamapi caiva yat | ijyate bharataśreṣṭha taṃ yajñaṃ viddhi rājasam ‖17.12‖ vidhihīnamasṛṣṭānnaṃ mantrahīnamadakṣiṇam | śraddhāvirahitaṃ yajñaṃ tāmasaṃ paricakṣate ‖17.13‖

Meaning

Sacrifice offered as enjoined by scripture, by those desiring no fruit, with the mind convinced ‘this is simply to be done’, that is sattvic. But sacrifice offered seeking fruit and for display, O best of Bharatas, know that to be rajasic. Sacrifice without scriptural sanction, without food distributed, without mantras, without gifts, empty of faith, they declare tamasic.

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Theme: The Three Kinds of Faith

This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17: Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga , read all verses in this chapter.

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