Home · Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 17: Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga · Verse 17-19

Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga · The Three Kinds of Faith

Bhagavad Gita 17.17-19

Sanskrit

श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः । अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ॥17.17॥सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत् । क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम् ॥17.18॥मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः । परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥17.19॥

Transliteration

śraddhayā parayā taptaṃ tapastattrividhaṃ naraiḥ | aphalākāṅkṣibhiryuktaiḥ sāttvikaṃ paricakṣate ‖17.17‖ satkāramānapūjārthaṃ tapo dambhena caiva yat | kriyate tadiha proktaṃ rājasaṃ calamadhruvam ‖17.18‖ mūḍhagrāheṇātmano yatpīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ | parasyotsādanārthaṃ vā tattāmasamudāhṛtam ‖17.19‖

Meaning

This threefold austerity, practised with supreme faith by harmonised persons desiring no fruit, is called sattvic. Austerity practised for the sake of gaining respect, honour, and reverence, and with ostentation, that is called rajasic: unstable and impermanent. Austerity practised with deluded notions, with self-torture, or for the purpose of destroying another, that is declared 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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