In this chapter, Lord Krishna gives a thorough exposition of 'faith' as seen in the various fields of man's endeavors- his physical indulgences (food), his dedicated activities (Yajna), his self-denials (Tapas), & his charities (Dana). He explains that 'Shraddha' (resolve) is of three types, according to the nature of the Gunas in people.-Sattvic, Rajasic & Tamasic. Finally, He explains the meaning of the phrase "Om-Tat-Sat" in the various activities of men.

1. THE HOLY GEETA
COMMENTARY by
swami Chinmayananda
T K G NAMBOODHIRI
THIRUVALLA, KERALA, INDIA
Presentation adapted from
THE HOLY GEETA, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, July 2013
Mumbai

2. THE Holy GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
CHAPTER 17
SHRADDHATHRAYA VIBHAGA YOGA
THE THREEFOLD FAITH

3. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 17 Shraddhathraya Vibhaga Yoga
In the last Chapter, Lord Krishna urged Arjuna to follow the scriptures as authority for
human living. Arjuna being a layman, is not well versed in scriptures, but has lot of faith
(Shraddha) in the nobler ways of life. So the Chapter 17 starts with Arjuna’s doubts
about Shraddha vis-à-vis scriptural injunctions. Shraddha is that powerful, impelling
force which springs forth spontaneously from within, & propelled by which the
individual acts in their respective fields. Faith gives the direction, the dash & destination
for man’s actions.
Krishna takes this opportunity to give a thorough exposition of ‘faith’, in man’s areas of
activities—his physical indulgences (ahara), dedicated activities (Yajna), self-denials
(tapas), & his charities (daana). He explains that Shraddha is of three types based on the
three Gunas in men, & the nature of religious life led by people with these three faiths.

4. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
SACRIFICES WITH FAITH
Arjuna said:
17.1 Those who, setting aside the ordinances of the scriptures, perform sacrifice with
faith, what is their condition, O, Krishna? Is it Sattva, Rajas or Tamas?
Arjuna raises the doubt about sacrifices performed with faith, but may not be as per the
scriptures. This prompts Krishna to talk about the three-fold faith.
“Setting aside the ordinances of the Shastra”: Common people are not generally aware of the
ordinances of the scripture, so they may be unable to plan their spiritual path according to
scriptures. But they may have great ‘faith’ in a higher way-of-life.
“Perform actions”: The Yajna need not be a Vedic sacrifice, but may be any selfless cooperative
endeavour. Without knowing the serene harmony that throbs behind life, can one, who is
striving hard in the world in a spirit of detachment & selflessness, hope to avoid agitations?
What would be his condition? In what category of Sattva, Rajas or Tamas, does his activity fall?

5. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
THREE FOLD FAITH
The Blessed Lord said:
17.2 Threefold is the faith of the embodied, which is inherent in their nature-the Sattvic (pure), the
Rajasic (passionate) & the Tamasic (dull, dark). Thus thou hear of it.
17.3 The faith of each is in accordance with his nature, O Bharata. Man consists of his faith; as a man’s
faith is, so is he.
Faith itself is of three kinds, the divine, the undivine & the diabolic. Shraddha determines the nature of our impressions (Vasanas)
in us, which command our view-of-life. Naturally, a person’s physical activities, psychological behaviour & intellectual make-up
are all ordered by the type of Shraddha he has. As his inner disposition, so will be the man.
“According to one’s own nature”: The faith in each person is ordered by his own nature. The nature of man is determined by the
preponderance of any one of the Gunas over the others in him.
“Shraddha is the individual”: Man is constituted of & exists in his Shraddha. Each devotee ultimately reaches the seat of his
devotion.
“As a man’s faith so is he”: Man is verily what his ‘faith’ is. The type of personality & its effectiveness or otherwise are all
determined by the faith under which it functions.

6. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
PEOPLE WORSHIP DEITIES OF VARIOUS TYPES
17.4 The Sattvic or ‘pure’ men worship the gods (Devas); the Rajasic, or the ‘passionate’,
the Yakshas & the Rakshasas, the others-Tamasic people, or the ‘dark or dull’ folk,
worship the ghosts (Pretas) & a host of Bhutas, or the nature/spirits.
“Sattvic men worship Devas”: Everyone is a worshipper of some deity, chosen by him; even atheists, who
may worship sense-objects, wealth or power. Men of Sattvic temperament seek their fulfilment at an
altar of divinity, indicating the Higher impulses & nobler qualities of their being.
“Yakshas & Rakshasas by the Rajasic”: Men of ‘passionate’ (Rajasic) nature, restless & with extreme
ambition, worship & propitiate demi-gods, who are active & passionate in themselves.
“The Tamasic worship the Pretas & Bhutas”: The ‘dead’ spirits & other low & vicious powers are invoked
by the men of ‘inactivity (Tamas)’ for the satisfaction of some of their low urges for vicious sense-
gratification. These represent the wretched, vengeful scums of society, ready to carry out any cruel or
unlawful activities for the inactive, but powerful, masters.
Sattvic people seek the help of ‘good friends’, Rajasic seek the ‘protection of the rich & the powerful’
while the Tamasic seek ‘enormous strength from the low thoughtless men of criminal intention’, in the
present society.

7. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
“DEMONIACAL” FAITH
17.5 Those men who practise terrible austerities, not enjoined by the scriptures, given to
hypocrisy & egoism, impelled by the force of lust & attachment…
17.6 Senselessly torturing all the elements in the body, & Me also who dwells within the
body– you may know these to be of ‘demoniacal’ resolve.
No spiritual unfoldment can be expected from unintelligent austerities. Physical restraints &
self-denials are sometimes prescribed as spiritual practise. But the austerities must be scientific
& not against injunctions in the scriptures.
“Ostentation & Egoism”: Some undertake severe austerities only as a show. Those given to
ostentation & egoism are not fit for ‘tapas’. They generally do the austerities with gross
intentions, which may end up in their own destruction! Such people belong to the Asuric nature.
“Me, dwelling in the body”: Unintelligent austerities not only oppress the elements of the body,
but also the Sacred & the Divine Lord within. Life gets choked as it were, in such persons. Such
cruel self-torture is strongly condemned here.

8. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
THE THREE-FOLD WORLD
17.7 The food also which is dear to each is threefold, as also sacrifice, austerity &
alms-giving (dana). You may now hear the distinction of these.
The temperamental influences that govern the mind & its thoughts express
themselves in all departments of activity of people. The choice of food, of friends,
the types of emotions, & the view-of-life one makes are all indicative of the type to
which he belongs. Everyone expresses himself in one of these classifications, due to
the predominating Guna in him.
“Yajna, Tapa, Dana”: In the choice of ‘food’, in the type of ‘sacrifices’ which he
undertakes, in the texture of his ‘self-denials’ (Tapas), & in the quality of his ‘charity’,
he will declare himself as belonging to one or other of the three types.
A detailed analysis of this classification follows. These are given here, not as a means
of classifying people, but to show the dormant potentialities of human personalities.

9. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
SATTVIC FOODS
17.8 The foods which increase life, purity, strength, health, joy & cheerfulness
(good appetite), which are savoury & oleaginous, substantial & agreeable, are
dear to the Sattvic.
Good people of spiritual urges (Sattvic) like only such diet which increases the
vitality, which supplies the energy & strength required for their spiritual
pursuits; which provide health so that they may not often fall ill. Such people
have a natural inclination to take food which will augment joy & inner
cheerfulness. They enjoy food that is clean & wholesome. Their food is
savoury & greasy & of substantial content.
The food one takes has certain effects upon the eater; Our inner nature is
built by the type of food we take & controls our tastes.

10. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
RAJASIC & TAMASIC FOODS
17.9 The foods that are bitter, sour, saline, excessively hot, pungent, dry & burning, are
liked by the Rajasic, & are productive of pain, grief & disease.
17.10 That which is stale, tasteless, putrid & rotten, refuse & impure, is the food liked by
the Tamasic.
Men of energy, the ‘passionate’, desire such food that have strong flavour & dense taste. They
like bitter, sour, Saltish, very hot, harsh & burning foods. Though such food produce lot of
energy, they eventually lead to pain, grief & disease.
Unsanitary & unclean food seems to attract all despicable men of ignorance & low culture
(Tamasic). They eat foods, cooked & kept for long hours, tasteless, foul-smelling, & stale (kept
for days together, fermented drinks etc.). They love to eat ‘refuse’ that is left over, & impure,
filthy food.
When the texture of thought improves in man, he finds himself changing his tastes. His choice of
food, which gives him full satisfaction, is also totally altered.

11. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
SATTVIC SACRIFICE
17.11 That sacrifice which is offered by men without desire for fruit, & as enjoined by
ordinance, with a firm faith that sacrifice is a duty, is Sattvic or ‘pure’.
Now the Lord classifies the sacrifices offered by people based on their mental qualities.
“Performed by men desiring no fruit”: Men of purity offer sacrifices in a spirit of selflessness.
Worrying about fruits, of future, is a waste of time & mental energy, & wise men avoid it.
“As required by ordinances”: There are 4 types of actions; daily duties, special duties, desire-
ridden activities & ‘forbidden’ activities. The first two are to be performed & the last two should
be avoided, as per religious ordinances.
“Sacrifice is our duty”: This is the motive that propels the ‘good’ to act in life. Such people suffer
no dissipation of inner energies through anxieties about fruits of action, or the need to attain
any set goal for selfish purpose. They are peaceful & happy with pursuing activities most
conducive to the welfare of all.
Such actions are classified as ‘Sattvic ’sacrifices.

12. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
RAJASIC & TAMASIC SACRIFICES
17.12 The sacrifice which is offered, O best of the Bharatas, seeking fruit & for
ostentation, you may know that to be a Rajasic Yajna.
17.13 They declare that sacrifice to be Tamasic which is contrary to the ordinances, in
which no food is distributed, which is devoid of Mantras & gifts, & which is devoid of
faith.
“With a view to gaining fruit”: In order to gain a chosen result, some people work in this world, & so they are much
too preoccupied with their anxieties & worries about the result, while working.
“For ostentation”: There are others who perform sacrifices mainly for satisfying their vanity by exhibiting their
wealth. These two types of sacrifices are Rajasic in nature.
“Contrary to ordinances”: Tamasic people may perform sacrifices without following all prescriptions in the scriptures.
They do not chant Mantras during the rites, nor do they distribute gifts. These are the lowest types of sacrifices, that
cannot bring any happiness to anyone.
“Without distribution of food”: Food here indicates all the necessities of life. Sacrifices where the doer is too
constricted in his mentality, that he does not share with others whatever he has, are Tamasic in nature. Such actions
do not lead to any inner development of the performer.

13. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
AUSTERITY OF THE BODY
17.14 Worship of the gods, the twice-born (Brahmins), the teachers & the ‘wise’, purity, straight-
forwardness, celibacy, & non-injury, these are called the ‘austerity of the body’(Tapas).
Now the Lord starts explaining the different types of ‘austerity’(Tapas).
“Worship of the Devas, the Brahmins, the Guru & the wise”: All cultural development, moral growth & ethical unfoldment can be
accomplished only through ‘worship’ which means an attitude of attunement with a Higher-ideal. One must have an attitude of
devotion & reverence towards the ideal represented by the Deva, the Deity, worked out & lived by the Twice-born, preached by the
Guru, & recommended by the Wise.
“Purity & straight-forwardness”: External cleanliness, both of the body & the surroundings is essential for a spiritual seeker. Another
essential quality is straight-forwardness in dealing with others, to maintain tranquillity & vitality.
“Brahmacharya”: Constant revelling in the contemplation of the Supreme Brahman. This requires a turning away from bodily
indulgences. All mental disciplines by which introspection is developed are Brahmacharya.
“Ahimsa”: Refraining from any harm to others is ‘non-injury’. Diligently avoiding all acts of injuring others from our physical,
emotional & intellectual activities.
These constitute bodily asceticism or physical austerity. Conservation of energy, & redirection of the same to cultivate qualities
leading to High-ideals is the purpose of such austerities.

14. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
AUSTERITY OF SPEECH
17.15 Speech which causes no excitement, & is truthful, pleasant & beneficial, & the
practice of chanting of Vedas, these constitute the ‘austerity of speech’.
Speech is a powerful tool of communication in man & it reflects the intellectual calibre, the mental
discipline, & physical self-control of the speaker. The power of speech must be used for integrating one’s
personality. Energy used in speech must be conserved & used for self-development.
“Speech that causes no shock”: The words spoken should not upset others; they should not be ‘irritating
or obscene’. They should not be harsh or bitter.
“True, agreeable & beneficial”: Words should express the truth, should be likeable & of use to the
listeners. If the truth is disagreeable to the audience, it is better not to speak it.
“Regular chanting of the scriptures”: Investing the energies of speech in self-creative & self-profiting
endeavours is ‘tapas in speech’. ‘Swadhyaya’ is a daily routine for spiritual seekers & it consists of
chanting mantras of the Vedas & other scriptures, & deep reflection on them. The mental energy saved by
the austerity of speech may be profitably used for reading & understanding of the scriptures.

15. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
AUSTERITY OF THE MIND
17.16 Serenity of mind, good-heartedness, silence, self-control, purity of nature—these
together are called the ‘mental austerity’.
Five noble values of life are enumerated here which constitute Tapas of the mind.
“Serenity of mind”: When our relationship with the world is built on understanding, tolerance & love, we gain
serenity of mind. Quietude of the mind can be gained only when it is protected from both the inflow of stimuli from
sense-objects & endless desires that march out from the intellect to drive the mind out. One who seeks a divine ideal
escapes these turbulences & remains serene.
“Kindness”: The warm feeling of affection & love towards all is kindness.
“Silence”: The noiseless inner calm, which one experiences when corroding passions & exhausting desires are absent
in our mind. A state of silent contemplation.
“Self-control”: Conscious control of our inner nature to maintain our inner balance & equanimity.
“Honesty of motive”: Self-control is possible only when our motives are pure & serene. The urge in us that motivates
all our mental activities must be inspiring & divine.
This & the last two verses gave us a picture of true Tapas (Austerity), in our bodily contacts with the outside world,
our speech & our mental attitudes. The same Tapas followed by different people differ in their outcome depending
upon the predominating Gunas in the persons. These are described in the following verses.

16. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
SATTVIC AUSTERITY
17.17 This three-fold austerity, practised by steadfast men, with utmost
faith, desiring no fruit, they call Sattvic.
When people practise austerities of body, speech & mind, steady with no
clinging attachment to, or anxiety for, the fruits thereof, their Tapas is of the
Sattvic type. The integrated ‘good’ people refuse to worry about the future,
because they know that, in the harmony in nature, the future is the resultant
of the total past modified by the present. Since the perfection & efficiency of
the ‘present’ activities determine & command the ‘future’ results, none needs
to worry about the future. Austerities performed by such integrated persons
naturally reap large dividends.

17. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
RAJASIC AUSTERITY
17.18 The austerity which is practised with the object of gaining good
reception, honour & worship, & with hypocrisy, is here said to be Rajasic,
unstable & transitory.
Penance that is performed with a view to gaining respect, honour & reverence is said
to be Rajasic, performed by men of ‘passionate’ nature. Self-control & self-
application pursued not for one’s own inner development, but only for hood-
winking the world & getting cheap respect, is one of the basest deceits that a man of
culture can ever practise. These are done with ostentation.
Such Tapas performed with wrong motives is declared here as “unstable &
transitory”. Tapas performed with low motives cannot gather the necessary
intensity, to yield results. They end up in a lot of unproductive & painful self-denials.

18. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
TAMASIC AUSTERITY
17.19 That austerity which is practised with self-torture, out of some foolish
notion, for the purpose of destroying another, is declared to be Tamasic.
Tapas undertaken with a foolish obstinacy by means of self-torture, &
austerities indulged in for the sake of destroying others are of the lowest type.
These are mostly conducted with false notions of purpose & technique, & so
will not lead to any spiritual development. Self-torture cannot bring about any
unveiling of the true beauty of the Soul.
These misconceived & wrongly practised austerities are of the Tamasic type.

19. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
SATTVIC GIFT (DANAM)
17.20 That gift which is given, knowing it to be a duty, in a fit time & place, to a worthy
person, from whom nothing in return is expected, is held to be Sattvic.
Now the Lord classifies gifts (Danam) into the three categories.
“As a duty”: The gift is given because of one’s conviction that it is something that is to be done
as a duty.
“Fit time & place”: Gift should be given at an appropriate place & for a suitable occasion.
“Worthy person from whom nothing is expected in return”: A worthy gift is one given to a
proper person from whom nothing is expected back. Mostly to Sattvic people who cannot afford
to give something in return.
Such charity, made with Right faith, to the Right person, at the Right time & place, is a Sattvic
charity. Man must use his faculty of discrimination & see whether his gifts & charities are
reaching the deserving people.

20. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
RAJASIC & TAMASIC GIFTS
17.21 And that gift which is given with a view to receiving in return, or looking for
fruit again, is held to be Rajasic.
17.22 The gift that is given at a wrong place & time, to unworthy persons, without
respect, or with insult, is declared to be Tamasic.
That gift given with a hope of receiving in return some benefit is of the ‘passionate’
type. Also, a charity that is done reluctantly, not conscientiously, is Rajasic in nature.
Gifts that are made at an improper time or at the wrong place, or to an unworthy
person, without respect, or with contempt, are charities of the dull-witted, & are
called Tamasic.
Charity must come from within, as an expression of an irrepressible urge to give. It
should spring from the abundance felt within. He who feels impoverished by his
giving, has not done a charity by the mere physical act of giving away.

21. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
OM TAT SAT
17.23 “OM TAT SAT”– this has been declared to be the triple designation of Brahman. By
that were created formerly, the Brahmanas, Vedas & Yajnas.
“Om Tat Sat”: This has been the Nirdesha, given in ritualism, to denote that by performing which any
defects in the worship or Yajna are removed. Each action has its fruit, but the fruit depends not only on
the actions as such, but also the intentions & motives behind the action. So, the same action may yield
different results to different persons. The brilliance & glory of our intentions can be heightened by the
remembrance of the Lord, thus eliminating our ego.
This sentence of three words, each denoting one aspect or the other of the Reality, is used to purify our
actions. Om represents the Transcendental & the Pure Self. Tat is used to indicate the Eternal Goal, the
Changeless & the Ever-perfect. Sat means ‘existence’, the ‘Principle of Existence’ functioning through all
things, perceived, felt & thought of in our life. Thus, to invoke the thoughts of Om, which expresses the
Transcendental, or to invoke Tat, the Universal Truth, or to cherish the concept of Sat, the Reality, is to
tune up our instruments of action & thereby chasten all our activities in the world outside.
“Brahman is the source from which all castes, the Vedas & sacrifices proceeded”: All super-impositions
can only arise from, exist in & disappear into that which is their own substratum, the Brahman.

22. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
USE OF “OM”
17.24 Therefore, with the utterance of ‘OM’ are begun the acts of sacrifice,
gifts & austerity as enjoined in the scriptures, always by the students of
Brahman.
The term OM is uttered while acts of sacrifice, gift & austerity are undertaken
by the followers of higher life. By this they cherish the divine awareness & the
absolute supremacy of Infinite, & add purpose & meaning to all their acts of
sacrifice, charity & austerity. By invoking the Infinite, we free our personality
from the limited field of egocentric attachments. When a mind is thus
liberated from its limitations, it becomes more efficient in all austerities, more
selfless in all Yajnas, & more liberal in all charities.

23. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
THE USES OF “TAT” & “SAT”
17.25 The acts of sacrifice, austerity & gifts are performed without aiming at the fruits,
uttering ‘Tat’, by the seekers of liberation.
17.26 The sound “Sat” is used in the sense of Reality & of Goodness, & also, O Partha,
the word ‘Sat’ is used in the sense of an auspicious act.
One who is trying to liberate himself from his own attachments, selfish-desires, self-
centredness, & the consequent agitations, should act in such a way that the causes of his
agitations are extinguished. This result can be achieved by actions performed with the right
mental attitude.
‘Tat’ indicates the ‘Universal Truth’ & it declares the oneness of all living creatures. To do Yajna,
Taps or Dana with a mind tuned up to ‘Tat’ is to work with no ego, but for the welfare of others.
‘Sat’ is used to mean both Reality & Goodness. It is also used for all praise-worthy actions. We
live in a world of ‘Relative Reality’, & so the term ‘Sat’ is often used to remind us that all these
‘Relative Realities’ have the self-same substratum Sat, the Absolute Reality

24. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
OTHER USES OF “SAT”
17.27 Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity & gift is also called “Sat”, & also,
action in connection with these (for the sake of the Supreme) is called “Sat”.
The term ‘Sat’ is used to indicate one’s faith & devotion in sacrifice, austerity
& gift. Thus ‘Sat’ registers one’s faith in the principles underlying Yajna, Dana
& Tapas, & also in his various activities of sacrifice, charity & austerity.
Even acts of sacrifice & austerity, when they are not of the Sattvic type can be
rendered ‘good’ by invoking OM TAT SAT. When these are chanted with faith &
sincerity, the seeker’s mind expands & gives up its selfishness & arrogance.
Actions performed with such a frame of mind, do not leave behind ‘bad’
results, or bondage.

25. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
ACTIONS WITHOUT FAITH ARE “A-SAT”
17.28 Whatever is sacrificed, given or performed, & whatever austerity is
practised without faith, it is called “A-Sat”, O Partha; it is not for here or
hereafter (after death).
Lord Krishna concludes this chapter with a strong condemnation of actions performed
without faith. He says: “It is not for here or hereafter”. Actions can create only such
effects as are ordered by the ardour of faith & conviction of the performer. Whatever
sacrifice is made, whatever penance is performed, or whatever charity is given, it is
called “A-Sat”, if it is done ‘without faith’. Lord is indicating here that ‘Shraddha’ is
unavoidable in every action that will lead to progress & evolution. This is true not only
in the spiritual pursuits, but also in all activities in the material world. All activities
performed without faith become ‘Barren’ or ‘A-Sat’ & will not bear any fruits.
End of Chapter 17