Bhagavad Gita 17.2
Spoken by Krishna · Verse 2 of 28
त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा । सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु ॥
tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṃ sā svabhāva-jā | sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti tāṃ śṛṇu ||
Śraddhā of the embodied is threefold — born of svabhāva (one's own nature): sāttvikī, rājasī, tāmasī. Hear this.
Word by word (3)
- tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṃ sā svabhāva-jā
- — threefold (tri-vidhā) is the śraddhā (faith) of the embodied (dehināṃ), and it is born (jā) of their own nature (svabhāva) — śraddhā is intrinsic, not imposed
- sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti
- — sāttvikī (sattvic), rājasī (rajasic), and tāmasī (tamasic) — the three varieties named; 'ca iti' = 'and thus/so' completing the list
- tāṃ śṛṇu
- — hear (śṛṇu) that (tām) — the imperative to attend carefully; Krishna is about to elaborate on all three
The śraddhā of embodied beings is threefold, born of their own nature: sāttvic, rājasic, and tāmasic. Hear about this.
A modern analogy
Seeds from three different trees will grow three different trees — no matter where you plant them. The svabhāva-ja śraddhā is like the seed: you don't choose what kind of seed you started with, but you can tend it, cultivate it, transform it through sādhana toward the sāttvic variety.
Public-domain translations (4) compare all →
Threefold is that faith born of the individual nature of the embodied — Sattvic, Rajasic, and Tamasic. Do thou hear of it. [1]
Threefold is the Shraddha of the embodied, which is inherent in their nature — the Sattvika, the Rajasika and the Tamasika. Do thou hear of it. [4]
Faith is of three kinds, born of the individual nature of the embodied. It is called good, passionate, and dark. Hear about this. [9]
The faith of embodied creatures is of three kinds. It is also born of their individual natures. It is good, passionate, and dark. Hear now these. [13]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Of all yogis, the one whose inner self is merged in Me, worshipping with śraddhā — that one I hold to be most united.
Krishna declares: 'I am the ground of Brahman — the Immortal, the Immutable, eternal Dharma, and perfect Bliss.'
Sattva, rajas, tamas — three guṇas born of Prakṛti — bind the indestructible ātman in every body.
Daivī wealth begins: abhaya, sattva-śuddhi, jñāna-yoga, dāna, dama, yajña, svādhyāya, tapa, ārjava.
OṀ Tat Sat: triple name of Brahman — by which brāhmaṇas, Vedas, and yajñas were ordained in the beginning.
Whatever is sacrificed, given, done, or tapas practiced without śraddhā — that is asat: naught here or hereafter.
Verse 2 of 28 · back to Chapter 17