Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17
(Compiled notes)
Note: This is a series of study notes from the translation of Bhagavad Gita by Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada (ISKCON founder) and titled as "Bhagvad Gita as it is". The copyright and content is that of Prabhupada & publishers. My part is simply distilling the knowledge from my self study and notes to share here in simple abridged form.
Shraddha Gyan Yoga - Yoga of Divisions of Faith
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Overview: A very important question is asked by Sri Arjuna to Lord Sri Krishna at the beginning of this chapter. The question is about Faith. Often we see people are very happily unsure of their spiritual goals. They are usually good people and with good intentions but they dont have the understanding nor training of the scriptures so they practice spirituality in just what seems intuitive to them. This is most definitely better than being a complete atheist but its still incomplete spirituality. The simple reason being scriptures are not someones imagination written down. Scriptures are the word of God accepted by all the great acharyas as the supreme. An example can be drawn here: if you are physically sick, you go to a qualified doctor and not a quack; nor do you self medicate according to your imagination. Once the doctor properly diagnoses the illness, he issues a prescription. With this prescription you go to a authorized pharmacy and procure the medicine approved for quality standard and grade by a competent standardization authority (usually the FDA or similar body). Similarly, spiritual sickness that most people suffer from requires a serious and disciplined approach. You follow the standardized rulebook (scriptures) issued by an authority (God) under the guidance of a bonafide spiritual master (qualified doctor).
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Bhagavad Gita is the direct word of the Lord. It is the crown jewel of vedic scriptures and the above point is very vividly clarified in this chapter.
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17.1 - अर्जुन उवाच : ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विता: । तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तम: ॥ १ ॥
Arjuna inquired: Those who abandon scriptures but worship sincerely with faith. Their sincerity is it Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic, O Krishna?
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in reply the Lord says: त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा ।
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“ The faith of a soul can be a combination of 3 kinds according to the souls' own material nature”
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That is if a soul is in sattvic qualities, his faith is also sattvic; if soul is in passionate nature, then its faith is passionate & if soul is in tamasic state, its faith is tamasic.
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That said, as long as one’s faith is not completely in purified goodness, the faith is subject to contamination by any of the modes of material nature. in other words, being in the mode of goodness renders the best chance of a soul to be successful in its spiritual journey.
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Faith is the core of religion or any spiritual path.
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Since we find different types of faith in this world, so there are different types of religions due to different types of faith; in other words, a religion is reflective of the faith of the followers.
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17.4 - यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसा: । प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जना: ॥ ४ ॥
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“Those in sattvic mode of nature worship God & demigods. Those in passionate mode worship demons. Those in tamasic mode worship ghosts and dead beings”
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17.5 - अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जना: । दम्भाहङ्कारसंयुक्ता: कामरागबलान्विता: ॥ ५ ॥
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“Without scriptural guidance those who practice spirituality do so under the influence of pride arrogance impelled by lust and passion”
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Point to note:
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This clearly outlines that for success in spiritual journey, adherence to scriptural injunctions under the guidance of a bonafide spiritual master is fundamental a requirement. Only then can we be sure that we are not being misguided by our own ego or pride.
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- As we saw above, being in the mode of goodness (sattva) renders the best chance of a soul to be successful in its spiritual journey. That fact having been established, by one's sincere spiritual discipline (scriptural injunctions under bonafide guru) gradually its possible to transition from lower modes (tamas, rajas) to sattva.
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This involves several regulations starting even from around the type of food to eat, the speech to speak, sacrifices to perform, austerities to undertake, etc; here we review what the Lord says about those matters to enhance the sattvic qualities in oneself, that is conducive to their spiritual development.
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About Food:
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17.8 - आयु:सत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धना: । रस्या: स्निग्धा: स्थिरा हृद्या आहारा: सात्त्विकप्रिया: ॥ ८ ॥
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“Foods that are enlivening, refreshing, juicy, creamy, satisfying, strength giving, health enhancing are dear to those in goodness”
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These would be plant products like fruit, vegetables, cereals, beans and dairy product like milk and its derivatives.
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About Sacrifices:
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17.11 - अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदिष्टो य इज्यते । यष्टव्यमेवेति मन: समाधाय स सात्त्विक: ॥ ११ ॥
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“sacrifices performed as prescribed by scriptures but without expectations of reward are in goodness”
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About Austerity:
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17.14 - देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम् । ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते ॥ १४ ॥
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“austerity in mode of goodness is worship of deities, brahmanas, elders, cleanliness, celibacy & non violence”
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About Speech:
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17.15 - अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत् । स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते ॥ १५ ॥
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“speech in mode of goodness is non-agitating words, truthful, pleasing and chanting scriptures”
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17.23 - ॐ तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविध: स्मृत: । ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिता: पुरा ॥ २३ ॥
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“Om Tat Sat is the threefold injunction of scriptures for Absolute Truth that the brahmanas commenced the yagyas with in olden days”
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In nutshell, one who acts without following the regulations of the scriptures will not attain the Absolute Truth. He will get some temporary result, but not the ultimate end of life. The conclusion is that the performance of charity, sacrifice and penance must be done in the mode of goodness. Performed in the mode of passion or ignorance, they are certainly inferior in quality.
My chosen verse from this chapter:
ॐ तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविध: स्मृत: ।
ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिता: पुरा ॥ 17.23 ॥
Om Tat Sat is the threefold injunction of scriptures for Absolute Truth that the brahmanas commenced the yagyas with in olden days
This verse establishes the importance of scriptures and of following scriptural injunctions as we carry about any occupational duties in the material world. The spiritual sickness that most people suffer from requires a serious and disciplined approach. In this process, one follows the standardized rulebook (scriptures) issued by an authority (God) under the guidance of a bonafide spiritual master (qualified doctor) in order to get spiritual advancement.
In nutshell, one who acts without following the regulations of the scriptures will not attain the Absolute Truth. He will get some temporary result, but not the ultimate end of life. The conclusion is that the performance of charity, sacrifice and penance must be done in the mode of goodness. Performed in the mode of passion or ignorance, they are certainly inferior in quality.
