The Bhagavadgîtâ, with the Sanatsugâtîya and the Anugîtâ — SBE Vol. 8 (trans. K. T. Telang, 1882)
The translator’s English as printed (K. T. Telang). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
CHAPTER XVII.
Arguna said :
What is the state of those, O Kṛishṇa! who worship with faith, (but) abandoning scripture ordinances—goodness, passion, or darkness ?
The Deity said:
Faith is of three kinds in embodied (beings), it is produced from dispositions*, It is of the quality of goodness, of the quality of passion, and of the quality of darkness. Hear about it. The faith of all, O descendant of Bharata ! is conformable to the heart’. A being here is full of faith, and whatever is a man’s faith, that is a man himself². Those of the quality of goodness worship the gods; those of the quality of passion the Yakshas and Rakshases*; and the others, the people of the quality of darkness, worship departed (spirits) and the multitudes of Bhüûtas. Know those to be of demoniac convictions, who practise fierce penance⁴ not ordained by scripture ; who are full of ostentatiousness and egoism, and of desire, attachment, and stubbornness; who are without discernment; and who torment the groups of organs in (their) bodies, and me also seated within (those) bodies. The food also, which is liked byall, and likewise the sacrifice, the penance, and gifts, are of three kinds. Listen to the distinctions regarding them as follows. The kinds of food which increase life, energy, strength, health, comfort, and relish, which are savoury, oleaginous, full of nutrition, and agreeable, are liked by the good. The kinds of food which are bitter, acid, saltish, too hot, sharp, rough, and burning, and which cause pain, grief, and disease, are desired by the passionate. And the food’ which is cold, tasteless, stinking, stale, impure, and even leavings, are liked by the dark. That sacrifice is good which, being prescribed in (scripture) ordinances, is performed by persons not wishing for the fruit (of it), and after determining (in their) mind that the sacrifice must needs be performed. But when a sacrifice is performed, O highest of the descendants of Bharata! with an expectation of fruit (from it), and for the purpose of ostentation, know that sacrifice (to be) passionate. They call that sacrifice dark, which is against the ordinances (of scripture), in which no food is dealt out (to Brâhmaṇas, &c.), which is devoid of Mantras’, devoid of Dakshiṇâ presents, and which is without faith. Paying reverence to gods, Brâhmaṇas, preceptors, and men of knowledge; purity’, straightforwardness, life as Brahmakârin, and harmlessness, (this) is called the penance bodily. The speech which causes no sorrow, which is true, agreeable, and beneficial, and the study* of the Vedas, (this) is called the penance vocal. Calmness of mind, mildness, taciturnity⁴, self-restraint, and purity of heart, this is called the penance mental. This threefold penance, practised with perfect faith, by men who do not wish for the fruit, and who are possessed of devotion, is called good. The penance which is done for respect, honour, and reverence*, and with ostentatiousness, and which is uncertain and transient 10 here called passionate. And that penance is described as dark, which is performed under a misguided conviction, with pain to oneself, or for the destruction of another. That gift is said (to be) good, which is given, because it ought to be given, to one who (can) do no service (in return), at a (proper) place and time, and to a (proper) person. But that gift which is given with much difficulty, for a return of services, or even with an expectation of fruit*, is said to be passionate. And that gift is described as dark, which is given to unfit persons, at an unfit place and time, without respect, and with contempt. Om, Tad, and Sat, this is said (to be) the threefold designation of the Brahman. By that’, the Brâhmaṇas and the Vedas and sacrifices were created in olden times. Hence, the performance by those who study the Brahman, of sacrifices, gifts, and penances, prescribed by the ordinances (of scripture), always commence after saying ‘Om#/ Those who desire final emancipation perform the various acts of sacrifice and penance, and the various acts of gift, without expectation of fruit, after (saying) ‘ Tad,’ ‘Sat’ is employed to express existence and goodness; and likewise, O son of Pṛithâ! the word ‘Sat’ is used to express an auspicious act. Constancy in
1 Le. rendering the self unfit for any of the highest ends of man.
2 Here, says Sridhara, it is laid down that the triad is not to be got rid of save by following scripture rules.
8 Le. fitness for the attainment of the summum bonum. As to acting from desire, see also p. 65.
4 Je. the result of the actions in a former birth, cf. p. 56 supra.
CHAPTER XVII.
Arjuna said:
What is the condition, O Kṛishṇa, of those who worship with faith yet set aside the ordinances of scripture—is it goodness, passion, or darkness?
The Deity said:
Faith in embodied beings is of three kinds, arising from their dispositions. It may be of the quality of goodness, of the quality of passion, or of the quality of darkness. Hear about it. The faith of every being, O descendant of Bharata, conforms to the heart. A being here is made of faith, and whatever a man's faith is, that is what the man himself² is. Those of the quality of goodness worship the gods; those of the quality of passion worship the Yakshas and Rakshases; and the rest, the people of the quality of darkness, worship departed spirits and the multitudes of Bhüûtas. Know those to be of demoniac convictions who practise fierce penance⁴ not ordained by scripture, who are filled with ostentatiousness and egoism, with desire, attachment, and stubbornness, who lack discernment, and who torment the groups of organs in their bodies, and me also, seated within those bodies. The food that is liked by all, and likewise sacrifice, penance, and gifts, are also of three kinds. Listen to the distinctions regarding them as follows. The kinds of food that increase life, energy, strength, health, comfort, and relish, that are savoury, oleaginous, full of nutrition, and agreeable, are liked by the good. The kinds of food that are bitter, acid, saltish, too hot, sharp, rough, and burning, and that cause pain, grief, and disease, are desired by the passionate. And the food that is cold, tasteless, stinking, stale, impure, and even leavings, is liked by the dark. That sacrifice is good which is performed in accordance with scriptural ordinances by persons who do not wish for its fruit, after resolving in their minds that the sacrifice must needs be performed. But when a sacrifice is performed, O highest of the descendants of Bharata, with an expectation of fruit from it and for the purpose of ostentation, know that sacrifice to be passionate. They call that sacrifice dark which is against the ordinances of scripture, in which no food is dealt out to Brâhmaṇas and others, which is devoid of Mantras, devoid of Dakshiṇâ presents, and which is without faith. Paying reverence to gods, Brâhmaṇas, preceptors, and men of knowledge; purity, straightforwardness, life as Brahmakârin, and harmlessness — this is called bodily penance. Speech that causes no sorrow, that is true, agreeable, and beneficial, together with the study of the Vedas — this is called vocal penance. Calmness of mind, mildness, taciturnity, self-restraint, and purity of heart — this is called mental penance. This threefold penance, practised with perfect faith by men who are possessed of devotion and do not wish for the fruit, is called good. The penance that is done for respect, honour, and reverence, and with ostentatiousness, and that is uncertain and transient¹⁰, is called passionate. And that penance is described as dark which is performed under a misguided conviction, with pain to oneself, or for the destruction of another. That gift is said to be good which is given because it ought to be given, to one who can do no service in return, at a proper place and time, and to a proper person. But the gift that is given with great difficulty, in return for services rendered, or even with an expectation of fruit, is said to be passionate. And that gift is described as dark which is given to unfit persons, at an unfit place and time, without respect, and with contempt. Om, Tad, and Sat — this is said to be the threefold designation of the Brahman. By that, the Brâhmaṇas and the Vedas and sacrifices were created in olden times. Hence the performance of sacrifices, gifts, and penances prescribed by scriptural ordinances, by those who study the Brahman, always commences after saying 'Om.' Those who desire final emancipation perform the various acts of sacrifice and penance, and the various acts of gift, without expectation of fruit, after saying 'Tad.' 'Sat' is used to express existence and goodness; and likewise, O son of Pṛithâ, the word 'Sat' is used to express an auspicious act. Constancy in
1 I.e. rendering the self unfit for any of the highest ends of man.
2 Here, says Sridhara, it is laid down that the triad cannot be escaped except by following the rules of scripture.
8 That is, fitness for the attainment of the summum bonum. On acting from desire, see also p. 65.
4 i.e. the result of the actions in a former birth, cf. p. 56 supra.