Gita 17: Yoga of the Threefold Faith, Sattvic
Shraddha Traya Vibhaga, Yoga of the Threefold Faith, Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17
Chapter 17 of the Bhagavad Gita- The Yoga of the Threefold Faith (Shraddha Traya VibhagaYoga). Spanish / English / Hindi
The seventeenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, entitled Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga in the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, on the science of yoga, as part of the Knowledge of Brahman in the Upanishad known as the Bhagavad Gita begins with a doubt by Arjuna about the explanation about Sastra (conduct of the worthy) given to him by Sri Krishna in the last two verses (23 and 24) of the previous chapter (The Yoga of Distinction of Divine and Demoniac Nature)
What happens to those who do not accept the authority of Sastra but act with faith?
Throughout this chapter, Sri Krishna will answer this important doubt of Arjuna. He will also reflect on the three types of faith, Yajna (sacrifice), austerity (Tapas) or charity (Dana) depending on how they are carried out as well as the consequences of doing work without faith.
Subject Syllabus:
- Introduction and summary of Chapter 17- The Yoga of the Threefold Faith
- Chapter reading Chapter 17 - The Yoga of the Threefold Faith (Gandhi's Gita):
- Analysis of the Comments by Gandhi, Desai and Sivananda
- Key topics of Chapter 17:
- Verses 1-3: The three types of faith (Shraddha: Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic -Gunas-)
- Verses 4-6: The three forms of worship. The austerity (Tapas) contrary to the Sastras (rules)
- Verses 7-10: The three types of food
- Verses 11-13: The three types of Yajna (sacrifice)
- Verses 14-19: The three types of Tapas (austerity)
- Verses 20-22: The types of Dana (charity)
- Verses 23-27: The greatness of the OM TAT SAT mantra
- Verse 28: ASAT, the error of practicing sacrifice, charity or austerity without Shraddha (faith)
- Reading the versified adaptation of this chapter
- Analysis of each verse and its comments from chapter Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga (Gita Makaranadam of Swami Vidya Prakashananda in Spanish)
- Swami Vivekananda Readings related to Chapter 17- The Yoga of the Threefold Faith
- Exercises of Chapter 17 Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga
Arjuna's doubt was:
“Arjuna: When men sacrifice to the gods with faith but do not follow the injunctions of the scriptures, what is the nature of their devotion, O Krishna? Is it Sattva, Rajas or Tamas.” Bhagavad Gita 17.1.
Sri Krishna responded that the faith of these men who do not follow the Sastra will depend on the innate character of each man (Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic) and can be the faith of three types defined by their Gunas:
“Sri Krishna: The faith of men, born of their innate natures,
is of three kinds: Sattva, Rajas or Tamas. Hear about them now.
Every man's faith is according to the nature of his mind. A man, Ο Bharata, is made of his faith; Whatever the nature of his faith, that is truly what” Bhagavad Gita 17.2-3.
For Swami Sivananda:
“Sri Krishna: In all acts (sacrifice, worship, charity, etc.), these qualities are expressed according to the type of faith that person professes. Thus they produce results according to the quality of the faith of the doer. Acts performed with correct faith lead to supreme blessing.” Swami Sivananda.
Sri Krishna explained that the pure (Sattvic) man worships God, but the Rajasic and Tamasic “worship ghosts and the hosts of nature spirits” (Gita 17 -4).
Sri Krishna then referred to the practice of austerity contrary to the Sastras (scriptures):
“Sri Krishna: Those vain and conceited men who, driven by the force of their lust and attachment, subject themselves to severe austerities not ordered by the scriptures, and, foolish as they are, torture all their bodily organs, and therefore also Me, who I live inside their bodies, you have to know that they are diabolical in their purposes.” Bhagavad Gita 17.5-6.
And he explained that since the Lord dwells in man, if he “tortures the various elements that make up his bodies” with austerities contrary to Sastra, then they also torture Him. These beings are for Krishna of “impious purposes” (Gita 17.6).
Next, Sri Krishna explained, based on the Three Gunas and Sastra, the types of food, sacrifice, austerity and charity:
“Sri Krishna: As I explained to you before, the food that each one appreciates is of three types; so are sacrifice, austerity and charity. Hear how they differ” Bhagavad Gita 17.7.
In the previous verse of Gandhi's version, “As I explained to you before” is not clear, so we include Swami Vidya Prakashananda's translation, which is clearer:
“Sri Krishna: Even the food that people prefer is of these three types. The same goes for sacrifice, austerity and charity. Listen now to his distinctions.” Bhagavad Gita 17.7.
Swami Sivananda titled this discourse as “The Yoga of the Division of the Three Kinds of Faith.”
The rest of this summary on the subject “Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga” is available exclusively to students of the Bhagavad Gita Institute
Yoga de las Tres Fes Bhagavad Gita 
Ioga das Três Fés.
Jnana and Vedanta, Yoga of the Field, Supreme Person, Divine Inheritance, Liberation through Renunciation
(c) Gita Institute & Pedro Nonell
