Gita 17: Yoga Threefold Faith, Sattvic

1. Introduction and summary of Chapter 17- The Yoga of the Threefold Faith
2. Chapter reading Chapter 17 - The Yoga of the Threefold Faith (Gandhi's Gita):
   1. Analysis of the Comments by Gandhi, Desai and Sivananda
3. Key topics of Chapter 17:
   1. Verses 1-3: The three types of faith (Shraddha: Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic -Gunas-)
   2. Verses 4-6: The three forms of worship. The austerity (Tapas) contrary to the Shastras (rules)
   3. Verses 7-10: The three types of food
   4. Verses 11-13: The three types of Yajna (sacrifice)
   5. Verses 14-19: The three types of Tapas (austerity)
   6. Verses 20-22: The types of Dana (charity)
   7. Verses 23-27: The greatness of the OM TAT SAT mantra
   8. Verse 28: ASAT, the error of practicing sacrifice, charity or austerity without Shraddha (faith)
4. Reading the versified adaptation of this chapter
5. Analysis of each verse and its comments from chapter Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga (Gita Makaranadam of Swami Vidya Prakashananda in Spanish)
6. Swami Vivekananda Readings related to Chapter 17- The Yoga of the Threefold Faith
7. Exercises of Chapter 17 Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga

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 called Bhagavad Gita begins with a doubt by Arjuna about the explanation about Shastra (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 Divine and Demoniacal Inheritance):

What happens to those who do not accept the authority of Shastra 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.

Swami Sivananda titled this discourse as “The Yoga of the Division of the Three Kinds of Faith.”

Arjuna's doubt was:

«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 Shastra 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:

«The Lord said: 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:

«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” (BG-17 -4).

Sri Krishna then referred to the practice of austerity contrary to the Shastras (scriptures):

«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 Shastra, 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 Shastra, the types of food, sacrifice, austerity and charity:

«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:

«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.

Unity in diversity

The rest of this summary on the subject “Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga” is only available to students of the Gita Institute

Example: Chapter 17 Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga verse 23 (Swami Vidya Prakashananda)

Jnana and Vedanta, Yoga of the Field, Supreme Being, Divine Inheritance, Liberation by Renunciation