Sraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga

Arjuna said

ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयाऽन्विताः।
तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ॥

ye śāstravidhimutsṛjya yajante śraddhayā'nvitāḥ
teṣāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvamāho rajastamaḥ

Those who set aside the rules of scripture yet worship with faith, Krishna: what is their standing? Is it goodness, passion or dullness?

Krishna said

त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा।
सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां श्रृणु ॥

trividhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṃ sā svabhāvajā
sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti tāṃ śrṛṇu

The faith of embodied beings is of three kinds, born of their own nature: of goodness, of passion and of dullness. Hear about it.

यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः।
प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥

yajante sāttvikā devānyakṣarakṣāṃsi rājasāḥ
pretānbhūtagaṇāṃścānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ

People of goodness worship the gods; people of passion worship yakshas and rakshasas; and others, of dullness, worship ghosts and spirits.

अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जनाः।
दम्भाहङ्कारसंयुक्ताः कामरागबलान्विताः ॥

aśāstravihitaṃ ghoraṃ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ
dambhāhaṅkārasaṃyuktāḥ kāmarāgabalānvitāḥ

Those who practise terrible austerities not taught by scripture, given to hypocrisy and ego, driven by desire, attachment and force,

कर्षयन्तः शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतसः।
मां चैवान्तःशरीरस्थं तान्विद्ध्यासुरनिश्चयान् ॥

karṣayantaḥ śarīrasthaṃ bhūtagrāmamacetasaḥ
māṃ caivāntaḥśarīrasthaṃ tānviddhyāsuraniścayān

senseless, tormenting the elements in the body and me who dwell within the body: know them to be of demonic resolve.

आहारस्त्वपि सर्वस्य त्रिविधो भवति प्रियः।
यज्ञस्तपस्तथा दानं तेषां भेदमिमं श्रृणु ॥

āhārastvapi sarvasya trividho bhavati priyaḥ
yajñastapastathā dānaṃ teṣāṃ bhedamimaṃ śrṛṇu

Even the food that each person likes is of three kinds, and so are sacrifice, austerity and giving. Hear how they differ.

आयुःसत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धनाः।
रस्याः स्निग्धाः स्थिरा हृद्या आहाराः सात्त्विकप्रियाः ॥

āyuḥsattvabalārogyasukhaprītivivardhanāḥ
rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā āhārāḥ sāttvikapriyāḥ

Foods that increase life, vitality, strength, health, happiness and cheer, that are savoury, smooth, nourishing and pleasing to the heart, are dear to people of goodness.

कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः।
आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः ॥

kaṭvamlalavaṇātyuṣṇatīkṣṇarūkṣavidāhinaḥ
āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā duḥkhaśokāmayapradāḥ

Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, too hot, pungent, dry and burning, bringing pain, grief and sickness, are liked by people of passion.

यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत्।
उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम् ॥

yātayāmaṃ gatarasaṃ pūti paryuṣitaṃ ca yat
ucchiṣṭamapi cāmedhyaṃ bhojanaṃ tāmasapriyam

Food that is stale, tasteless, putrid, spoiled, left over and impure is dear to people of dullness.

अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते।
यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः ॥

aphalākāṅkṣibhiryajño vidhidṛṣṭo ya ijyate
yaṣṭavyameveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ

The sacrifice offered as scripture directs by those who seek no reward, with the mind fixed on the thought "this ought to be done," is of goodness.

अभिसंधाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत्।
इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम् ॥

abhisaṃdhāya tu phalaṃ dambhārthamapi caiva yat
ijyate bharataśreṣṭha taṃ yajñaṃ viddhi rājasam

But the sacrifice performed with an eye on its reward, or for show, know that to be of passion, best of the Bharatas.

विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम्।
श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ॥

vidhihīnamasṛṣṭānnaṃ mantrahīnamadakṣiṇam
śraddhāvirahitaṃ yajñaṃ tāmasaṃ paricakṣate

The sacrifice that ignores scripture, shares no food, has no mantras, no gifts to the priests and no faith, is called one of dullness.

देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम्।
ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते ॥

devadvijaguruprājñapūjanaṃ śaucamārjavam
brahmacaryamahiṃsā ca śārīraṃ tapa ucyate

Reverence for the gods, the twice-born, teachers and the wise; purity, uprightness, celibacy and non-violence: this is called austerity of the body.

मनःप्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः।
भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते ॥

manaḥprasādaḥ saumyatvaṃ maunamātmavinigrahaḥ
bhāvasaṃśuddhirityetattapo mānasamucyate

Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-control and purity of heart: this is called austerity of the mind.

श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्ति्रविधं नरैः।
अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ॥

śraddhayā parayā taptaṃ tapastattiravidhaṃ naraiḥ
aphalākāṅkṣibhiryuktaiḥ sāttvikaṃ paricakṣate

This threefold austerity, practised with supreme faith by disciplined people who seek no reward, is said to be of goodness.

सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत्।
क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम् ॥

satkāramānapūjārthaṃ tapo dambhena caiva yat
kriyate tadiha proktaṃ rājasaṃ calamadhruvam

Austerity practised to gain respect, honour and reverence, or for show, is said to be of passion; it is unstable and fleeting.

मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः।
परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥

mūḍhagrāheṇātmano yatpīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ
parasyotsādanārthaṃ vā tattāmasamudāhṛtam

Austerity practised out of foolish obstinacy, by tormenting oneself, or to harm another, is said to be of dullness.

यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः।
दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम् ॥

yattu pratyupakārārthaṃ phalamuddiśya vā punaḥ
dīyate ca parikliṣṭaṃ taddānaṃ rājasaṃ smṛtam

A gift given grudgingly, expecting something in return or with an eye on the reward, is held to be of passion.

अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते।
असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥

adeśakāle yaddānamapātrebhyaśca dīyate
asatkṛtamavajñātaṃ tattāmasamudāhṛtam

A gift given at the wrong place and time to the unworthy, without respect or with contempt, is said to be of dullness.

तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः।
ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा ॥

tatsaditi nirdeśo brahmaṇastrividhaḥ smṛtaḥ
brāhmaṇāstena vedāśca yajñāśca vihitāḥ purā

"Om Tat Sat": this is said to be the threefold name of Brahman. By it, of old, the brahmins, the Vedas and the sacrifices were ordained.

तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाः।
प्रवर्तन्ते विधानोक्ताः सततं ब्रह्मवादिनाम् ॥

tasmādomityudāhṛtya yajñadānatapaḥkriyāḥ
pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satataṃ brahmavādinām

So those who follow Brahman always begin the acts of sacrifice, giving and austerity taught by scripture by uttering "Om".

तदित्यनभिसन्धाय फलं यज्ञतपःक्रियाः।
दानक्रियाश्च विविधाः क्रियन्ते मोक्षकाङ्क्षि ॥

tadityanabhisandhāya phalaṃ yajñatapaḥkriyāḥ
dānakriyāśca vividhāḥ kriyante mokṣakāṅkṣi

Uttering "Tat", seekers of freedom perform the various acts of sacrifice, austerity and giving without aiming at reward.

सद्भावे साधुभावे च सदित्येतत्प्रयुज्यते।
प्रशस्ते कर्मणि तथा सच्छब्दः पार्थ युज्यते ॥

sadbhāve sādhubhāve ca sadityetatprayujyate
praśaste karmaṇi tathā sacchabdaḥ pārtha yujyate

"Sat" is used in the sense of reality and of goodness; and the word "Sat" is also used for a praiseworthy act, Partha.

यज्ञे तपसि दाने च स्थितिः सदिति चोच्यते।
कर्म चैव तदर्थीयं सदित्येवाभिधीयते ॥

yajñe tapasi dāne ca sthitiḥ saditi cocyate
karma caiva tadarthīyaṃ sadityevābhidhīyate

Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity and giving is also called "Sat", and so is any action done for that purpose.

अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत्।
असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह ॥

aśraddhayā hutaṃ dattaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat
asadityucyate pārtha na ca tatpretya no iha

Whatever is offered, given or practised as austerity without faith is called "asat", Partha; it is of no use here or hereafter.