अर्जुन उवाच ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धया अन्विताः।तेषां निष्ठा तु कौ कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः।।17.1।।
arjunaḥ uvāca ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya yajaṇte śraddhayā anvitāḥ teṣām niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattva‑āho rajaḥ tamaḥ
Translation
Arjuna said: O Krishna, those who abandon the scriptural injunctions yet worship with full faith—what is the nature of their faith? Is it in the mode of goodness, passion, or ignorance?
Word Meanings
arjunaḥ uvāca — Arjuna said; ye — those who; śāstra-vidhim — the regulations of the scriptures; utsṛjya — giving up; yajaṇte — worship; śraddhayā — with faith; anvitāḥ — possessed of; teṣāṃ — of them; niṣṭhā — the faith; tu — but; kā — what; kṛṣṇa — O Krishna; sattva — in goodness; āho — or else; rajaḥ — in passion; tamaḥ — in ignorance.
Understanding the Verse
In this opening verse of Chapter 17, Arjuna shifts the focus of the dialogue from the battlefield strategies and duties discussed earlier to the deeper issue of inner disposition. He observes that many people perform religious rites and sacrifices, but they do so without adhering to the proper scriptural procedures (śāstra‑vidhi). Such a neglect may arise from ignorance, from a superficial understanding of dharma, or from the desire to appear pious without truly internalizing the teachings. Arjuna’s concern is not merely about external ritual; it is about the quality of the faith (niṣṭhā) that underlies those actions.
The verse introduces the three gunas—sattva, rajas, and tamas—as the criteria for evaluating faith. Sattva, the mode of goodness, is characterized by purity, clarity, and a desire for knowledge and harmony. A devotee whose faith is sattvic performs worship for the sake of self‑realization and the welfare of all beings, offering oblations with an attitude of reverence and self‑lessness. Rajas, the mode of passion, is driven by desire, ambition, and a restless mind. When faith is rajasic, the worshiper seeks personal gain, fame, or material benefits, and the rituals become a means to satisfy egoist cravings. Tamas, the mode of ignorance, is marked by delusion, inertia, and selfishness; a tamasic devotee may perform rites out of fear, superstition, or a misguided sense of duty, often without understanding the deeper purpose of the practice.
Arjuna’s question, "kā kṛṣṇa?" (what, O Krishna?), underscores his humility and his reliance on Krishna’s divine wisdom to clarify the true nature of devotion. By asking this, Arjuna invites Krishna to delineate how external actions must be aligned with internal purity. The answer, which follows in subsequent verses, explains that the quality of faith determines the ultimate fruit of the sacrifice: sattvic faith leads to liberation, rajasic faith yields limited benefits, and tamasic faith results in bondage.
This verse also reflects a universal spiritual principle: actions performed without proper intention are akin to fruitless or even harmful rituals. In contemporary life, people may engage in meditation, prayer, or charitable acts merely for social recognition or personal comfort. The Gita reminds seekers that the inner motive matters more than the outward form. By discerning the gunas that color our faith, we can transform routine practices into genuine means of spiritual growth.
Thus, Chapter 17, Verse 1, serves as a diagnostic tool for self‑examination. It encourages readers to introspectively assess whether their religious observances arise from a spirit of self‑purification (sattva), self‑service (rajas), or self‑delusion (tamas). This assessment sets the stage for Krishna’s detailed exposition on the nature of faith, the proper conduct of sacrifice, and the ultimate path to liberation.
