श्रीभगवानुवाच त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा। सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां श्रणु।।17.2।।
shri bhagavan uvacha trividha bhavati shraddha dehinam sa svabhavaja; sattviki rajasi caiva tamasi ceti tam shrnu
Translation
The Supreme Divine Personality said: Every embodied being has a faith that is innate, arising from his own nature, and it is of three types—sattvic, rajasic or tamasic. Hear this from Me.
Word Meanings
śrī‑bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; tri‑vidhā — of three kinds; bhavati — becomes; śraddhā — faith; dehīnāṃ — of the embodied; sā — that; sva‑bhāva‑jā — according to his mode of material nature; sāt‑tvikī — in the mode of goodness; rājāsī — in the mode of passion; ca — also; eva — certainly; tāmāsī — in the mode of ignorance; ca — and; iti — thus; tām — that; śṛṇu — hear from Me
Understanding the Verse
In this verse, Lord Krishna introduces the concept of faith (śraddhā) as an intrinsic quality that qualifies each individual according to his material mode (guṇa). The word ‘dehīnām’ stresses that this faith is a characteristic of embodied beings, not of the soul itself. It is ‘svabhāva‑jā’, i.e., born of one’s inherent nature, which is determined by the predominance of the three gunas: sattva (goodness), rajas (passion) and tamas (ignorance).
A sattvic faith is pure, steady, and unwavering. It rests on knowledge, reverence for the Supreme, and a desire for truth. Such a devotee worships God with a sense of gratitude and sees the divine in all beings. Their worship is characterized by humility, regularity, and a willingness to offer the best of themselves without expectation of reward.
Rajasic faith, by contrast, is mixed with desire and personal ambition. It is motivated by hopes of worldly benefits, status, or fear of loss. This type of faith is often expressed through rituals performed for personal gain, like seeking prosperity, health, or protection. While the Rajasic devotee may be diligent, the underlying motive is self‑oriented, causing the faith to be unstable and prone to doubt when results are not as desired.
Tamasic faith is the darkest of the three. It is clouded by ignorance, laziness, and superstition. Such believers may worship out of fear, superstition, or a sense of fatalism. Their practices are irregular, often driven by blind tradition, and lack understanding of the deeper spiritual significance. This faith can lead to harmful rituals, indulgence in intoxicants, or complacency in spiritual life.
Krishna’s instruction to ‘śṛṇu’ (listen) implies that a proper understanding of these three categories is essential for anyone seeking genuine spiritual progress. Recognizing the nature of one’s own faith allows a seeker to purify it: transforming a rajasic or tamasic disposition into a sattvic one through sincere practice, association with the wise, and study of the scriptures. This transformation is fundamental to the larger teaching of Chapter 17, which deals with the threefold division of food, sacrifice, austerity, and even the three kinds of action and its results. When the devotee aligns his faith with sattva, his inner conduct, speech, and diet also become sattvic, leading to a harmonious and purposeful life oriented toward the Supreme.
Thus, this verse sets the stage for a systematic categorization of human behavior based on the gunas. It teaches that the quality of our faith directly influences every aspect of our spiritual journey, from the materials we accept to the deeds we perform. By consciously cultivating sattvic faith, one creates the proper foundation for bhakti (devotion) and ultimately attains liberation (mokṣa).
