Three kinds of faith

Those who set aside the ordinances of scripture and still perform sacrifice, full of śraddhā—what is their condition, Krishna? Is it sattva, rajas, or tamas?

The śraddhā of embodied beings is threefold, born of their own nature—sāttvika, rājasika, and tāmasika. Hear about it now.

Everyone's śraddhā conforms to their own being, descendant of Bharata. A person is made of śraddhā; whatever śraddhā one has, that is what one is.

Sāttvika people worship the devas; rājasika people worship yakṣas and rākṣasas; the others—tāmasika people—worship pretas and hosts of bhūtas.

Those who practice fierce austerity not enjoined by scripture, joined with pretense and self-conceit, driven by the force of desire and attachment—senselessly torturing the group of elements that make up the body, and Me who dwells within the body—know them to hold āsuric resolve.

Even the food each person likes is threefold, and so are sacrifice, austerity, and giving. Hear now this distinction among them.

Foods that increase life, vitality, strength, health, joy, and appetite—savory, rich, substantial, and pleasing—are liked by those of sattva.

Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, too hot, sharp, dry, and burning are liked by those of rajas, and they produce pain, grief, and disease.

Food that is stale, flavorless, foul-smelling, cooked the day before, left over, and impure is the food liked by those of tamas.

That sacrifice is sāttvika which is offered by people desiring no fruit, as enjoined by ordinance, their minds fixed only on the thought: 'this must be offered.'

But that sacrifice offered aiming at fruit, and for the sake of show, O best of the Bharatas—know that to be rājasika.

The sacrifice performed against ordinance, in which no food is distributed, without mantras, without gifts, and without śraddhā, is declared tāmasika.

Worship of the devas, the twice-born, teachers, and the wise; purity, honesty, celibacy, and non-injury—these are called the austerity of the body.

Speech that causes no distress, that is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial, along with regular recitation of the Vedas—these are called the austerity of speech.

Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-mastery, purity of intention—this is called the austerity of the mind.

This threefold austerity, practiced with supreme śraddhā by disciplined people desiring no fruit, is declared to be sāttvika.

Austerity practiced for the sake of gaining welcome, honor, and reverence, and done with ostentation, is declared here to be rājasika—unstable and impermanent.

Austerity performed out of a foolish conviction, through self-torment, or for the purpose of harming another, is declared to be tāmasika.

A gift given with the thought 'giving is right,' to one who can offer nothing in return, in a fitting place and time and to a worthy person—that gift is held to be sāttvika.

But a gift given expecting something back, or aiming at a fruit, or given grudgingly—that gift is held to be rājasika.

A gift given at the wrong place or time, to unworthy people, without respect or with contempt—that is declared to be tāmasika.

Om, Tat, Sat—this has been handed down as the threefold designation of Brahman. By this, in ancient times, the brāhmaṇas, the Vedas, and the sacrifices were fashioned.

Therefore, uttering 'Om,' the acts of sacrifice, giving, and austerity as prescribed by ordinance are always begun by those who expound the Vedas.

Uttering 'Tat,' without aiming at fruit, the various acts of sacrifice, austerity, and giving are performed by those who seek mokṣa.

The word 'Sat' is used in the sense of reality and of goodness; and likewise, Pārtha, the word 'Sat' is used for an auspicious act.

Steadiness in yajña, austerity, and giving is also called 'Sat'; action devoted to these—or, on another reading, action for the Lord—is likewise called 'Sat.'

Whatever is offered, given, or performed, and whatever austerity is practiced without śraddhā, is called 'asat,' Pārtha—it counts for nothing, here or hereafter.