श्रद्धात्रयविभागयोगः

ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः ।
तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः

ye śāstravidhimutsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ |
teṣāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvamāho rajastamaḥ

Those who set aside the injunctions of the Shastra yet worship with faith, what is their standing, O Krishna? Is it sattva, rajas or tamas?

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

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

The faith of embodied beings is of three kinds, born of their own nature: sattvic, rajasic and tamasic. Hear of it.

यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः ।
प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः

yajante sāttvikā devānyakṣarakṣāṃsi rājasāḥ |
pretānbhūtagaṇāṃścānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ

The sattvic worship the Devas; the rajasic worship yakshas and rakshasas; and the other, tamasic people worship departed spirits and hosts of bhutas.

अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जनाः ।
दम्भाहंकारसंयुक्ताः कामरागबलान्विताः

aśāstravihitaṃ ghoraṃ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ |
dambhāhaṃkārasaṃyuktāḥ kāmarāgabalānvitāḥ

Those who perform terrible austerities not ordained by the Shastra, full of hypocrisy and ego, driven by the force of desire and attachment,

कर्षयन्तः शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतसः ।
मां चैवान्तःशरीरस्थं तान्विद्ध्यासुरनिश्चयान्

karṣayantaḥ śarīrasthaṃ bhūtagrāmamacetasaḥ |
māṃ caivāntaḥśarīrasthaṃ tānviddhyāsuraniścayān

Senselessly tormenting the elements that make up the body, and Me too who dwell within the body: know them to be of asuric resolve.

आहारस्त्वपि सर्वस्य त्रिविधो भवति प्रियः ।
यज्ञस्तपस्तथा दानं तेषां भेदमिमं शृणु

āhārastvapi sarvasya trividho bhavati priyaḥ |
yajñastapastathā dānaṃ teṣāṃ bhedamimaṃ śṛṇu

Even the food dear to each is of three kinds, and so are yajna, austerity and charity. 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 contentment, that are tasty, mild, nourishing and pleasing to the heart, are dear to the sattvic.

कट्‌वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः ।
आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः

kaṭ‌vamlalavaṇātyuṣṇatīkṣṇarūkṣavidāhinaḥ |
āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā duḥkhaśokāmayapradāḥ

Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, very hot, pungent, dry and burning are liked by the rajasic; they bring pain, grief and disease.

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 and kept overnight, food left over by others and impure, is dear to the tamasic.

अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते ।
यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः

aphalākāṅkṣibhiryajño vidhidṛṣṭo ya ijyate |
yaṣṭavyameveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ

The yajna offered according to scriptural rule by those who seek no fruit, with the mind settled in the thought that it simply ought to be done, is sattvic.

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 yajna offered with an eye on its fruit, or for the sake of show, know that to be rajasic, O best of the Bharatas.

विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम् ।
श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते

vidhihīnamasṛṣṭānnaṃ mantrahīnamadakṣiṇam |
śraddhāvirahitaṃ yajñaṃ tāmasaṃ paricakṣate

A yajna without scriptural rule, in which no food is given out, without mantras, without dakshina and without faith, is called tamasic.

देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम् ।
ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते

devadvijaguruprājñapūjanaṃ śaucamārjavam |
brahmacaryamahiṃsā ca śārīraṃ tapa ucyate

Worship of the Devas, of the twice-born, of the guru and of the wise, together with purity, straightness, brahmacharya and non-violence, is called the austerity of the body.

मनः प्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः ।
भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते

manaḥ prasādaḥ saumyatvaṃ maunamātmavinigrahaḥ |
bhāvasaṃśuddhirityetattapo mānasamucyate

Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-restraint and purity of feeling are called the austerity of the mind.

श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः ।
अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते

śraddhayā parayā taptaṃ tapastattrividhaṃ naraiḥ |
aphalākāṅkṣibhiryuktaiḥ sāttvikaṃ paricakṣate

This threefold austerity, practised with the highest faith by steady people who seek no fruit, is called sattvic.

सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत् ।
क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम्

satkāramānapūjārthaṃ tapo dambhena caiva yat |
kriyate tadiha proktaṃ rājasaṃ calamadhruvam

Austerity done with hypocrisy, for the sake of praise, honour and reverence, is called rajasic here; it is unsteady and does not last.

मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः ।
परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्

mūḍhagrāheṇātmano yatpīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ |
parasyotsādanārthaṃ vā tattāmasamudāhṛtam

Austerity done out of a deluded notion, with torment to oneself, or in order to ruin another, is declared tamasic.

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

yattu pratyupakārārthaṃ phalamuddiśya vā punaḥ |
dīyate ca parikliṣṭaṃ taddānaṃ rājasaṃ smṛtam

But a gift given in hope of something in return, or with an eye on its fruit, or given grudgingly, is held to be rajasic.

अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते ।
असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्

adeśakāle yaddānamapātrebhyaśca dīyate |
asatkṛtamavajñātaṃ tattāmasamudāhṛtam

A gift given at the wrong place and time, to unworthy people, without respect and with contempt, is declared tamasic.

तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाः ।
प्रवर्तन्ते विधानोक्ताः सततं ब्रह्मवादिनाम्

tasmādomityudāhṛtya yajñadānatapaḥkriyāḥ |
pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satataṃ brahmavādinām

Therefore the acts of yajna, charity and austerity laid down in the scriptural rules are always begun by the knowers of Brahman with the utterance of Om.

तदित्यनभिसन्धाय फलं यज्ञतपःक्रियाः ।
दानक्रियाश्च विविधाः क्रियन्ते मोक्षकाङ्क्षिभिः

tadityanabhisandhāya phalaṃ yajñatapaḥkriyāḥ |
dānakriyāśca vividhāḥ kriyante mokṣakāṅkṣibhiḥ

With the word Tat, and without aiming at the fruit, the various acts of yajna, austerity and charity are performed by those who seek liberation.

सद्भावे साधुभावे च सदित्येतत्प्रयुज्यते ।
प्रशस्ते कर्मणि तथा सच्छब्दः पार्थ युज्यते

sadbhāve sādhubhāve ca sadityetatprayujyate |
praśaste karmaṇi tathā sacchabdaḥ pārtha yujyate

The word Sat is used for what is real and for what is good; so too, O Partha, the word Sat is used for a praiseworthy act.

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

yajñe tapasi dāne ca sthitiḥ saditi cocyate |
karma caiva tadarthīyaṃ sadityevābhidhīyate

Steadfastness in yajna, austerity and charity is also called Sat, and any action done for that purpose is likewise called Sat.

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 in the fire, given, endured as austerity or done without faith is called asat, O Partha. It is of no use either hereafter or here.