Chapter XVII- Arjuna. If men forsake the holy ordinance,
- Heedless of Shastras, yet keep faith at heart
- And worship, what shall be the state of those,
- Great Krishna! Sattwan, Rajas, Tamas? Say!
- Krishna. Threefold the faith is of mankind, and springs
- From those three qualities,- becoming "true,"
- Or "passion-stained," or "dark," as thou shalt hear!
- The faith of each believer, Indian Prince!
- Conforms itself to what he truly is.
- Where thou shalt see a worshipper, that one
- To what he worships lives assimilate,
- [Such as the shrine, so is the votary,]
- The "soothfast" souls adore true gods; the souls
- Obeying Rajas worship Rakshasas
- Or Yakshas; and the men of Darkness pray
- To Pretas and to Bhutas. Yea, and those
- Who practise bitter penance, not enjoined
- By rightful rule- penance which hath its root
- In self-sufficient, proud hypocrisies-
- Those men, passion-beset, violent, wild,
- Torturing- the witless ones- My elements
- Shut in fair company within their flesh,
- (Nay, Me myself, present within the flesh!)
- Know them to devils devoted, not to Heaven!
- For like as foods are threefold for mankind
- In nourishing, so is there threefold way
- Of worship, abstinence, and almsgiving!
- Hear this of Me! there is a food which brings
- Force, substance, strength, and health, and joy to live,
- Being well-seasoned, cordial, comforting,
- The "Soothfast" meat. And there be foods which bring
- Aches and unrests, and burning blood, and grief
- Being too biting, heating, salt, and sharp,
- And therefore craved by too strong appetite.
- And there is foul food- kept from over-night,
- Savourless, filthy, which the foul will eat,
- A feast of rottenness, meet for the lips
- Of such as love the "Darkness."
- Thus with rites;-
- A sacrifice not for rewardment made,
- Offered in rightful wise, when he who vows
- Sayeth, with heart devout, "This I should do!
- Is "Soothfast" rite. But sacrifice for gain,
- Offered for good repute, be sure that this,
- O Best of Bharatas! is Rajas-rite,
- With stamp of "passion." And a sacrifice
- Offered against the laws, with no due dole
- Of food-giving, with no accompaniment
- Of hallowed hymn, nor largesse to the priests,
- In faithless celebration, call it vile,
- The deed of "Darkness!"- lost!
- Worship of gods
- Meriting worship; lowly reverence
- Of Twice-borns, Teachers, Elders; Purity,
- Rectitude, and the Brahmacharya's vow,
- And not to injure any helpless thing,-
- These make a true religiousness of Act.
- Words causing no man woe, words ever true,
- Gentle and pleasing words, and those ye say
- In murmured reading of a Sacred Writ,-
- These make the true religiousness of Speech.
- Serenity of soul, benignity,
- Sway of the silent Spirit, constant stress
- To sanctify the Nature,- these things make
- Good rite, and true religiousness of Mind.
- Such threefold faith, in highest piety
- Kept, with no hope of gain, by hearts devote
- Is perfect work of Sattwan, true belief.
- Religion shown in act of proud display
- To win good entertainment, worship, fame,
- Such- say I- is of Rajas, rash and vain.
- Religion followed by a witless will
- To torture self, or come at power to hurt
- Another,- 'tis of Tamas, dark and ill.
- The gift lovingly given, when one shall say
- "Now must I gladly give!" when he who takes
- Can render nothing back; made in due place,
- Due time, and to a meet recipient,
- Is gift of Sattwan, fair and profitable.
- The gift selfishly given, where to receive
- Is hoped again, or when some end is sought,
- Or where the gift is proffered with a grudge,
- This is of Rajas, stained with impulse, ill.
- The gift churlishly flung, at evil time,
- In wrongful place, to base recipient,
- Made in disdain or harsh unkindliness,
- Is gift of Tamas, dark; it doth not bless!
- HERE ENDETH Chapter XVII OF THE
BHAGAVAD-GITA, Entitled "Sraddhatrayavibhagayog," Or "The Book of Religion by the Threefold Kinds of Faith." |
