Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17 Verse 2 — Meaning & Life Application
Sanskrit Shloka (Original)
श्रीभगवानुवाच | त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा | सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु ||१७-२||
Transliteration
śrībhagavānuvāca . trividhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṃ sā svabhāvajā . sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti tāṃ śṛṇu ||17-2||
Word-by-Word Meaning
📖 Translation
17.2 The Blessed Lord said Threefold is the faith of the embodied, which is inherent in their nature the Sattvic (pure), the Rajasic (passionate) and the Tamasic (dark). Do thou hear of it.
।।17.2।। श्री भगवान् ने कहा -- देहधारियों (मनुष्यों) की वह स्वाभाविक (ज्ञानरहित) श्रद्धा तीन प्रकार की - सात्त्विक, राजसिक और तामसिक - होती हैं, उसे तुम मुझसे सुनो।।
How to Apply This Verse in Modern Life
💼 At Work & Career
Your inherent nature (influenced by Gunas) determines your 'faith' in work. A Sattvic approach seeks meaningful contribution, ethical conduct, and excellence for its own sake, leading to lasting fulfillment. A Rajasic approach drives ambition, competition, and material gain, which can lead to success but also stress and dissatisfaction. A Tamasic approach results in apathy, minimal effort, and unethical shortcuts. By understanding your predominant Guna, you can consciously cultivate Sattvic faith to pursue a career that aligns with higher purpose and brings sustained joy, rather than just temporary external rewards.
🧘 For Stress & Anxiety
The quality of your faith directly impacts your stress response and mental well-being. Sattvic faith fosters inner calm, resilience, and clarity, allowing you to approach challenges with equanimity and find constructive solutions. Rajasic faith often leads to anxiety, restlessness, and frustration due to an overemphasis on external achievements and competition. Tamasic faith can manifest as apathy, despair, procrastination, and avoidance, contributing to mental inertia and chronic stress. Recognizing the Guna influencing your mindset allows you to consciously shift towards Sattvic practices (meditation, selfless action) to cultivate mental peace and reduce stress.
❤️ In Relationships
The nature of your faith shapes how you perceive and interact in relationships. Sattvic faith promotes empathy, honesty, compassion, and a desire for mutual growth and harmony, building deep, trusting connections. Rajasic faith can lead to relationships driven by ego, competition, seeking validation, or transactional exchanges, often resulting in conflict and superficiality. Tamasic faith may manifest as manipulation, deceit, indifference, or exploitation, leading to toxic and destructive relationships. By cultivating Sattvic qualities in your faith, you can foster healthier, more authentic, and supportive relationships that uplift all involved.
When to Chant/Recall This Verse
Solves These Life Problems
Key Message in One Line
“Our inherent nature, shaped by the Gunas, determines the quality of our faith, which in turn dictates our actions, aspirations, and ultimate destiny. Cultivating Sattvic faith is the foundation for genuine fulfillment and liberation.”
🕉️ Council of Sages
Compare interpretations from revered Acharyas and scholars
🌍 English Interpretations
Swami Sivananda
17.2 त्रिविधा threefold? भवति is? श्रद्धा faith? देहिनाम् of the embodied? सा that (faith)? स्वभावजा (is) inherent in (their) nature? सात्त्विकी Sattvic (pure)? राजसी Rajasic (passionate)? च and? एव even? तामसी Tamasic (dark)? च and? इति thus? ताम् it? श्रृणु hear (thou).Commentary The whole world is made up? as if were? of faith. Faith assumes a threefold aspect under the influence of the three alities. When Sattva is strongly developed? when there is a preponderance of Sattva or purity in a man? it is easy for him to attain Selfrealisation or the knowledge of the Self. If Rajas is predominant? the faith becomes the handmaid of activity. If Tamas or inertia prevails? faith is annihilated.Those who are endowed with Sattvic faith aim at the attainment of liberation. Those who are endowed with Rajasic faith run after inferior duties or worldly activities. Those whose faith is Tamasic are cruel. They kill animals for sacrifice. They invoke the spirits and talk with ghosts. When faith is joined to Sattva? it leads to salvation. When Rajas preponderates? it colours the faith and leads to various activities. When Tamas predominates? the faith results in darkness.Faith acires different alities when it is in company with the mind of man. Mind is a thing of many colours. Just as the water of the Ganga is contaminated by being put in a vessel where lior had been kept? so also a virtuous person is spoiled by bad company or constant association with evil persons. The three Gunas or attributes colour the faith of a man. The mind of a man is governed by the preponderating attribute or ality which manifests itself when the other two alities are suppressed. Faith takes a threefold aspect in accordance with the inherent nature or tendencies of the man. The inclinations of men are moulded according to their ality or inherent nature born of their past Samskaras.As is the tendency? so is the desire as is the desire? so is the action as is the action? so is the birth into another being after death. The body is like the seed of the tree? a perpetual chain. Seed perishes in developing into a tree and the tree again produces the seed. This process or cycle continues eternally. Even so man takes a body? does actions? develops tendencies? dies and puts,on a new body in accordance with the nature or tendencies. This continues till he gets knowledge of the Self by transcending the three Gunas? when ignorance? the root cause of birth and death? is destroyed.Faith is born of the individual nature? i.e.? the Samskaras or the latent impressions of virtuous and vicious actions which were performed in the past births and which manifested themselves at the time of death. In the subconscious mind or the Chitta there is a reservoir of past impressions which are revived through the operation of memory.Sattvic Faith in the worship of gods? which is an effect of Sattva.Rajasic Faith in the worship of the Yakshas and Rakshasas? which is an effect of Rajas.Tamasic Faith in the worship of the disembodied spirits and ghosts? which is an effect of Tamas.Faith is the main support of life. It is not mere intellectual belief or blind acceptance of pet dogmas or doctrines. You must understand clearly its characteristics? just as you recognise a tree from the fruits? the mind of a man from his speech? and the actions of previous birth from worldly pleasures and pains.Svabhavaja Inherent in their nature born of past Samskaras.Tam Of it? referring to the threefold faith.
Shri Purohit Swami
17.2 Lord Shri Krishna replied: Man has an inherent faith in one or another of the Qualities -Purity, Passion and Ignorance. Now listen.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
17.2. The Bhagavat said The faith of the embodied persons is born of their nature and is of three kinds [viz৷৷] that which is made of the Sattva ; that which is made of the Rajas ; and that which is made of the Tamas. Listen about them.
Swami Adidevananda
17.2 The Lord said Threefold is the faith of embodied beings, born of their own nature, constituted of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Listen now about it.
Swami Gambirananda
17.2 The Blessed Lord said That faith of the embodied beings, born of their own nature, is threefold-born of sattva, rajas and tamas. Hear about it.
🇮🇳 Hindi Interpretations
Swami Chinmayananda
।।17.2।। अपने मुख्य प्रवचन के पूर्व आमुख रूप में? भगवान् कहते हैं कि श्रद्धा तीन प्रकार की होती हैं सात्त्विकी? राजसी और तामसी। श्रद्धा के अनुसार हमारी वासनाएं होती हैं और वे ही जीवन विषयक हमारे दृष्टिकोण को निश्चित करती हैं। हमारे समस्त विचार? भावनाएं और कर्म हमारे दृष्टिकोण के अनुरूप ही होते हैं। अत स्वाभाविक ही है कि मनुष्य के शारीरिक कर्म? मानसिक व्यवहार और बौद्धिक संरचनाएं सब उसकी श्रद्धा से निश्चित होते हैं। इसलिए प्रत्येक व्यक्ति अपनी श्रद्धा के अनुरूप होता है? यह नियम है। जो मनुष्य अपनी देह के साथ जितना अधिक तादात्म्य करेगा उतना ही अधिक स्थूल और दृढ़ उसका अभिमान या अहंकार होगा। यह सब सत्त्व? रज और तम इन गुणों के न्यूनाधिक्य पर निर्भर करता है।श्रद्धा के समझने के लिए इन तीन गुणों के सन्दर्भ का क्या औचित्य है इस पर कहते हैं
Swami Ramsukhdas
।।17.2।। व्याख्या -- [अर्जुनने निष्ठाको जाननेके लिये प्रश्न किया था? पर भगवान् उसका उत्तर श्रद्धाको लेकर देते हैं क्योंकि श्रद्धाके अनुसार ही निष्ठा होती है।]त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा -- श्रद्धा तीन तरहकी होती है। वह श्रद्धा कौनसी है सङ्गजा है? शास्त्रजा है या स्वभावजा है तो कहते हैं कि वह स्वभावजा है -- सा स्वभावजा अर्थात् स्वभावसे पैदा हुई स्वतःसिद्ध श्रद्धा है। वह न तो सङ्गसे पैदा हुई है और न शास्त्रोंसे पैदा हुई है। वे स्वाभाविक इस प्रवाहमें बह रहे हैं और देवता आदिका पूजन करते जा रहे हैं।सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां श्रृणु -- वह स्वभावजा श्रद्धा तीन प्रकारकी होती है -- सात्त्विकी? राजसी और तामसी। उन तीनोंको अलगअलग सुनो।पीछेके श्लोकमें सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः पदोंमें आहो अव्यय देनेका तात्पर्य यह था कि अर्जुनकी दृष्टिमें सत्त्वम् से दैवीसम्पत्ति और रजस्तमः से आसुरीसम्पत्ति -- ये दो ही विभाग हैं और भगवान् भी बन्धनकी दृष्टिसे राजसीतामसी दोनोंको आसुरीसम्पत्ति ही मानते हैं -- निबन्धायासुरीमता (16। 5)। परंतु बन्धनकी दृष्टिसे राजसी और तामसी एक होते हुए भी दोनोंके बन्धनमें भेद है। राजस मनुष्य सकामभावसे शास्त्रविहित कर्म भी करते हैं अतः वे स्वर्गादि ऊँचे लोकोंमें जाकर और वहाँके भोगोंको भोगकर पुण्य क्षीण होनेपर फिर मृत्युलोकमें लौट आते हैं -- क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति (गीता 9। 21)। परन्तु तामस मनुष्य शास्त्रविहित कर्म नहीं करते अतः वे कामना और मूढ़ताके कारण अधम गतिमें जाते हैं -- अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः (गीता 14। 18)। इस प्रकार राजस और तामस -- दोनों ही मनुष्योंका बन्धन बना रहता है। दोनोंके बन्धनमें भेदकी दृष्टिसे ही भगवान् आसुरीसम्पदावालोंकी श्रद्धाके राजसी और तामसी -- दो भेद करते हैं और सात्त्विकी? राजसी और तामसी -- तीनों श्रद्धाओंको अलगअलग सुननेके लिये कहते हैं। सम्बन्ध -- पूर्वश्लोकमें वर्णित स्वभावजा श्रद्धाके तीन भेद क्यों होते हैं -- इसे भगवान् आगेके श्लोकमें बताते हैं।
Swami Tejomayananda
।।17.2।। श्री भगवान् ने कहा -- देहधारियों (मनुष्यों) की वह स्वाभाविक (ज्ञानरहित) श्रद्धा तीन प्रकार की - सात्त्विक, राजसिक और तामसिक - होती हैं, उसे तुम मुझसे सुनो।।
📜 Sanskrit Commentaries
Sri Madhavacharya
।।17.2।।अतो विभज्याऽऽह -- त्रिविधेत्यादिना।
Sri Anandgiri
।।17.2।।विशेषनिष्ठमुत्तरं सामान्येन वक्तुं न शक्यमित्याशयेन परिहरति -- सामान्येति। किमिति श्रद्धात्रैविध्यं प्रश्नानुपयुक्तमुच्यते तत्राह -- यस्यामिति। श्रद्धापूर्विकायां क्रियायामिति यावत्। श्रद्धात्रैविध्ये हेतुमाह -- सा स्वभावजेति। स्वभावशब्दार्थं प्रकृतोपयोगितया कथयति -- जन्मान्तरेति। कथं त्रिविधेत्यपेक्षायामाह -- सात्त्विकीत्यादिना। कथमुक्ता श्रद्धा स्वभावजेति तत्राह -- तामिति।
Sri Vallabhacharya
।।17.2।।एवं पृष्टः पुनरपि द्विविधेषु त्रिगुणविवेकेनैव शास्त्रीयश्रद्धादिस्वरूपमाह -- श्रीभगवानुवाच त्रिविधेति। देहाभिमान आसुरः? तद्वतामशास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्याननुसृत्य वर्तमानानां उभयविधानां जीवानां सा स्वभावजेति। त्रिगुणमयं स्वभावमन्यथा कर्त्तुं शक्तं हि शास्त्रीयं विज्ञानं? तत्तूक्तानां नास्तीति कामकारपदवाच्या निष्ठैव केवलं पूर्वतनस्वभावजा। श्रद्धा सा त्रिविधा भवति सात्त्विकी राजसी तामसी चेति मत्तस्तां श्रृणु।
Sridhara Swami
।।17.2।।अत्रोत्तरं श्रीभगवानुवाच -- त्रिविधेति। अयमर्थःशास्त्रतत्त्वज्ञानतः प्रवर्तमानानां परमेश्वरपूजाविषया सात्त्विकी एकविधैव श्रद्धा। लोकाचारमात्रेण तु प्रवर्तमानानां देहिनां या श्रद्धा सा तु सात्त्विकी राजसी तामसी चेति त्रिविधा भवति। तत्र हेतुः। स्वभावजा स्वभावः पूर्वकर्मसंस्कारस्तस्माज्जाता स्वभावजा। स्वभावमन्यथा कर्तुं समर्थं हि शास्त्रोक्तं विवेकज्ञानं तत्तु तेषां नास्ति? अतः केवलं स्वभावेनैव भवतीति श्रद्धा त्रिविधा भवति? तामिमां त्रिविधां श्रद्धां श्रृणु। तदुक्तम्व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकेह कुरुनन्दन इत्यादिना।