Chapter 17

Śraddhā-traya (श्रद्धा-त्रय)

Faith takes the color of the guṇas (गुण). oṃ tat sat (ॐ तत् सत्).

Summary

Chapter 17 is faith, and faith takes the color of the strands. Food, sacrifice, austerity, and gift are each of three kinds. Oṃ (ओं) tat sat is the utterance that marks a true offering. What is done without faith is asat, and it is said to be fruitless here and hereafter.

नेपालीमा

अध्याय १७ श्रद्धाको विषय हो, र श्रद्धाले गुणको रङ लिन्छ। आहार, यज्ञ, तप र दान हरेक तीन प्रकारका हुन्। ॐ तत् सत् साँचो अर्पण चिनाउने उच्चारण हो। श्रद्धा बिना गरिएको असत् हो, र यहाँ र परलोकमा फलरहित भनिन्छ।

1–10 Arjuna (अर्जुन), श्रीभगवान् Śrī Bhagavān · Faith and food

Summary

Faith and food. Arjuna asks about people who sacrifice with faith but throw scripture aside. Faith is of three kinds, born of one's own being. A person is that faith. Food that increases life and strength is sattvic. Bitter, sour, and burning food is rajasic. Stale and impure food is tamasic. The section starts the threefold reading that will cover sacrifice, austerity, and gift.

नेपालीमा

श्रद्धा र आहार। अर्जुनले विश्वाससहित यज्ञ गर्ने तर शास्त्र छाड्नेहरूबारे सोध्छन्। श्रद्धा तीन प्रकारकी हो, आफ्नै भावबाट जन्मेकी। मानिस त्यही श्रद्धा हो। आयु र बल बढाउने आहार सात्त्विक हो। तितो, अमिलो र पोल्ने आहार राजसिक हो। बासी र अपवित्र आहार तामसिक हो। खण्डले यज्ञ, तप र दानलाई समेट्ने तीन प्रकारको पढाइ सुरु गर्छ।

17.1Arjuna (अर्जुन) said: Those who set aside the ordinance of the शास्त्र and worship, accompanied by faith — what is their standing, Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण), सत्त्व, or रजस्, or तमस्?17.2The faith of embodied beings is of three kinds, born of their own nature.17.3The faith of every person is shaped to the being he is, Bhārata (भारत), and this person is made of faith, so that whoever has which faith, he is that.17.4People of सत्त्व worship the gods, people of रजस् worship यक्ष and राक्षस beings, and other people, those of तमस्, worship the departed and the hosts of beings.17.5People heat themselves in a fierce austerity the शास्त्र has not ordained, joined to show and the I-sense, and carried by the force of desire and passion.17.6Wearing down the host of elements that stand in the body, and me who stands within the body, mindless as they are — know them as people whose resolve is demonic.17.7Food, too, the food dear to anyone, is of three kinds; hear this distinction of sacrifice, austerity, and gift.17.8Foods that increase life, clarity, strength, health, ease, and satisfaction, savory, oily, firm, and pleasing to the heart, are dear to people of सत्त्व.17.9Foods that are pungent, sour, salty, very hot, sharp, dry, and burning, and that give pain, sorrow, and sickness, are what the person of रजस् likes.17.10The meal that is stale, gone of taste, foul, and left overnight, and also the leavings and what is unfit for the offering, is dear to the person of तमस्.QuizFive questions on Faith and food.

11–22 श्रीभगवान् Śrī Bhagavān · Sacrifice, austerity, and gift

Summary

Sacrifice, austerity, and gift, each in three kinds. A sacrifice done as enjoined, without a wish for fruit, is sattvic. One done for display is rajasic. One without injunction, without food offered, and without faith is tamasic. Austerity of body, speech, and mind is defined, and then sorted the same way. A gift given because it ought to be given, to one who will not return it, is sattvic.

नेपालीमा

यज्ञ, तप र दान, हरेक तीन प्रकार। विधिअनुसार, फलको इच्छा बिना गरिएको यज्ञ सात्त्विक हो। देखाउनका लागि गरिएको यज्ञ राजसिक हो। विधि बिना, अन्न नचढाई र विश्वास बिना गरिएको यज्ञ तामसिक हो। काय, वचन र मनको तप परिभाषित गरिन्छ, अनि त्यसै गरी छुट्याइन्छ। दिनैपर्छ भनेर, बदलामा केही नफर्काउने मानिसलाई दिइएको दान सात्त्विक हो।

17.11The sacrifice offered as the ordinance sees it, by people who do not long for a fruit, the mind set on "this is simply to be offered," is the one of सत्त्व.17.12What is offered with the fruit aimed at, and for show, know that sacrifice as the one of रजस्, best of the Bharatas.17.13They call dark the sacrifice that is empty of the ordinance, with no food given out, empty of mantra (मन्त्र), without the priest's gift, and left by faith.17.14Worship of the gods, the twice-born, the teacher, and the wise, cleanliness, straightness, ब्रह्मचर्य, and non-harm are called the austerity of the body.17.15Speech that causes no distress, that is true, and that is pleasant and beneficial, together with the practice of one's own recitation, is called the austerity of speech.17.16Clarity of mind, gentleness, silence, holding the self in, and purity of one's state: this is called the austerity of the mind.17.17That threefold austerity, practiced with the highest faith by yoked people who do not long for a fruit, they call the austerity of सत्त्व.17.18Austerity done for honor, esteem, and worship, and with show, is declared here to be of रजस्, unsteady and unfixed.17.19Austerity done with a deluded grasping, by torment of oneself, or in order to ruin another, is declared to be of तमस्.17.20The gift given with the thought "it is to be given," to one who will not pay it back, in the right place, at the right time, and to the worthy person, is remembered as the gift of सत्त्व.17.21The gift given so as to be repaid, or with a fruit aimed at, and given with strain, is remembered as the gift of रजस्.17.22The gift given in the wrong place and at the wrong time, and to unfit people, without honor and with contempt, is declared to be of तमस्.QuizFive questions on Sacrifice, austerity, and gift.

23–28 श्रीभगवान् Śrī Bhagavān · Oṃ tat sat

Summary

Oṃ (ओं) tat sat. This utterance is the indication of Brahman, and from it the brāhmaṇas (ब्राह्मण), the Vedas, and the sacrifices were of old arranged. Oṃ (ओं) is uttered at the start. Tat is said by those who seek release, without aiming at the fruit. Sat is the name of the real and of a good work. What is offered or given without faith is asat. The section stamps the acts of the previous section.

नेपालीमा

ॐ तत् सत्। यो उच्चारण ब्रह्मको सङ्केत हो, र यसबाट ब्राह्मण, वेद र यज्ञ प्राचीन कालमा व्यवस्थित गरिए। ॐ आदिमा उच्चारिन्छ। तत् मुक्ति खोज्नेहरूले फल नहेरी भन्छन्। सत् वास्तविकको र राम्रो कर्मको नाम हो। विश्वास बिना चढाइएको वा दिइएको असत् हो। खण्डले अघिल्लो खण्डका कर्ममा छाप लगाउँछ।

17.23"Oṃ (ॐ), tat, sat": this is remembered as the triple pointer to Brahman.17.24Therefore, with ॐ uttered, the acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity of those who speak ब्रह्मन् proceed constantly, as the ordinance has said.17.25With the word तत्, not aiming at a fruit, various acts of sacrifice, austerity, and gift are done by those who long for release.17.26This word सत् is used in being and in goodness, and likewise, Pārtha (पार्थ), the word सत् is used of a praised act.17.27Steadiness in sacrifice, in austerity, and in gift is called सत्, and action done for the sake of तत् is called सत्.17.28Whatever is offered, given, or suffered as austerity without faith is called asat (असत्).QuizFive questions on Oṃ tat sat.