17.1
अर्जुन उवाच
ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः ।
तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ॥
arjuna uvāca
ye śāstravidhim utsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ
teṣāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ
Arjuna (अर्जुन) is speaking, to Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण). uvāca (उवाच) stands outside the meter.
The verse
Arjuna (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?
नेपालीमा
अर्जुनले भने, शास्त्रको विधान छाडेर श्रद्धासहित पूजा गर्नेहरूको स्थिति के हो, हे कृष्ण, सत्त्वको, रजस्को, कि तमस्को।
Where it sits
The chapter opens on his question. Worship that has left the ordinance is still worship, and it still has faith. He wants that faith planted in one of the three strands. The answer begins at the next verse, and it will not add a fourth strand.
Split: ये + शास्त्र-विधिम् + उत्सृज्य + यजन्ते + श्रद्धया + अन्विताः + तेषाम् + निष्ठा + तु + का + कृष्ण + सत्त्वम् + आहो + रजः + तमः
ye + śāstra-vidhim + utsṛjya + yajante + śraddhayā + anvitāḥ + teṣām + niṣṭhā + tu + kā + kṛṣṇa + sattvam + āho + rajaḥ + tamaḥ
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| ये | ye | nominative plural | who. The people he is asking about. |
| शास्त्र-विधिम् | śāstra-vidhim | accusative singular | the ordinance of the śāstra (शास्त्र). vidhi (विधि) is the rule as laid down. |
| उत्सृज्य | utsṛjya | gerund | having set aside. ut (उत्) "out," sṛj (सृज्) "let go." |
| यजन्ते | yajante | present, 3rd plural, middle | they worship. From yaj (यज्). |
| श्रद्धया | śraddhayā | instrumental singular | with faith. śraddhā (श्रद्धा). |
| अन्विताः | anvitāḥ | nominative plural | accompanied. The faith is what they are accompanied by. |
| तेषाम् | teṣām | genitive plural | of them. |
| निष्ठा | niṣṭhā | nominative singular | standing. The place they are planted. |
| तु | tu | indeclinable | and, but. A light turn. |
| का | kā | nominative singular feminine | what. Agrees with niṣṭhā (निष्ठा). |
| कृष्ण | kṛṣṇa | vocative | Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण). |
| सत्त्वम् | sattvam | nominative singular | sattva (सत्त्व), the clear strand. |
| आहो | āho | indeclinable | or. It puts the names that follow into the question. |
| रजः | rajaḥ | nominative singular | rajas (रजस्), the driving strand. |
| तमः | tamaḥ | nominative singular | tamas (तमस्), the dark strand. |
The phrases
ये शास्त्रविधिम् उत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धया अन्विताः ye śāstravidhim utsṛjya yajante śraddhayā anvitāḥ is the group. People who have set the ordinance aside, and who worship, and who are accompanied by faith. The gerund utsṛjya (उत्सृज्य) is finished before the worship begins. The worship is not an accident beside the leaving.
teṣām niṣṭhā tu kā (तेषाम् निष्ठा तु का) is the question. What is their standing. kā (का) is feminine because niṣṭhā (निष्ठा) is feminine. He is not asking who they are. He is asking where they stand.
सत्त्वम् आहो रजः तमः sattvam āho rajaḥ tamaḥ is the menu he offers. Clear, or driving, or dark. āho (आहो) sits after the first name and covers the list.
Sanskrit in this line
रजः + तमः rajaḥ + tamaḥ is recited rajas tamaḥ (रजस्तमः). aḥ (अः) before voiceless t (त्) becomes s (स्). The same sattvam (सत्त्वम्) meets āho (आहो) as sattvam āho (सत्त्वमाहो): m (म्) before a vowel stays m (म्) and the words are written together. Two joins, and neither one creates a new name.
Say it back
Cover the English. Ask the question with utsṛjya (उत्सृज्य) before the worship, and with all three strands after kā (का). If āho (आहो) drops out and the three names sound like a statement, stay here.