Thursday 29 June 2017

Bhagwad Gita Chapter 17

Arjuna said: 'Those who give up on the regulations of the scriptures, but do worship having full faith - is their faith in goodness, passion or in ignorance?'

Krishna said: 'The faith of the embodied souls takes three forms according to each his love and experience: to goodness, to passion and to ignorance; so thus hear about this from Me.  Faith evolves according to everyone's nature, oh son of Bharata; the person ìs the full of this faith and is, with such a faith endowed, thus certain of himself. Those of goodness are in respect with the godly ones, in the mode of passion one deals with the demoniac, while people in ignorance are in respect with the spirits of the dead and with ghosts.  Those persons who undergo severe austerities not prescribed in the scriptures and who proudly identified with the body are engaged in tormenting the organs of their bodies in a desire of and attachment to their own prowess, are mistaken about Me; consider those who persistently deal that way with themselves as being of an obscure resolve.

 Also the food intake one cherishes is assuredly of three kinds; just like with sacrifice, austerity and charity; hear now about how they differ from one another.  Food preferred by the ones in goodness increases the duration of life, purifies one's being, gives strength, health, happiness and satisfaction and is juicy, rich, wholesome and a pleasure to the heart.  Bitter, sour, salty, very hot, smelly, dried out and burnt is the food of those in the mode of passion; it makes unhappy, miserable and causes disease.  That which is spoiled, lacks taste, smells bad, is decomposed, a left over from a previous meal and has impurities in it, is food dear to the ignorant.

 Sacrifice that is performed according to the scripture by those who are free from profit motives and is thus surely of an absorbed mind is of goodness.  But that what is done in desire for the result and out of pride, oh chief of the Bhâratas, know that sacrifice as being of the mode of passion. Devoid of the principles [of satya, dayâ, tapas, sauca; truth, compassion, austerity and cleanliness], with no offerings of food, in disrespect of mantras, without gifts and with lacking faith, sacrifice is to be considered as of ignorance.

In deeds austerity is said to be of respect for the divinity, the twice-born ones, the spiritual teacher and the wise in cleanliness, sincerity, celibacy and nonviolence.  To the voice for sure austerity is said to be of truthful, pleasing and beneficial, inoffensive words that are of Vedic study and practice.  To one's thinking this austerity then is said to be of a considerate mind of good faith, gravity, self-control and self-correction.  That threefold austerity [of deeds, the voice and the mind executed by men with faith in the transcendence without longing for the fruit is said to be of goodness.  Austerity performed in this world for the sake of respect, honor, veneration and indeed pride is said to be of passion; it is unstable and temporary.  Austerity foolishly performed with the intent to torture oneself or with the purpose of destroying others is said to be in the mode of darkness.

 Donations given dutifully, irrespective the return, at the proper time and place and to suitable persons - that giving is considered to be of goodness.  But that which again is given desiring a return of some result or with resentment; that giving is understood to be of the mode of passion.  That charity which is given at the wrong place, the wrong time and to unworthy persons and as well is given without respect and proper attention - that is said to be in the mode of ignorance.

 With Om Tat Sat to that the threefold of the spiritual is indicated which the brahmins till now used for as well sacrifices as the Vedic literature.  Therewith does Om indicate the beginning of the sacrifices of the transcendentalists of charity and penance according to the scriptural regulations. Next is Tat, to the ones desiring liberation, used when one is not after the results of sacrifice with the various activities of charity and penance. To the nature of the Supreme and its devotion is following the resounding of the word Sat used in the agreed upon activities. In the case of sacrifice, penance and charity, Sat is thus also for sure uttered to indicate the activities meant and the Absolute of the truth.

 That which is offered, given and performed with penance without faith in all this, is said to be false  and that is nor useful here nor in the hereafter.'  

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