In Bhagavad Gita 17.2, Krishna says the faith of embodied beings, born of their own nature, is of three kinds: sattvic, rajasic and tamasic.
Sanskrit Verse
श्रीभगवानुवाच · The Blessed Lord said
त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा
देहिनां सा स्वभावजा
सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव
तामसी चेति तां शृणु ॥ १७-२ ॥
trividhā bhavati śraddhā
dehināṃ sā svabhāvajā
sāttvikī rājasī caiva
tāmasī ceti tāṃ śṛṇu
English transliteration trividhaa bhavati shraddhaa
dehinaam saa svabhaavajaa
saattvikee raajasee chaiva
taamasee cheti taam shrinu ॥ 17.2 ॥
Translation / Meaning
The Blessed Lord said: The faith of embodied beings, born of their own nature, is of three kinds: sattvic, rajasic and tamasic. Hear about it.
Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| त्रिविधा trividhā | of three kinds |
| भवति bhavati | is |
| श्रद्धा śraddhā | faith |
| देहिनाम् dehinām | of embodied beings |
| सा sā | that |
| स्वभावजा svabhāvajā | born of their own nature sva (own) + bhāva (nature) + jā (born) |
| सात्त्विकी sāttvikī | sattvic |
| राजसी rājasī | rajasic |
| च ca | and |
| एव eva | also |
| तामसी tāmasī | tamasic |
| च ca | and |
| इति iti | thus |
| ताम् tām | about it |
| शृणु śṛṇu | hear |
Word-wise Chanting
- tri–vi–dhā bha–va–ti śrad–dhā 8 syllables tri-vi-dhaa bha-va-ti shrad-dhaa
- de–hi–nāṃ sā sva–bhā–va–jā | 8 syllables de-hi-naam saa sva-bhaa-va-jaa
- sāt–tvi–kī rā–ja–sī cai–va 8 syllables saat-tvi-kee raa-ja-see chai-va
- tā–ma–sī ce–ti tāṃ śṛ–ṇu || 17-2 8 syllables taa-ma-see che-ti taam shri-nu
How to read this
How to chant: each line is one pāda (quarter-verse); chant it in one breath. The hyphen (-) divides the syllables, inside a word and across a sandhi join, so every pāda shows its 8 syllables (11 in triṣṭubh verses). A consonant cluster is divided after its first consonant (kar-ma, vet-ti): that syllable is held longer. Mark above a syllable: guru, long (two beats); laghu, short (one beat). | closes the half-verse, || the verse; the number is the syllable count of the pāda.
Deeper Explanation – Chapter 17 Verse 2
Context
Krishna begins his answer (17.2–17.4).
Meaning
Faith is not uniform. It is svabhāvajā, arising from each person’s nature, shaped by past impressions. Like everything in nature, it takes the colour of the three guṇas: sāttvikī, rājasī or tāmasī.
The question is not whether we have faith, for everyone has faith in something, but what kind of faith we have.
In Practice
Notice what you place your trust in today, and ask what quality that trust has.
Related Verses
Continue Your Study
This verse belongs to Chapter 17: Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga (The Threefold Nature of Faith). Read the chapter overview, browse every verse of the Gita, or return to the chapter-by-chapter guide. For a reading plan, see how to study the Bhagavad Gita and the study resources.