Dr. Suka Dev

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Chapter Seventeen: Faith, Food, and Choices; What Shapes Your Soul

In our last chapter, Lord Krishna showed us the divine and demoniac natures. Now, He's going to explain how even things like our faith, the food we eat, the sacrifices we make, the ways we discipline ourselves, and even our giving to others, are all influenced by those three invisible qualities of nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance.

This chapter is like God Himself giving us a magnifying glass to see how our inner qualities affect every part of our lives, and how we can choose to live with the best kind of faith!

What Kind of Faith Do You Have?¹

The chapter begins with Arjuna asking Krishna about the faith of those who don't follow scriptures. Krishna then explains that everyone's faith comes in three kinds, depending on which quality of nature is strongest in them.

graph TD B[Arjuna asks what is the faith of those who give up scripture but worship: goodness, passion, or ignorance?] B --> C[Krishna replies: Faith is three kinds for embodied beings, based on their nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance.] C --> D[Everyone's faith is according to their existence; a living entity is full of faith, and whatever faith he has, that he truly is.] D --> E[Those in goodness worship gods; in passion worship demons.] E --> F[Others in ignorance worship spirits of the dead and ghosts.]

"Arjunaḥ uvāca: ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya yajante śraddhayā anvitāḥ teṣām niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvam āho rajaḥ tamaḥ."¹ Arjuna said: "O Krishna, kṛṣṇa! Those who give up, utsṛjya, the rules of scripture, śāstra-vidhim, but still worship with full faith, śraddhayā anvitāḥ, what is their faith, teṣām niṣṭhā tu kā? Is it in goodness, sattvam, or else, āho, in passion, rajaḥ, or in ignorance, tamaḥ?"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This is a great question, kids! Arjuna is asking about people who are sincere but maybe don't know all the rules. Is their faith still good? Krishna will explain that even faith can be colored by the qualities of nature!

"Śrī-bhagavān uvāca: tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā dehinām sā sva-bhāva-jā sāttvikī rājasī ca eva tāmasī ca iti tām śṛṇu."² Lord Krishna said: "The faith, śraddhā, of embodied beings, dehinām, becomes of three kinds, tri-vidhā bhavati, according to their nature, sva-bhāva-jā! It is in goodness, sāttvikī, in passion, rājasī, and also, ca eva, in ignorance, tāmasī! Listen to that from Me!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Śraddhā is a very important Sanskrit word here, kids! It means 'faith.' Krishna is saying your faith isn't just one thing; it's shaped by your dominant nature. This explains why different people believe in different things or in different ways.

"Sattva-anurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata śraddhā-mayaḥ ayam puruṣaḥ yaḥ yat śraddhaḥ saḥ eva saḥ."³ "O son of Bharata, bhārata! The faith, śraddhā, of everyone, sarvasya, becomes according to their existence, sattva-anurūpā! This living entity, ayam puruṣaḥ, is full of faith, śraddhā-mayaḥ! Indeed, eva, whatever faith one has, yaḥ yat śraddhaḥ, that he truly is, saḥ saḥ!" This means you are what you believe in!

"Yajante sāttvikāḥ devān yakṣa-rakṣāṁsi rājasāḥ pretān bhūta-gaṇān ca anye yajante tāmasāḥ janāḥ."⁴ "Those in the mode of goodness, sāttvikāḥ, worship the gods, devān yajante! Those in the mode of passion, rājasāḥ, worship demons, yakṣa-rakṣāṁsi! And others, anye, in the mode of ignorance, tāmasāḥ janāḥ, worship spirits of the dead, pretān, and ghosts, bhūta-gaṇān ca!"

Dangerous Practices: When Faith Goes Wrong⁵

Krishna warns about dangerous austerities performed by people with wrong faith. These practices are not in the scriptures and harm others, even tormenting God who resides within. This shows a demoniac nature.

graph TD B[Persons undergo terrible austerities not directed by scriptures.] B --> C[They are full of pride and egoism.] C --> D[Impelled by lust and attachment.] D --> E[With misled minds, they torment body elements and God within.] E --> F[Understand them to be demoniac in resolve.]

"Aśāstra-vihitam ghoram tapyante ye tapaḥ janāḥ dambha-ahaṅkāra-saṁyuktāḥ kāma-rāga-bala-anvitāḥ."⁵⁻⁶ "Those persons, janāḥ, who undergo terrible, ghoram, austerities, tapaḥ, not directed by scriptures, aśāstra-vihitam—they are connected with pride, dambha, and egoism, ahaṅkāra! They are impelled by the force of lust, kāma, and attachment, rāga-bala-anvitāḥ!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Aśāstra-vihitam means 'not directed by scriptures.' Krishna is saying true spiritual practice always follows holy books, not just what someone makes up or does for show. If it's ghoram —meaning 'harmful to others'—then it's definitely wrong!

"Karṣayantaḥ śarīra-stham bhūta-grāmam acetasaḥ mām ca eva antaḥ-śarīra-stham tān viddhi āsura-niścayān."⁶ "Having a misled mentality, acetasaḥ, they torment, karṣayantaḥ, the combination of material elements situated within the body, śarīra-stham bhūta-grāmam! And they also, ca eva, torment Me, mām, who am situated within the body, antaḥ-śarīra-stham! Understand them to be demoniac in their resolve, tān viddhi āsura-niścayān!"

Food Choices: What Your Plate Says About Your Qualities⁷

Krishna explains how the food we eat is also affected by the three modes of nature. He describes the characteristics of food preferred by those in goodness, passion, and ignorance, showing how our diet can actually influence our minds and bodies.

graph TD B[Food dear to all is three kinds; so too are sacrifice, austerity, and charity.] B --> C[Foods in goodness: increase life, strength, health, happiness, satisfaction; juicy, fatty, enduring, pleasing to heart.] C --> D[Foods in passion: bitter, sour, salty, very hot, pungent, dry, burning; preferred by those in passion; cause distress, misery, disease.] D --> E[Foods in ignorance: cooked long ago, tasteless, bad-smelling, decomposed, leftovers, untouchable; dear to those in ignorance.]

"Āhāraḥ tu api sarvasya tri-vidhaḥ bhavati priyaḥ yajñaḥ tapaḥ tathā dānam teṣām bhedam imam śṛṇu."⁷ "The food, āhāraḥ, that is dear, priyaḥ, to everyone, sarvasya, is also of three kinds, tri-vidhaḥ bhavati! So too are sacrifice, yajñaḥ, austerity, tapaḥ, and charity, dānam! Hear from Me now their differences, teṣām bhedam imam śṛṇu!"

"Āyuḥ-sattva-bala-ārogya-sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirāḥ hṛdyāḥ āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ."⁸ "Foods that increase life duration, āyuḥ, existence, sattva, strength, bala, health, ārogya, happiness, sukha, and satisfaction, prīti-vivardhanāḥ—foods that are juicy, rasyāḥ, fatty, snigdhāḥ, enduring, sthirāḥ, and pleasing to the heart, hṛdyāḥ—these are dear to those in the mode of goodness, sāttvika-priyāḥ."

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Sāttvika means 'in the mode of goodness.' This kind of food is fresh, natural, and nourishing. It helps you feel calm, strong, and happy, which is great for your spiritual journey!

"Kaṭu-amla-lavaṇa-ati-uṣṇa-tīkṣṇa-rūkṣa-vidāhinaḥ āhārāḥ rājasasya iṣṭāḥ duḥkha-śoka-āmaya-pradāḥ."⁹ "Foods that are bitter, kaṭu; sour, amla; salty, lavaṇa; very hot, ati-uṣṇa; pungent (like very spicy), tīkṣṇa; dry, rūkṣa; and cause burning, vidāhinaḥ—these foods, āhārāḥ, are preferred by those in the mode of passion, rājasasya iṣṭāḥ! They cause distress, duḥkha, misery, śoka, and disease, āmaya-pradāḥ!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Rājasasya means 'of the mode of passion.' This kind of food might taste exciting for a moment, but it makes you restless, angry, and can cause health problems. Think about too much spicy or overly processed food!

"Yāta-yāmam gata-rasam pūti paryuṣitam ca yat ucchiṣṭam api ca amedhyam bhojanam tāmasa-priyam."¹⁰ "Food that is cooked three hours before being eaten, yāta-yāmam; that has lost its taste, gata-rasam; bad-smelling, pūti; decomposed, paryuṣitam; and also, ca, remnants of food eaten by others, ucchiṣṭam api ca (meaning 'leftovers' not offered to God); and that which is untouchable (impure), amedhyam—this kind of eating, bhojanam, is dear to those in the mode of ignorance, tāmasa-priyam."

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Tāmasa means 'in the mode of ignorance.' This is the worst kind of food, kids! It makes you dull, lazy, and brings sickness. It's like eating spoiled food—it's unhealthy for your body and mind!

Sacrifice: Is It for God, Show, or Just Wrong?¹¹

Krishna explains how our intentions affect the nature of our sacrifices, describing them based on the three modes: whether done purely for God, for show, or out of ignorance.

graph TD B[Sacrifice in goodness: done by those without desire for results, according to scripture, with mind fixed on duty.] B --> C[Sacrifice in passion: done with desire for results or for pride; it is flickering and temporary.] C --> D[Sacrifice in ignorance: done without scripture, without consecrated food, without chanting, without gifts for priests, and without faith.]

"Aphala-ākāṅkṣibhiḥ yajñaḥ vidhi-diṣṭaḥ yaḥ ijyate yaṣṭavyam eva iti manaḥ samādhāya saḥ sāttvikaḥ."¹¹ "A sacrifice, yajñaḥ, which is performed by those without desires for results, aphala-ākāṅkṣibhiḥ, according to the direction of scripture, vidhi-diṣṭaḥ—that sacrifice, saḥ, is in the mode of goodness, sāttvikaḥ, performed with the mind fixed on 'it must be done,' yaṣṭavyam eva iti manaḥ samādhāya!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Yajña means 'sacrifice' or 'offering.' In goodness, you do it because it's right, not for what you'll get back!

"Abhisandhāya tu phalam dambha-artham api ca eva yat ijyate bharata-śreṣṭha tam yajñam viddhi rājasam calam adhruvam."¹² "But, tu, O chief of the Bharatas, bharata-śreṣṭha! Know that sacrifice, tam yajñam, which is performed, yat ijyate, with a desire for results, abhisandhāya phalam, or even for the sake of pride, dambha-artham api ca eva—that is in the mode of passion, rājasam, flickering, calam, and temporary, adhruvam!"

"Vidhi-hīnam asṛṣṭa-annam mantra-hīnam adakṣiṇam śraddhā-virahitam yajñam tāmasam paricakṣate."¹³ "A sacrifice, yajñam, performed without scriptural direction, vidhi-hīnam; without distributing consecrated food, asṛṣṭa-annam; with no chanting of holy hymns, mantra-hīnam; with no proper gifts for priests, adakṣiṇam; and without faith, śraddhā-virahitam—that is considered to be in the mode of ignorance, tāmasam paricakṣate!"

Austerity: How We Discipline Ourselves¹⁴

Krishna breaks down austerity (self-discipline or strict spiritual practice) into three types: bodily, verbal, and mental. He then explains how these austerities are performed in goodness, passion, and ignorance, revealing their true purpose and potential pitfalls.

graph TD B[Bodily austerity: worship of God/brahmanas/gurus/wise; cleanliness; simplicity; celibacy; nonviolence.] B --> C[Verbal austerity: words that are not agitating; truthful, dear, beneficial; and study of Vedas.] C --> D[Mental austerity: satisfaction of mind; no deceit; seriousness; self-control; purification of nature.] D --> E[Threefold austerity with transcendental faith, without desire for fruits, is in goodness.] E --> F[Austerity for respect/honor/worship, done with pride, is in passion; it is flickering and temporary.] F --> G[Austerity done with foolish endeavor, by self-torture, or to harm others, is in ignorance.]

"Deva-dvija-guru-prājña-pūjanam śaucam ārjavam brahmacaryam ahiṁsā ca śārīram tapaḥ ucyate."¹⁴ "Worship of God, deva-pūjanam; of brahmanas, dvija; of spiritual teachers, guru; and of wise personalities, prājña; cleanliness, śaucam; simplicity, ārjavam; celibacy, brahmacaryam; and nonviolence, ahiṁsā ca—these are called austerities pertaining to the body, śārīram tapaḥ ucyate!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Tapaḥ means 'austerity' or 'penance'—it's a way to discipline yourself for a higher purpose. Here, Krishna lists actions we do with our bodies that count as austerity in goodness.

"Anudvega-karam vākyam satyam priya-hitam ca yat svādhyāya-abhyasanam ca eva vāk-mayam tapaḥ ucyate."¹⁵ "Words that are not agitating, anudvega-karam vākyam; that are truthful, satyam; dear, priya; and beneficial, hitam ca yat; and also, ca eva, the practice of Vedic study, svādhyāya-abhyasanam—these are called austerities of the voice, vāk-mayam tapaḥ ucyate!"

"Manaḥ-prasādaḥ saumyatvam maunam ātma-vinigraḥ bhāva-saṁśuddhiḥ iti etat tapaḥ mānasam ucyate."¹⁶ "Satisfaction of the mind, manaḥ-prasādaḥ; being without deceit towards others, saumyatvam; gravity (seriousness), maunam; self-control, ātma-vinigrahaḥ; and purification of one's nature, bhāva-saṁśuddhiḥ—all this, iti etat, is called austerity of the mind, tapaḥ mānasam ucyate!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This shows that austerity isn't just about harsh physical challenges! It's also about speaking kindly (vākyam), studying (svādhyāyaḥ), and even having a peaceful, pure mind (manaḥ-prasādaḥ). Every part of you can practice austerity!

"Śraddhayā parayā taptam tapaḥ tat tri-vidham naraiḥ aphala-ākāṅkṣibhiḥ yuktaiḥ sāttvikam paricakṣate."¹⁷ "That threefold austerity, tapaḥ tat tri-vidham, performed by people, naraiḥ, with transcendental faith, śraddhayā parayā taptam, who are engaged, yuktaiḥ, without desires for fruits, aphala-ākāṅkṣibhiḥ—is called in the mode of goodness, sāttvikam paricakṣate!"

"Sat-kāra-māna-pūjā-artham tapaḥ dambhena ca eva yat kriyate tat iha proktam rājasam calam adhruvam."¹⁸ "But austerity, tapaḥ, which is performed, yat kriyate, for the sake of getting respect, honor, and worship, sat-kāra-māna-pūjā-artham, and also, ca eva, with pride, dambhena—that is said to be in the mode of passion, rājasam, in this world, iha proktam! It is flickering, calam, and temporary, adhruvam!"

"Mūḍha-grāheṇa ātmanaḥ yat pīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ parasya utsādana-artham vā tat tāmasam udāhṛtam."¹⁹ "Austerity, tapaḥ, which is performed, yat kriyate, with foolish endeavor, mūḍha-grāheṇa, by torturing oneself, ātmanaḥ pīḍayā, or for the sake of causing annihilation to others, parasya utsādana-artham vā—that is said to be in the mode of ignorance, tāmasam udāhṛtam!"

Giving with a Purpose: Three Kinds of Charity²⁰

Krishna concludes this section by explaining how charity—giving to others—also comes in three kinds, depending on the quality of nature. He shows that the best kind of giving is done without expecting anything in return, for the right reasons.

graph TD B[Charity in goodness: given with thought "it's worth giving," to someone with no expectation of return, at proper place, time, and to suitable person.] B --> C[Charity in passion: given for some return or desiring a result; grudgingly.] C --> D[Charity in ignorance: given at unpurified place/time, to unworthy persons, without respect or attention.]

"Dātavyam iti yat dānam dīyate anupakāriṇe deśe kāle ca pātre ca tat dānam sāttvikam smṛtam."²⁰ "Charity, dānam, which is given, dīyate, with the thought 'it is worth giving,' dātavyam iti yat, to a person from whom no return is expected, anupakāriṇe—and given in a proper place, deśe, at a proper time, kāle, and to a suitable person, pātre—that charity, tat dānam, is considered to be in the mode of goodness, sāttvikam smṛtam!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Dānam is 'charity' or 'giving.' Krishna is teaching us that the best kind of giving is done freely, without expecting anything back, and to someone who truly deserves it at the right time and place.

"Yat tu prati-upakāra-artham phalam uddiśya vā punaḥ dīyate ca parikliṣṭam tat dānam rājasam smṛtam."²¹ "But, yat tu, charity, dānam, which is given, dīyate, for the sake of getting some return, prati-upakāra-artham, or desiring a result, phalam uddiśya, or again, punaḥ, grudgingly, parikliṣṭam—that charity is understood to be in the mode of passion, rājasam smṛtam!"

"Adeśa-kāle yat dānam apātrebhyaḥ ca dīyate asat-kṛtam avajñātam tat tāmasam udāhṛtam."²² "That charity, dānam, which is given, dīyate, at an unpurified place, adeśa-kāle, and at an unpurified time, akāle, to unworthy persons, apātrebhyaḥ—given without respect, asat-kṛtam, and without proper attention, avajñātam—that is said to be in the mode of ignorance, tāmasam udāhṛtam!"

The Sacred Words: Om Tat Sat²³

Krishna explains the three sacred syllables—Om, Tat, Sat—which are used to indicate God and truth. He explains how these words are used in spiritual activities to connect them to the Absolute Truth, and warns that anything done without true faith is ultimately useless.

graph TD B[God's indication is threefold: Om, Tat, Sat.] B --> C[Brahmanas, Vedas, and sacrifices were used with Om Tat Sat formerly.] C --> D[God-speakers perform sacrifices, charity, penance always by saying Om, according to rules.] D --> E[With Tat, desiring no fruit, various sacrifices and charity are done by those desiring liberation.] E --> F[Sat is used for the Supreme's nature and devotee's nature; also in praiseworthy actions.] F --> G[Situation in sacrifice, penance, charity is called Sat; work for Supreme is also called Sat.] G --> H[Whatever is offered, given, or done without faith is called Asat; it is useless after death and in this life.]

"Oṁ tat sat iti nirdeśaḥ brahmaṇaḥ tri-vidhaḥ smṛtaḥ brāhmaṇāḥ tena vedāḥ ca yajñāḥ ca vihitāḥ purā."²³ "The indication of God, brahmaṇaḥ nirdeśaḥ, is threefold, tri-vidhaḥ smṛtaḥ: Om, oṁ; Tat, tat; and Sat, sat iti! Formerly, purā, brahmanas, brāhmaṇāḥ, the Vedas, vedāḥ ca, and sacrifices, yajñāḥ ca, were used with that (Om Tat Sat)!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Oṁ tat sat is a super powerful mantra, kids! It's like a secret code that connects everything to God.

"Tasmāt oṁ iti udāhṛtya yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ pravartante vidhāna-uktāḥ satatam brahma-vādinām."²⁴ "Therefore, tasmāt, constantly, satatam, those who speak about God, brahma-vādinām, begin to perform sacrifices, yajña, charity, dāna, and penance, tapaḥ-kriyāḥ, by saying 'Om,' oṁ iti udāhṛtya, according to scriptural rules, vidhāna-uktāḥ!"

"Tat iti anabhisandhāya phalam yajña-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ dāna-kriyāḥ ca vividhāḥ kriyante mokṣa-kāṅkṣibhiḥ."²⁵ "With the word 'Tat,' tat iti, without desiring results, anabhisandhāya phalam, various activities of sacrifice, yajña-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ, and charity, dāna-kriyāḥ ca vividhāḥ, are performed, kriyante, by those who truly desire liberation, mokṣa-kāṅkṣibhiḥ!"

"Sat-bhāve sādhu-bhāve ca sat iti etat prayujyate praśaste karmaṇi tathā sat-śabdaḥ pārtha yujyate."²⁶⁻²⁷ "The word 'Sat,' sat iti etat, is used, prayujyate, in the sense of the nature of the Supreme, sat-bhāve, and in the sense of the nature of the devotee, sādhu-bhāve! And also, tathā, the word 'Sat,' sat-śabdaḥ, is used, yujyate, O son of Pritha, pārtha, in praiseworthy actions, praśaste karmaṇi! The situation, sthitiḥ, in sacrifice, yajñe, penance, tapasi, and charity, dāne, is also called 'Sat,' sat iti ca ucyate! And work done for the Supreme, karma ca eva tat-arthīyam, is also called 'Sat,' sat iti eva abhidhīyate!"

"Aśraddhayā hutam dattam tapaḥ taptam kṛtam ca yat asat iti ucyate pārtha na ca tat pretya na u iha."²⁸ "O son of Pritha, pārtha! Whatever is offered in sacrifice, hutam, given in charity, dattam, austerity performed, tapaḥ taptam, or any work done, kṛtam ca yat, without faith, aśraddhayā—that is called 'Asat' (false or unreal), asat iti ucyate! And that is of no value, na ca tat, either after death, pretya, or in this life, na u iha!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This is a powerful final warning, kids! Aśraddhayā means 'without faith.' Krishna is saying that no matter how big or impressive your actions seem, if they're done without faith, they're called asat —'unreal' or 'false.' They won't give you any lasting good results, either in this life or the next. Faith is the most important ingredient!