असुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि।मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम्।।16.20।।
Entering demonic wombs, deluded birth after birth, failing to reach Me, O son of Kunti, they go to the lowest state.
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः।कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत्।।16.21।।
Three gates lead to hell, destructive of the self: desire, anger, and greed. Therefore, one should abandon this triple set.
एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः।आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम्।।16.22।।
Freed from these three gates of darkness, O son of Kunti, a person acts for his own welfare and then attains the highest path.
यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः।न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम्।।16.23।।
He who, abandoning the injunctions of scripture, acts according to his own desires, does not attain perfection, happiness, or the supreme path.
तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ।ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि।।16.24।।
Therefore, scripture is your authority in determining what is to be done and what is not to be done. Knowing the injunctions of scripture, you ought to perform action here.
अर्जुन उवाचये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयाऽन्विताः।तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः।।17.1।।
Arjuna said: Those who, endowed with faith, perform worship disregarding the injunctions of scripture—what is their condition, O Krishna? Is it sattva, rajas, or tamas?
श्री भगवानुवाचत्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा।सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां श्रृणु।।17.2।।
The Blessed Lord said: Faith is of three kinds, arising from the nature of embodied beings: sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic. Hear about it.
सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत।श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः।।17.3।।
The faith of every person conforms to their nature, O Bharata. One is made of faith; as is one's faith, so indeed is one.
यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः।प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः।।17.4।।
The sattvic worship the gods; the rajasic worship yakshas and rakshasas; and the others, the tamasic people, worship spirits and hosts of ghosts.
अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जनाः।दम्भाहङ्कारसंयुक्ताः कामरागबलान्विताः।।17.5।।
Those people who, not following scriptural ordinance, perform severe austerities, filled with hypocrisy and ego, driven by desire and attachment—
कर्षयन्तः शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतसः।मां चैवान्तःशरीरस्थं तान्विद्ध्यासुरनिश्चयान्।।17.6।।
Tormenting the aggregate of elements in the body, and also Me dwelling within the body, know them to be of demonic resolve.
आहारस्त्वपि सर्वस्य त्रिविधो भवति प्रियः।यज्ञस्तपस्तथा दानं तेषां भेदमिमं श्रृणु।।17.7।।
Food, too, is dear to all and is of three kinds; so also are sacrifices, austerity, and charity. Hear the distinction among them.
आयुःसत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धनाः।रस्याः स्निग्धाः स्थिरा हृद्या आहाराः सात्त्विकप्रियाः।।17.8।।
Foods that increase life, purity, strength, health, happiness, and satisfaction, that are savory, unctuous, firm, and pleasing to the heart, are dear to the sattvic.
कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः।आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः।।17.9।।
Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, excessively hot, pungent, dry, and burning are preferred by the rajasic, and produce pain, grief, and disease.
यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत्।उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम्।।17.10।।
Food that is stale, tasteless, putrid, decomposed, leftover, and impure is dear to the tamasic.
अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते।यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः।।17.11।।
Sacrifice that is offered according to scriptural ordinance by those who do not seek reward, with the mind firmly set on the thought, 'it must be done,' is sattvic.
अभिसंधाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत्।इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम्।।17.12।।
But sacrifice that is performed with a desire for reward, or for the sake of ostentation, know that sacrifice, O best of Bharatas, to be rajasic.
विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम्।श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते।।17.13।।
Sacrifice that is contrary to ordinance, in which food is not distributed, which lacks mantras and offerings, and is devoid of faith, is declared to be tamasic.
देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम्।ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते।।17.14।।
Worship of the gods, the twice-born, teachers, and the wise; purity, straightforwardness, celibacy, and nonviolence—these are called bodily austerity.
अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत्।स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते।।17.15।।
Speech that does not cause agitation, that is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial, and regular study and recitation—these are called austerity of speech.
मनःप्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः।भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते।।17.16।।
Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-control, and purity of disposition—this is called mental austerity.
श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्ित्रविधं नरैः।अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते।।17.17।।
This threefold austerity, practiced with supreme faith by steadfast people, without desire for reward, is said to be sattvic.
सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत्।क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम्।।17.18।।
Austerity performed for the sake of respect, honor, or worship, and also with hypocrisy, is declared here to be passionate, unsteady, and insincere.
मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः।परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्।।17.19।।
Austerity undertaken with a deluded understanding, causing suffering to oneself, or for the purpose of harming another, is said to be of darkness.
दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे।देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम्।।17.20।।
That gift which is given with the thought, 'It should be given,' to one who does no service in return, in the proper place, at the proper time, and to a worthy person, is remembered as pure.
यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः।दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम्।।17.21।।
But that which is given with the expectation of a return, or with a desire for reward, or reluctantly, is remembered as passionate.
अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते।असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्।।17.22।।
That gift which is given at the wrong place or time, to unworthy recipients, without respect or with contempt, is declared to be of darkness.
तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः।ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा।।17.23।।
'Om Tat Sat'—this threefold designation of Brahman is remembered; by this, the Brahmins, the Vedas, and sacrifices were formerly ordained.
तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाः।प्रवर्तन्ते विधानोक्ताः सततं ब्रह्मवादिनाम्।।17.24।।
Therefore, uttering 'Om,' acts of sacrifice, charity, and austerity, as prescribed by ordinance, are always begun by those who know Brahman.
तदित्यनभिसन्धाय फलं यज्ञतपःक्रियाः।दानक्रियाश्च विविधाः क्रियन्ते मोक्षकाङ्क्षि।।17.25।।
Uttering 'Tat,' without seeking reward, various acts of sacrifice, austerity, and charity are performed by those who desire liberation.