Srimad Bhagavad-Gita : Chapter-17, Sraddha-traya-vibhaga-yogam : Slokam-2.

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Tuesday, August 10, 2021. 9:13. PM.
Srimad Bhagavad-Gita
Chapter-17. Sraddha-traya-vibhaga-yogam : 
Slokam-2.
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Srimad Bhagavad Gita : ch-17, slo-2.

Slokam-2.

sri-Bhagavan uvacha

"Tri-vidha bhavati shraddha dehinam sa svabhava-ja

sattviki rajasi chaiva tamasi cheti tam shrinu."

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Translation :

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha—the Supreme Personality said; 

tri-vidhā—of three kinds; 

bhavati—is; 

śhraddhā—faith; 

dehinām—embodied beings; 

sā—which; 

sva-bhāva-jā—born of one’s innate nature; 

sāttvikī—of the mode of goodness; 

rājasī—of the mode of passion; 

cha—and; 

eva—certainly; 

tāmasī—of the mode of ignorance; 

cha—and; 

iti—thus; 

tām—about this; 

śhṛiṇu—hear.

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Tatvam ( Essence ) :

BG 17.2: The Supreme Divine Personality said: Every human being is born with innate faith, which can be of three kinds—sāttvic, rājasic, or tāmasic. Now hear about this from me.

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Commentary :

1.

Nobody can be without faith, for it is an inseparable aspect of the human personality. Those who do not believe in the scriptures are also not bereft of faith. Their faith is reposed elsewhere. It could be on the logical ability of their intellect, or the perceptions of their senses, or the theories they have decided to believe in. For example, when people say, “I do not believe in God because I cannot see him,” they do not have faith in God but they have faith in their eyes. Hence, they assume that if their eyes cannot see something, it probably does not exist. This is also a kind of faith. Others say, “I do not believe in the authenticity of the ancient scriptures. 

Instead I accept the theories of modern science.” This is also a kind of faith, for we have seen in the last few centuries how theories of science keep getting amended and overthrown. It is possible that the present scientific theories we believe to be true may also be proved incorrect in the future. Accepting them as truths is also a leap of faith. Prof. Charles H. Townes, Nobel Prize winner in Physics, expressed this very nicely: “Science itself requires faith. We don’t know if our logic is correct. I don’t know if you are there. You don’t know if I am here. We may just be imagining all this. I have a faith that the world is what it seems like, and thus I believe you are there. I can’t prove it from any fundamental point of view… Yet I have to accept a certain framework in which to operate. 

The idea that ‘religion is faith’ and ‘science is knowledge,’ I think, is quite wrong. We scientists believe in the existence of the external world and the validity of our own logic. We feel quite comfortable about it. Nevertheless these are acts of faith. We can’t prove them.” Whether one is a material scientist, a social scientist, or a spiritual scientist, one cannot avoid the leap of faith required in the acceptance of knowledge. Shree Krishna now explains the reason why different people choose to place their faith in different places.

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2.

The gunas or three modes of material nature are sattva guna the mode of goodnes, raja guna the mode of passion and tama guna the mode of ignorance. They are singularly inherent within the faith of all mankind and they conform to the characteristics and disposition particular to each jiva or embodied being. The impressions from past life incarnations arise as tendencies pursued in a present life correspondent to one's mood and taste and from that mood and taste ones' faith arises. 

Displays of enthusiasm are indications of faith where underlying is the belief that the effort will be successfully fulfilled. Tendency, taste and faith are actually properties of the atma or immortal soul; but they are only evoked when the atma happens by chance to come in contact with the gunas. It has been deduced that when there is tranquillity in the mind there is control of the senses and peacefulness of the body and such effect manifests the chance contact between the atma and the gunas resulting in sattva guna. Agitation of the mind, unbridled senses and over indulgence of the body results in raja and tama guna. Thus effectively the experiences from past lives manifest into one of the three gunas.

To be continued ....

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