Faith, Charity, Sacrifice

Bhagavad-Gītā

Chapter 17

Gradations of Faith

Arjuna is curious about those who act without reference to revealed scripture.  What is the position of someone who has faith, but doesn’t follow the principles of scripture?

Arjuna asks,

BG 17.1

ये शास्त्र-विधिम् उत्षृज्य यजने श्रद्धयान्विताः

तेषं निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वम् आहो रजस् तमः

ye śāstra-vidhim utṣṛjya yajane śraddhayānvitāḥ

teṣaṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ

“What becomes of those who have faith (śraddhā)  but act without regard to the rules of śāstra? Are they situated in sattva, rajas, or tamas?”

Kṛṣṇa answers,

BG 17.2

त्रि-विधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभाव-ज

सात्तिकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु

tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṃ sā svabhāva-ja

sāttikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti tāṃ śṛṇu

“The living being, born into a body according to sattva, rajas,  and tama develops faith accordingly to these three influences. Listen.

“According to one's existence under the various modes of nature, one evolves a particular kind of faith. The living being is said to he of a particular faith according to the three-fold influences.” 

B.G. 17.3

[Here, Kṛṣṇa doesn't take the question head on by defining terms. As faith in religious worship might be defined  by the sorts of activities performed in faith: worship, austerity, diet, sacrifice, charity, literugy, etc. Kṛṣṇa answers the question by giving examples of each of these, considering their position according to the three influences (gunas) of material nature (prakṛti).]

Worship

“Men under the influence of sattva-guna worship gods; those in raja guna worship demons; and those in tama guna worship ghosts and spirits.”  B.G. 17.4

Austerity

“Those who undergo severe austerities and penances not recommended in the scriptures, performing them out of pride, egotism, lust and attachment, who are impelled by passion and who torture their bodily organs as well as the Supersoul dwelling within are to be known as demons.  BG 17.5-6

Food

“Even food of which all partake is of three kinds, according to the threfold influences: sattva, raja and tama. The same is true of sacrifices, austerities and charity. Listen, and I shall tell you of the distinctions of these.  BG 17.7

Foods under the influence of sattva-guna increase the duration of life, purify one's existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction.

Such nourishing foods are sweet, juicy, fattening and palatable. Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, pungent, dry and hot, are liked by people in raja-guna. Such foods cause pain, distress, and disease.

Food cooked more than three hours before being eaten, which is tasteless, stale, putrid, decomposed and unclean, is food liked by people in tama guna.”  B.G. 17.8-10

Sacrifice

“Of sacrifices, that sacrifice performed according to duty and to scriptural rules, and with no expectation of reward, is of the nature of goodness. But that sacrifice performed for some material end or benefit or performed ostentatiously, out of pride, is of the nature of passion And that sacrifice performed in defiance of scriptural injunctions, in which no spiritual food is distributed, no hymns are chanted and no remunerations are made to the priests, and which is faithless-that sacrifice is of the nature of ignorance.”  BG 17. 11-13

Austerity

“The austerity of the body consists in this: worship of the Supreme Lord, the brahmanas, the spiritual master, and superiors like the father and mother. Cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy and nonviolence are also austeri­ ties of the body.  Austerity of speech consists in speaking truthfully and beneficially and in avoiding speech that offends. One should also recite the Vedas regularly. And serenity, simplicity, gravity, self-control and purity of thought are the austerities of the mind.   BG 17.14-16

This threefold austerity, practiced by men whose aim is not to benefit themselves materially but to please the Supreme, is sattvik. Those ostentatious penances and austerities which are performed in order to gain respect, honor and reverence are said to be in raja guna. They are neither stable nor permanent.  And those penances and austerities which are performed foolishly by means of obstinant self-torture, or to destroy or injure others, are said to be in tama-guna.  BG. 17.17-19

Charity

“That gift which is given out of duty, at the proper time and place, to a worthy person, and without expectation of return, is considered to be charity under the influence of sattva-guna.  But charity performed with the expectation of some return, or with a desire for fruitive results, or in a grudging mood, is said to be charity in raja guna.  And charity performed at an improper place and time and given to unworthy persons without respect and with contempt is charity in tama guna.  BG 17.20-22

ॐ

Divine Sound: the Sacred Syllable Oṃ

“From the beginning of creation, the three syllables-om tat sat-have been used to indicate the Supreme Absolute Truth [Brahman]. They were uttered by brahmanas while chanting Vedic hymns and during sacrifices, for the satisfaction of the Supreme.

"Thus the transcendentalists undertake sacrifices, charities, and penances, beginning always with Om, to attain the Supreme.  One should perform sacrifice, penance and charity with the word tat. The purpose of such transcendental activities is to get free from the material entanglement. 

The Absolute Truth is the objective of devotional sacrifice, and it is indicated by the word sat. These works of sacrifice, of penance and of charity, true to the absolute nature, are performed to please the Supreme Person, O son of Pṛthā. 

"But sacrifices, austerities and charities performed without faith in the Supreme are nonpermanent, O son of Prtha, regardless of whatever rites are performed. They are called asat, or nonspiritual, and are useless both in this life and the next.