Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga
Shraddha Traya Viveka Yoga
Triple mode of Gunas, Faith and Works
BACKGROUND
SriKrishna has explained exhaustively that Prakriti, Nature, is the active principle of the Divine Being who is the eternal, unchanging. The unchanging Divine, wielding the changing Prakriti, is always hidden behind the visible change. In Chapter 16, SriKrishna explained how one can rise to his innate, Divine reality with an understanding of this basic principle. On the other hand one can succumb to exaggerated ego, relentlessly engage in fulfilling his desires and express the worst possible demonic nature. The results of taking the path of the asura (demonic quality) was described. SriKrishna told Arjuna at the conclusion of Chapter 16, that it is apt for him to follow the wisdom of scriptures to make proper decisions about what ought to be done and what ought not be done and act accordingly in life.
The Chapter 17 begins with Arjuna asking SriKrishna: “Oh Krishna, what is the mental condition of those who worship with faith and sacrifice to the Divine with devotion, but do not follow the scriptural procedures. Is it Sattva or Rajas or Tamas?”. BG:17:1.
SUMMARY
SriKrishna gives a description of how the make up of three Gunas become the entire stuff of the human being. By this, each one creates his own truth of existence and shapes himself. Srikrishna explains how the make up of three Gunas of Prakriti – Sattva, Rajas and Tamas influence the food (Aahaara) one takes, the sacrifices (Yajnya) one performs, austerities (Tapas) one undertakes and the charities (Daana) one gives. BG:17:2-22.
The purpose of this description is to impress further that everyone has an innate capacity to exercise one’s free will, which is always present as eternal Atman (not affected by Gunas) and steer all activities to be Sattva. SriKrishna tells how the eternal Divine Parameshwara, Purushottama or Brahman is indicated by the phrase ‘OM TAT SAT’. SriKrishna describes how people who are steeped in Sattva perform and sanctify their activities pronouncing the phrase ‘OM TAT SAT’ focusing their mind on Brahman as the ever present reality. This is the formula for perfection of life which makes life purposeful and the human being can become an expression of the Divine. The description in Chapter 17 serves as a clear guide to all who are striving to secure peace, power and plenty for all. BG:17:23-27.
CONTENTS
Worship by people of Saattvic, Raajasic and Taamasic Natures:
- Saattvic: Worship and sacrifice offered as service to the Divine.
- Raajasic: Offer sacrifices to lower godheads or perverse powers.
- Taamasic: Offer sacrifices to inferior elemental powers and grosser spirits. BG:17:4.
Food – Aahaara, taken by people of Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic Nature:
- Saattvic: Mind of those who have a Saattvic inclination turns to food that increases life, strength, health, happiness and love; food that is savory, easily digested and satisfying.
- Raajasic: Those who have a Raajasic inclination like food that is hot, pungent, saltish, warm, acrid, strong and burning. Raajasic food creates ill health and unsettles the body and mind.
- Taamasic: Ones with Taamasic inclination take perverse pleasure in food that is stale, cold, impure, rotten, tasteless, bad-smelling and even accept the remnants half-eaten by others. BG:17:7-9.
Saattvic, Raajasic and Taamasic Sacrifices – yajgnya:
- Saattvic yajgnya : Sacrifice is performed without desire for personal benefit, sacrifice done as a duty, with a peaceful mind, executed according to the scriptural wisdom and guidance.
- Raajasic yajgnya: Sacrifice offered with personal gain in mind, hypocritically.
- Taamasic yajgnya: Sacrifice performed not according to the right rule of scriptures, without giving food, without chanting the mantras (sacred hymns), without gifts, empty of faith. BG:17:11-13.
Penance – Tapas, by Body, Speech and Mind:
- Bodily Tapas: Worship of deities, spiritual people, spiritual guides, and the wise. Cleanliness, straight-forwardness, sexual purity and harmlessness.
- Tapas through Speech: Speech that does not cause pain, which is true, kind and beneficial and study of scripture.
- Tapas by Mind: Keeping the mind clear, calm, pleased, gentle, silent, mental control and purifying the whole temperament.
Everyone needs to practice Penance by body, speech and mind. Each of them can have the character of the three Gunas of nature – Sattva, Rajas or Tamas. The characteristics are:
- Saattvic Tapas: Penance done through body, speech and mind with highest enlightened faith, with devotion, with no desire for personal benefit, harmonised in all ways.
- Raajasic Tapas: Penance done through body, speech and mind to get honor, to be held in dignity, for outward glory. They are unsteady and fleeting.
- Taamasic Tapas: Penance done through body, speech and mind pursued with clouded and deluded idea, self-injurious, foolish persistence, concentration of energy to harm others. BG:17:14-19.
Saattvic, Raajasic and Taamasic Charitable Giving, (Daana):
- Saattvic daana: Giving with a conviction that it is one’s duty to make the gift, to benefit the receiver with no expectation for return, with consideration of a worthy recipient and giving at an appropriate time and place.
- Raajasic daana: Giving unwillingly, as an obligation, with the idea of getting a reward.
- Taamasic daana: Gift made with no understanding of proper place or proper time or object, without feeling for the recipient, to an improper recipient, unappreciatingly and with disrespect. BG:17:20-22.
Saattvika action aligned with Brahman:
- ‘OM TAT SAT‘ is the triple definition of Brahman from which the Braahmanas, Vedas and sacrifices are manifested. OM syllable is the symbol encompassing all the three aspects of Brahman – the manifested universe, indwelling witness spirit and the superconscious Brahman – Prakriti, purusha and purushottama. BG:17:23.
- Therefore, knowers of Brahman commence their acts of sacrifice and austerities recommended by scripture with the pronunciation of ‘OM’. This is to align the mind, body and action to be an expression of the Divine within, Divine in the visible world and the Divine beyond both, which is always ONE WHOLE IN ITSELF. BG:17:24.
- Seekers of freedom perform various acts of sacrifice, austerities and giving with the pronunciation of ‘TAT‘ and without desire for personal benefit. ‘TAT refers to the Brahman’s invisible presence in the visible universe. BG:17:25.
- The syllable ‘SAT’ or ‘that which is’, means existence. The syllable ‘SAT‘ is applied to indicate good and proper action , performed without desire for personal benefit, as duty, as an offering with love. Hence, with the pronunciation of the phrase ‘OM TAT SAT‘ before the beginning of austerities, sacrifices and charities, one should make the mind tuned to the eternal Divine present in all existences. This prepares one for realization of the higher, innate reality. BG:17:26, 27.
Lack of Fatih is ‘ASAT‘
- Whatever sacrifice, austerities and giving is done without Shraddha (faith) is ‘ASAT’ (opposite of SAT), it has no value in this life or in the life after. BG:17:28.
OM TAT SAT.
Iswari's Gita Summaries 