Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17: Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga — Summary, Key Verses & Meaning

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17 — Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga (The Yoga of the Threefold Faith)

Faith, food, sacrifice, austerity and charity each come in sattvic, rajasic and tamasic forms; Krishna also explains the sacred formula Om Tat Sat.

Chapter 17 · Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga (The Yoga of the Threefold Faith) · 28 verses

What happens in Chapter 17

Arjuna asks about people who worship with faith but without following the scriptures. Krishna says that faith takes the shape of a person's nature — a person is made of their faith. He then applies the three gunas to everyday life. Food: sattvic food is fresh, nourishing and pleasant; rajasic food is too bitter, sour, salty, hot or pungent; tamasic food is stale and impure. Sacrifice, austerity and charity are each described in their three forms.

The famous description of austerity of speech belongs here: words that cause no distress, that are truthful, pleasant and beneficial. The chapter ends with Om Tat Sat, the threefold name of Brahman uttered at the beginning of sacred acts.

Main themes

A person is made of their faith
Sattvic, rajasic and tamasic food
Austerity of body, speech and mind
Three kinds of charity
Om Tat Sat

Key verses

सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत।
श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः॥

sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata
śraddhā-mayo 'yaṁ puruṣo yo yac-chraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ

17.3 — The faith of each person follows their nature, O Bharata. A person is made of faith: as one's faith is, so one is.

अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत्।
स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते॥

anudvega-karaṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priya-hitaṁ ca yat
svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ caiva vāṅ-mayaṁ tapa ucyate

17.15 — Speech that causes no distress, that is truthful, pleasant and beneficial, and the regular recitation of scripture — this is called austerity of speech.

दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे।
देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम्॥

dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ dīyate 'nupakāriṇe
deśe kāle ca pātre ca tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛtam

17.20 — A gift given because it is right to give, to one who can do nothing in return, at the right place and time and to a worthy person — that gift is sattvic.

For daily life

Before speaking, ask: is it true, is it kind, is it helpful? Before giving, ask: am I giving freely, expecting nothing back?

Sanskrit text: traditional (Gita Press numbering). English translation and explanation: MyPujaWorld.

Frequently asked questions

How many verses are in Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17?

Chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga, has 28 verses in the standard (Gita Press) text.

What is Chapter 17 of the Bhagavad Gita about?