श्रीमद् भगवद्गीता

मूल श्लोकः

श्री भगवानुवाच

त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा।

सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां श्रृणु।।17.2।।

English Commentary By Swami Sivananda

17.2 त्रिविधा threefold, भवति is, श्रद्धा faith, देहिनाम् of the embodied, सा that (faith), स्वभावजा (is) inherent in (their) nature, सात्त्विकी Sattvic (pure), राजसी Rajasic (passionate), च and, एव even, तामसी Tamasic (dark), च and, इति thus, ताम् it, श्रृणु hear (thou).

Commentary:
The whole world is made up, as if were, of faith. Faith assumes a threefold aspect under the influence of the three alities. When Sattva is strongly developed, when there is a preponderance of Sattva or purity in a man, it is easy for him to attain Selfrealisation or the knowledge of the Self. If Rajas is predominant, the faith becomes the handmaid of activity. If Tamas or inertia prevails, faith is annihilated.Those who are endowed with Sattvic faith aim at the attainment of liberation. Those who are endowed with Rajasic faith run after inferior duties or worldly activities. Those whose faith is Tamasic are cruel. They kill animals for sacrifice. They invoke the spirits and talk with ghosts. When faith is joined to Sattva, it leads to salvation. When Rajas preponderates, it colours the faith and leads to various activities. When Tamas predominates, the faith results in darkness.Faith acires different alities when it is in company with the mind of man. Mind is a thing of many colours. Just as the water of the Ganga is contaminated by being put in a vessel where lior had been kept, so also a virtuous person is spoiled by bad company or constant association with evil persons. The three Gunas or attributes colour the faith of a man. The mind of a man is governed by the preponderating attribute or ality which manifests itself when the other two alities are suppressed. Faith takes a threefold aspect in accordance with the inherent nature or tendencies of the man. The inclinations of men are moulded according to their ality or inherent nature born of their past Samskaras.As is the tendency, so is the desire as is the desire, so is the action as is the action, so is the birth into another being after death. The body is like the seed of the tree, a perpetual chain. Seed perishes in developing into a tree and the tree again produces the seed. This process or cycle continues eternally. Even so man takes a body, does actions, develops tendencies, dies and puts,on a new body in accordance with the nature or tendencies. This continues till he gets knowledge of the Self by transcending the three Gunas, when ignorance, the root cause of birth and death, is destroyed.Faith is born of the individual nature, i.e., the Samskaras or the latent impressions of virtuous and vicious actions which were performed in the past births and which manifested themselves at the time of death. In the subconscious mind or the Chitta there is a reservoir of past impressions which are revived through the operation of memory.Sattvic Faith in the worship of gods, which is an effect of Sattva.Rajasic Faith in the worship of the Yakshas and Rakshasas, which is an effect of Rajas.Tamasic Faith in the worship of the disembodied spirits and ghosts, which is an effect of Tamas.Faith is the main support of life. It is not mere intellectual belief or blind acceptance of pet dogmas or doctrines. You must understand clearly its characteristics, just as you recognise a tree from the fruits, the mind of a man from his speech, and the actions of previous birth from worldly pleasures and pains.Svabhavaja Inherent in their nature born of past Samskaras.Tam Of it, referring to the threefold faith.

Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya

।।17.2।। --,त्रिविधा त्रिप्रकारा भवति श्रद्धा? यस्यां निष्ठायां त्वं पृच्छसि? देहिनां शरीरिणां सा स्वभावजा जन्मान्तरकृतः धर्मादिसंस्कारः मरणकाले अभिव्यक्तः स्वभावः उच्यते? ततो जाता स्वभावजा। सात्त्विकी सत्त्वनिर्वृत्ता देवपूजादिविषया राजसी रजोनिर्वृत्ता यक्षरक्षःपूजादिविषया तामसी तमोनिर्वृत्ता प्रेतपिशाचादिपूजाविषया एवं त्रिविधां ताम् उच्यमानां श्रद्धां शृणु अवधारय।।सा इयं त्रिविधा भवति --,

English Translation By Swami Sivananda

17.2 The Blessed Lord said Threefold is the faith of the embodied, which is inherent in their nature the Sattvic (pure), the Rajasic (passionate) and the Tamasic (dark). Do thou hear of it.

English Translation Of Sri Shankaracharya's Sanskrit Commentary By Swami Gambirananda

17.2 Sa, that; sraddha, faith, the state about which you ask; dehinam, of the embodied beings; svabhavaja, born of their own nature-by svabhava (nature) is meant that latent impression of virtuous acts etc. acired in the past lives, which becomes manifest at the time of death; what arises out of that is svabhavaja-; is trividha, threefold, of three kinds; sattviki, born of sattva, and related to worship of gods, etc.; rajasi, born of rajas, concerning worship of Yaksas (a class of demi-gods, Kubera and others), Raksas (ogres, Nairrti and others); and tamasi, born of tamas, concerning worship of ghosts, goblins and others. Thus it is of three kinds. Srnu, hear; tam, about it, that faith, as it is being stated. That (faith) is threefold as follows: