Bhagavad-gītā 17.2
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
श्री भगवानुवाचत्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा।सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां श्रृणु।।17.2।।
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha tri-vidhā bhavati śhraddhā dehināṁ sā svabhāva-jā sāttvikī rājasī chaiva tāmasī cheti tāṁ śhṛiṇu
Threefold is the Shraddhâ of the embodied, which is inherent in their nature,:the Sâttvika, the Râjasika and the Tâmasika. Do thou hear of it.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Keep the verse in view while connecting śhrī-bhagavān uvācha (the Supreme Personality said), rājasī (of the mode of passion), and śhṛiṇu (hear). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to faith expressed through daily choices. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 17.2.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Trace how faith, worship, food, sacrifice, austerity and gift are described under the three guṇas.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Threefold is the Shraddhâ of the embodied, which is inherent in their nature,
- 2
the Sâttvika, the Râjasika and the Tâmasika
- 3
Do thou hear of it
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture three kinds of faith.
Link
Use the line starts: śhrī-bhagavān uvācha / tri-vidhā bhavati / sāttvikī rājasī.
Cover
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Teach
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 17.2, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 17.2 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 17.2 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 17.2 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 17.2, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition