Bhagavad-gītā 17.3
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत।श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः।।17.3।।
sattvānurūpā sarvasya śhraddhā bhavati bhārata śhraddhā-mayo ‘yaṁ puruṣho yo yach-chhraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ
The Shraddhâ of each is according to his natural disposition, O descendant of Bharata. The man consists of his Shraddhâ; he verily is what his Shraddhâ is.
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 |
|---|---|
| sattva-anurūpā | conforming to the nature of one’s mind |
| sarvasya | all |
| śhraddhā | faith |
| bhavati | is |
| bhārata | Arjun, the scion of Bharat |
| śhraddhāmayaḥ | possessing faith |
| ayam | that |
| puruṣhaḥ | human being |
| yaḥ | who |
| yat-śhraddhaḥ | whatever the nature of their faith |
| saḥ | their |
| eva | verily |
| saḥ | they |
Begin with the verse itself, then trace its movement through sattva-anurūpā (conforming to the nature of one’s mind), ayam (that), and saḥ (they). 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 17.3.
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
The Shraddhâ of each is according to his natural disposition, O descendant of Bharata
- 2
The man consists of his Shraddhâ
- 3
he verily is what his Shraddhâ is
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture three kinds of faith.
Link
Use the line starts: sattvānurūpā sarvasya / śhraddhā-mayo ‘yaṁ.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 17.3, 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 17.3 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 17.3 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 17.3 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 17.3, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition