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Chapter 17 · Verse 2
🪈 Krishna speaks
Illustration for Chapter 17, Verse 2

त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा। सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु॥

trividhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṁ sā svabhāvajā | sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti tāṁ śṛṇu ||

Word by Word 14 words
त्रिविधा
tri three vidhā kind, fold

of three kinds, threefold

भवति
bhū to be, to become

is, becomes

श्रद्धा
śrat heart, trust dhā to place, to hold

faith

देहिनाम्
dih to form, to mould in one who has ām genitive plural, of

of embodied beings, of those who have bodies

सा
tad that, she

that, it

स्वभावजा
sva one's own bhū to be, to become jan to be born

born of one's own nature

सात्त्विकी
sat being, real tva -ness ikī of the quality of

sattvic, of the bright and clear quality

राजसी
rañj to colour, to be moved ī of the quality of

rajasic, of the restless quality

च
ca and

and

एव
eva indeed, only

indeed, surely

तामसी
tam to grow dark ī of the quality of

tamasic, of the dark and dull quality

इति
iti thus, so

thus, in this way

ताम्
tad that, it

that, it

शृणु
śru to hear, to listen

listen, hear

answers: "The faith that lives in people comes in three kinds, and it is born from each person's own nature — the way a plant grows from its own seed. There is sattvic faith, which is bright and clear; faith, which is restless and hungry; and faith, which is dim and heavy. Listen, and I will tell you about all three."

कथा

Three Seeds in the Same Soil

From the mahabharata

did not answer 's question all at once. Good teachers rarely do. Instead he began the way a gardener begins — with a seed.

"Faith is not something a person puts on like a borrowed cloak," he said. "It grows up from inside, out of who you already are. Every living being who wears a body carries faith of some kind. Even the one who says, 'I believe in nothing,' believes in that. Faith is simply what your heart leans toward when no one is making you do anything."

thought about that. It was true. Even on the battlefield, when his hands shook, his heart had leaned somewhere — toward .

"And just as people are not all alike," went on, "their faith is not all alike. Imagine three seeds dropped into the very same soil, under the very same sun. One grows into a fruit tree, sweet and shading and full of birds. One grows into a thorn bush that grabs at everyone who passes. And one grows into a pale, drooping weed that never reaches the light at all. Same soil. Same rain. Different seeds."

He lifted one finger. "The first kind of faith is sattvic — bright, clear, peaceful. It leans toward what is true and what is kind, and it asks for nothing in return."

A second finger. "The second is — restless, burning, hungry. It leans toward whatever will bring power, or praise, or things to grasp. It is full of wanting."

A third finger. "And the third is — dim and heavy and confused. It leans toward whatever is easy and dull, and it cannot see clearly at all."

"But ," said slowly, "if faith is born from a person's nature, can it ever change? Is someone simply stuck with the seed they were given?"

's eyes warmed. "Now that," he said, "is exactly the right question. Keep it close. Because the whole secret of growing is hidden inside it, and I am about to begin telling you the answer."

चिन्तनम्

If faith grows from inside us like a seed, what kind of things do you think water that seed and help it grow brighter?