Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17, Verse 1 (BG 17.1)

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कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते

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कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते

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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17, Verse 1 — Meaning & Commentary | Live Gita

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अर्जुन उवाच |
ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः |
तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ||१७-१||

arjuna uvāca . ye śāstravidhimutsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ . teṣāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvamāho rajastamaḥ ||17-1||

Arjuna said Those who, setting aside the ordinances of the scriptures, perform sacrifice with faith, what is their condition, O Krishna? Is is Sattva, Rajas or Tamas?

In simple words

Arjuna asks: "Krishna, what about people who worship with genuine faith but don't follow the scriptures? What category do they fall into — purity, passion, or inertia?"

Word-by-word meanings

येwhoशास्त्रविधिम्the ordinances of the scripturesउत्सृज्यsetting asideयजन्तेperform sacrificeश्रद्धयाwith faithअन्विताःendowedतेषाम्theirनिष्ठाconditionतुverilyकाwhatकृष्णO Krishnaसत्त्वम्Sattvaआहोorरजः

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

Swami Sivananda

17.1 ये who? शास्त्रविधिम् the ordinances of the scriptures? उत्सृज्य setting aside? यजन्ते perform sacrifice? श्रद्धया with faith? अन्विताः endowed? तेषाम् their? निष्ठा condition? तु verily? का what? कृष्ण O Krishna? सत्त्वम् Sattva? आहो or? रजः Rajas? तमः Tamas.Commentary This chapter deals with the three kinds of people who are endowed with three kinds of faith. Each of them follows a path in accordance with his inherent nature -- either Sattvic? Rajasic or Tamasic.Arjuna says to Krishna It is very difficult to grasp the meaning of the scriptures. It is still more difficult to get a spiritual preceptor who can teach the scriptures. The vast majority of persons are not endowed with a pure? subtle? sharp and onepointed intellect. The span of life is short. The scriptures are endless. The obstacles on the spiritual path are many. Facilities for learning are not always available.There are conflicting statements in the scriptures which have to be reconciled. Thou hast said that liberation is not possible without a knowledge of the scriptures. An ordinary man? though ignorant of or unable to follow this teaching? does charity? performs rituals? worships the Lord with faith? tries to follow the footsteps of sages and saints just as a child copies letters that have been written out for him as a model? or as a blind man makes hiw way by the aid of another who possesses sight. What faith is his How should the state of such a man be described -- Sattvic? Rajasic or Tamasic What is the fate of the believers who have no knowledge of the scriptures

Swami Chinmayananda

This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

Swami Sivananda

Swami Chinmayananda

**BG 17.1 — Commentary** At the conclusion of the previous chapter, the Blessed Lord Sri Krishna placed special emphasis upon the authority of the scriptures and the importance of their study. Building upon that very point, Arjuna now poses his question here. He desires that the Blessed Lord Sri Krishna expound upon this matter in detail—how we might embrace a spiritual life that is both effective and beneficial. Along with this, he also seeks that the Lord dispel the misconceptions and erroneous notions that surround spiritual matters. When the scriptural method is abandoned, and common people remain ignorant of the dharma-shastras, they do not have access to the prescribed scriptural ordinances. Even if the scriptures were made available to them, there are very few who possess the intellectual capacity to comprehend the knowledge they contain. In worldly life, due to the agitations of action, mental anxieties, and the turmoil of existence, we lack the qualification to organize our lives according to the path prescribed by the scriptures. Yet, despite all these limitations, a sincere seeker may still possess unwavering faith and devotion to a higher way of living and to the ideals of dharma. Thus, the validity of Arjuna's question is established. The term yajna as used here need not be understood solely as the Vedic rituals of fire-offerings and oblations. The Bhagavad Gita is a complete scripture, and it provides its own definitions of such terms. In the definition of yajna, all those actions are included which the people of society perform selflessly for their own worldly and spiritual advancement. Arjuna's inquiry is this: if a person performs action with the spirit of yajna, even without knowing the ultimate metaphysical foundation of the universe, can such a person attain supreme peace? What shall be said of his condition? Seeking to clarify his question further, he asks: into which category shall the faith of such a devoted seeker fall—sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic?

This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17, Verse 1 (BG 17.1) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

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