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If men forsake the holy law, yet worship With faith turned to some other guide, what then, O Krishna? Is it Sattva, Rajas, Tamas — The quality of their faith? Pray tell me this.

Three-fold in each born creature lives a faith, Bred of the stuff of being — Sattvic faith, Rajasic faith, and Tamasic. Hear now! The faith of each believer, Bharata! Conforms itself to what he truly is. That which a man hath faith in, that he is. The Sattvic worship godly ones; the souls Of Rajas worship giant-Loss and fiends; The Tamasic bow down to ghosts of dead And hosts of nature-Loss.

Yea, and those men that practise bitter penance, Not enjoined by Scripture, moved by pride And self-will and the force of lust and passion — Inflaming all the senses in their flesh, Tormenting — Loss unwise! — the elements Composing them, and Me within their depths — Know these to be of demoniacal mind In their resolves!

Three-fold is food likewise. Hear now the way Each sort of eater chooseth what he eats. Foods that prolong the life and add to strength, That give good health, and joy, and satisfaction — Savoury, mild, substantial, pleasing foods — These are the foods that Sattvic natures love. Foods that are bitter, sour, and salt, and hot, Pungent and rough and burning — these are foods That Rajasic natures seek, bringing them grief And sickness and discomfort. And the foods Which are ill-cooked, tasteless, putrid, stale, Leftover and unclean — these are the meats That Tamasic natures choose.

Worship which is rendered, as the law Prescribeth, reverently, with no desire For fruit of it, in fixed and faithful mind — This is of Sattva. Sacrifice by those Who crave a fruit for it, and offer it In pride of heart — call this of Rajas, Prince! That sacrifice which is made without regard To law, and without gifts, and without faith, And wanting sacred text — name this of Tamas.

Due reverence to gods and Brahmans paid, To teachers, and to elders; purity, Uprightness, chastity, and gentleness — These make the penance of the body. Speech That causeth no disquiet, true and kind And pleasing, and the sacred texts rehearsed — These are the penances of speech. And these Of mind: serenity and gentleness, Silence, the mastering of self, the purging Of the whole nature — these are called the penance Of the mind.

This threefold penance, practised in deep faith By those who covet not the fruit thereof, But do it only for the doing's sake — This is of Sattva. Penance done in pride, For praise and honour and the outward show Of reverence — this, uncertain in its fruit, And fitful, is of Rajas. And that penance Done to injure self or others, wrought By foolish will, through self-delusion's power — This is of Tamas.

That charity which is given, knowing it Right to give, in fit place and time, to those Who merit, without thought of recompense — This is of Sattva. That which grudgingly Is given, in hope of recompense, or looking For fruit hereafter, or with pain of heart — This is of Rajas. And the gift bestowed In wrong place, wrong time, on an unworthy head, Discourteously, with scorn — this gift is Tamasic.

OM, TAT, SAT — this is declared the triple Designation of the Brahma, which Was ordained of old, and by that word The Brahmans, and the Vedas, and the rites Of sacrifice were fashioned forth. Therefore With OM do those who tread the road of Brahma Begin each act of sacrifice and gift And penance, as the ordinance prescribes.

With TAT, and seeking nought of recompense, The rites of sacrifice and penance done And divers acts of charity are wrought By those who wish for freedom. SAT is used In sense of goodness and of being true; And likewise, Partha! when a work is done Well pleasing, SAT is spoken. In sacrifice, In penance, and in gifts SAT names the steadfast; And work done well for these is also SAT. But what is wrought without belief — be it Sacrifice or penance, gifts or any deed — Is ASAT, Partha! void alike for this life And for the life to come.