FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 17.3

సత్త్వానురూపా సర్వస్య శ్రద్ధా భవతి భారత । శ్రద్ధామయోఽయం పురుషో యో యచ్ఛ్రద్ధ: స ఏవ స: ॥ ౩ ॥
sattvānurūpā sarvasya
[sattvaanuroopaa sarvasya]
śraddhā bhavati bhārata
[shraddhaa bhavati bhaarata]
śraddhā-mayo ’yaṁ puruṣo
[shraddhaa-mayo ’yam purusho]
yo yac-chraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ
[yo yach-chraddhah sa eva sah]
Word-for-word
sattva - anurūpā — according to the existence sarvasya — of everyone śraddhā — faith bhavati — becomes bhārata — O son of Bharata śraddhā — faith mayaḥ — full of ayam — this puruṣaḥ — living entity yaḥ — who yat — having which śraddhaḥ — faith saḥ — thus eva — certainly saḥ — he .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sattvānurūpā sarvasya
sattva - anurūpā
according to the existence
sarvasya
of everyone
śraddhā bhavati bhārata
śraddhā
faith
bhavati
becomes
bhārata
O son of Bharata
śraddhā-mayo ’yaṁ puruṣo
śraddhā
faith
mayaḥ
full of
ayam
this
puruṣaḥ
living entity
yo yac-chraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ
yaḥ
who
yat
having which
śraddhaḥ
faith
saḥ
thus
eva
certainly
saḥ
he .
Important Words
  • sattva - anurūpā — according to the existence
    Compound: sattva (here, one's existential constitution) + anurūpā (conforming to). Note that 'sattva' here does not mean only the mode of goodness — it means the very fabric of one's being. Faith is shaped to fit that fabric.
  • mayaḥ — full of, made of
    The decisive suffix in śraddhā-mayaḥ. -maya means 'made of, consisting of.' A person is not someone who happens to have faith — a person *is* his faith. Change the faith, change the person.
  • puruṣaḥ — the living entity
    From pur (city, body) + uṣa (dweller) — 'the one who dwells in the city of the body.' Kṛṣṇa is naming the conscious resident, not the body. It is the dweller, not the dwelling, who is made of faith.
  • śraddhaḥ — of faith
    Possessive form: 'having such-and-such faith.' The verse's punch-line yo yat-śraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ ('whatever his faith, that he is') uses this form. A man is identified by the kind of śraddhā he carries — śraddhaḥ is therefore an identity-marker, not a mere adjective.
O son of Bharata, according to one’s existence under the various modes of nature, one evolves a particular kind of faith. The living being is said to be of a particular faith according to the modes he has acquired.
Purport

Everyone has a particular type of faith, regardless of what he is. But his faith is considered good, passionate or ignorant according to the nature he has acquired. Thus, according to his particular type of faith, one associates with certain persons. Now the real fact is that every living being, as is stated in the Fifteenth Chapter, is originally a fragmental part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Therefore one is originally transcendental to all the modes of material nature. But when one forgets his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and comes into contact with the material nature in conditional life, he generates his own position by association with the different varieties of material nature. The resultant artificial faith and existence are only material. Although one may be conducted by some impression, or some conception of life, originally he is nirguṇa, or transcendental. Therefore one has to become cleansed of the material contamination that he has acquired, in order to regain his relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is the only path back without fear: Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then that path is guaranteed for his elevation to the perfectional stage. If one does not take to this path of self-realization, then he is surely to be conducted by the influence of the modes of nature. The word śraddhā, or “faith,” is very significant in this verse. Śraddhā, or faith, originally comes out of the mode of goodness. One’s faith may be in a demigod or some created God or some mental concoction. One’s strong faith is supposed to be productive of works of material goodness. But in material conditional life, no works are completely purified. They are mixed. They are not in pure goodness. Pure goodness is transcendental; in purified goodness one can understand the real nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As long as one’s faith is not completely in purified goodness, the faith is subject to contamination by any of the modes of material nature. The contaminated modes of material nature expand to the heart. Therefore according to the position of the heart in contact with a particular mode of material nature, one’s faith is established. It should be understood that if one’s heart is in the mode of goodness his faith is also in the mode of goodness. If his heart is in the mode of passion, his faith is also in the mode of passion. And if his heart is in the mode of darkness, illusion, his faith is also thus contaminated. Thus we find different types of faith in this world, and there are different types of religions due to different types of faith. The real principle of religious faith is situated in the mode of pure goodness, but because the heart is tainted we find different types of religious principles. Thus according to different types of faith, there are different kinds of worship.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
3. This faith corresponds to the nature of the internal organ, O descendent of Bharata. Man is made of his faith. He becomes similar to whatever form he worships with faith.
Commentary

Sattvam here means the heart or internal sense organ (antaḥkaraṇa). There are three types of antaḥkaraṇa: in the mode of sattva, rajas and tamas. Accordingly, those who have sattvic antaḥkaraṇa have sattvic faith. Those with rajasic antaḥkaraṇa have rajasic faith, and those with tamasic antaḥkaraṇa have tamasic faith. He becomes similar to whatever he faithfully worships—deva, asura or Rākṣasa (yac śraddhaḥ).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
3. This faith corresponds to the nature of the internal organ, O descendent of Bharata. Man is made of his faith. He becomes similar to whichever form he worships with faith.
Commentary

Though faith itself is a function of sattva guṇa, it becomes three types of faith for the embodied soul possessing an internal organ [Note: The internal organ or antaḥkaraṇa refers to the subtle internal organ consisting of the mind, intelligence, false ego and memory (citta).] whose very nature is to hold the impressions (svabhāva). The internal organ (sattvam) is composed of three guṇas, and corresponding to that, the faith of all living entities appears. The faith of the internal organ predominated by sattva guṇa is sattvic. The internal organ predominated by raja guṇa is rajasic. The internal organ predominated by tama guṇa is tamasic. The ordinary person (ayam puruṣaḥ), a worshipper who has an object of worship, endowed with one of three types of faith (śraddhamayaḥ), will be faithful to one of three respective types of object—devas, yaksas or pṛetas (yat śraddhaḥ). That worshipper (sa) becomes endowed with the qualities of the deity worshipped (sa eva).

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Thus his faith will be categorized by one of the three modes

Focus of Learning

(a) Association according to the modes – According to a particular type of faith, one associates with

certain persons

(b) Original position of living entity (Ref. Bg. Chapter 15) – Fragmental part and parcel of Supreme

Lord and thus originally transcendental to the modes (nirguna)

(c) Cause of conditioned position – Forgetfulness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus

entangled by different modes, he generates his own position

Resultant artificial faith and existence are only material

(d) Only path back to original position without fear – Krishna consciousness

Although one may be conducted by some impression, or some conception of life, originally he is nirguna, or transcendental
One has to become cleansed of the material contamination that he has acquired, in order to regain his relationship with the Supreme Lord
Guaranteed path of perfection – Krishna consciousness
If one does not take to this path – One surely comes under the modes

(e) Shradha (Faith)

Originally comes of mode of goodness – strong faith is a product of works of material goodness
One’s faith may be in a demigod, some created god or some mental concoction
No works are completely purified in material conditional life
Pure goodness – Only in this state one can understand Supreme Personality of Godhead
Basis of different religious principles
When goodness is contaminated and heart is tainted according to different modes –Results in different types of worship and principles
Real principle of religious faith is situated in the mode of pure goodness
Different types of faith leads to different types of worship – This is the theme for the next verse

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF TEXT 17.3

The real principle of religious faith is situated in the mode of pure goodness, but because the heart is tainted,we find different kinds of religious principles.
Constitutional position of living entity is to have full faith in the Lord based upon realisation.
As that pure faith and attraction from Krishna, becomes diluted, by the enjoying spirit it becomes filtered through the other modes and varieties of religion are created as pure love of God is compromised by various degrees of selfishness.
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
17.3 O scion of the Bharata dynasty, the sraddha, faith; sarvasya, of all beings; bhavati, is; sattva-anurupa, in accordance with their minds, in accordance with the internal organ which is imbued with particular impression. If this is so, what follows? The answer is: Ayam, this; purusah, person, the transmigrating soul; is sraddhamayah, made up of faith as the dominating factor. How? Sah, he, the individual soul; is eva, verily; sah, that; yah yat-sraddhah,which is the faith of that individual-he surely conforms to his faith. And, as a conseence, a person's steadfastness in sattva etc. is to be inferred from the grounds of his actions such as worship of gods etc. Hence the Lord says:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
17.3 'Sattva' means internal organ (i.e., mind). The faith of everyone is according to his internal organ. The meaning is that with whatever Guna his internal organ is conjoined, one's faith corresponds to that Guna (i.e., Guna as object). The term Sattva covers here body, senses etc., already mentioned. Man consists of faith, viz., is the product of his faith. Of whatever faith he is, viz., with whatever faith a man is possessed, that verily he is; he is a transformation of faith of that nature. The purport is this: If the person is associated with faith in auspicious acts he becomes associated with fruit of these auspicious acts. Conseently, attainment chiefly follows one's faith. Sri Krsna further explains the same subject:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
17.3 Sattva etc. The word sattva in 'corresponding to one's own sattva' is a synonym of svabhava 'primary nature'. This person i.e., Soul, is necessarily connected with a faith that dominates all [his] other activities. [Hence], he is to be deemed just to be mainly consisting of that.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
17.3 The faith of each is in accordance with his nature, O Arjuna. The man consists of his faith; as a man's faith is, so is he.
Commentary

17.3 सत्त्वानुरूपा in accordance with his nature? सर्वस्य of each? श्रद्धा faith? भवति is? भारत O Arjuna? श्रद्धामयः consists of (his) faith? अयम् this? पुरुषः man? यः who? यच्छ्रद्धः in which his faith is? सः he? एव verily? सः that (is).Commentary The faith of every person conforms to his inherent nature or natural temperament. Man is imbued with faith. The term Svabhava is the last verse and the word Sattva in the present one are synonymous.A mans character may be judged by his faith. A mans faith shows what his character is. A man is what his faith has made him. A mans conduct in life is moulded or shaped by his faith. His faith will indicate his Nishtha (state of being? conviction). The faith of each man is according to his natural disposition or the specific tendencies or Samskaras or the selfreprodutive latent impressions of the good and bad actions which were performed in the past births. The faith of each man takes its colour and ality from the stuff of his being? his temperament? tendencies or Samskaras.Sattva Nature Natural disposition the mind with its specific tendencies.Each Every living being.Purusha Man The individual soul which is caught up in the wheel of transmigration the soul alified by mind.Sraddhamayah Full of faith Just as the Annamaya Kosa is full of food? just as the Anandamaya Kosa is full of bliss? so also the Antahkarana (mind? intellect? etc.) is full of faith.The man consists of his faith that which his faith is? he is verily that. This theory is only a repetition of the theory propounded in chapter VII? verses 20 and 23? and in chapter IX? verse 25.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
17.3 O scion of the Bharata dynasty, the faith of all beings is in accordance with their minds. This person is made up of faith as the dominant factor. He is verily what his faith is.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
17.3 The faith of every man conforms to his nature. By nature he is full of faith. He is in fact what his faith makes him.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 8.6 BG 9.25 BG 7.20 SB 11.25.15 SB 4.29.1a-2b SB 3.25.27 CC Madhya 24.118 CC Madhya 19.151 CC Antya 4.193 Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.1BRS 1.2.19
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
According to one's existence under the influence of the modes of nature, one develops a particular kind of faith — a man is made of his faith.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize: 'a man is made of his faith.' Tend it accordingly.
  • Audit the mode-source of your faith.
  • Cultivate sattvic faith deliberately.
Reflection Questions
  • What is my faith made of?
  • What would 'shifting its source' require?
Analogy

A man is made of his faith — like a temple is made of the stone it is built from. Change the stone and you change the temple; change the faith and you change the man. The reverse is also true: study a person's faith long enough and you have read his whole structure.

Stories
Ambarīṣa Mahārāja

Though emperor of the whole earth, Ambarīṣa fixed his faith on Viṣṇu and his service. He engaged his mind in remembering Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, his words in describing the Lord's glories, his hands in cleansing the temple, his ears in hearing of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes — every limb tuned to one śraddhā.

The entire Ambarīṣa narrative in Bhāgavatam 9.4 is the demonstration of yo yat-śraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ: a man is what his faith engages, and Ambarīṣa was, through and through, the śraddhā he had cultivated.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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