Devanagari
श्रीभगवानुवाच
त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा ।
सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु ॥ २ ॥
Verse text
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā
dehināṁ sā svabhāva-jā
sāttvikī rājasī caiva
tāmasī ceti tāṁ śṛṇu
Synonyms
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
—
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said
;
tri-vidhā
—
of three kinds
;
bhavati
—
becomes
;
śraddhā
—
the faith
;
dehinām
—
of the embodied
;
sā
—
that
;
sva-bhāva-jā
—
according to his mode of material nature
;
sāttvikī
—
in the mode of goodness
;
rājasī
—
in the mode of passion
;
ca
—
also
;
eva
—
certainly
;
tāmasī
—
in the mode of ignorance
;
ca
—
and
;
iti
—
thus
;
tām
—
that
;
śṛṇu
—
hear from Me.
Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: According to the modes of nature acquired by the embodied soul, one’s faith can be of three kinds – in goodness, in passion or in ignorance. Now hear about this.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
2. The Lord said: The faith of embodied beings is of three types, arising from their previous impressions. It is made of sattva, rajas or tamas.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
2. The Lord said: The faith of embodied beings is of three types arising from their previous impressions. It is made of sattva, rajas or tamas.
Purport
Those who know the rules and regulations of the scriptures but out of laziness or indolence give up following these rules and regulations are governed by the modes of material nature. According to their previous activities in the mode of goodness, passion or ignorance, they acquire a nature which is of a specific quality. The association of the living entity with the different modes of nature has been going on perpetually; since the living entity is in contact with material nature, he acquires different types of mentality according to his association with the material modes. But this nature can be changed if one associates with a bona fide spiritual master and abides by his rules and the scriptures. Gradually, one can change his position from ignorance to goodness, or from passion to goodness. The conclusion is that blind faith in a particular mode of nature cannot help a person become elevated to the perfectional stage. One has to consider things carefully, with intelligence, in the association of a bona fide spiritual master. Thus one can change his position to a higher mode of nature.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
O Arjuna, first hear from Me the situation of those who worship without giving up the rules of scripture. After that I will speak to you about the condition of those who give up the rules of scripture. Hear about the three types of faith which arise from svabhāva—particular impressions from previous experiences.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
Being asked, the Lord begins to speak. That faith by which one worships the devas and other beings while giving up rules of scripture because of laziness or difficulties, should be understood to arise from virtuous and sinful impressions from previous lives (svabhāva jā). That faith is of three types, arising from states of sattva, rajas and tamas, for the beginningless, unrelenting births of embodied souls in beginningless contact with the three guṇas of prakṛti.
They do not have the spiritual intelligence arising from scripture taught by the devotees which will allow them to change those impressions (svabhāva). Therefore the three types of faith which arise from those impressions appear. Faith born from the scriptures is different. It brings about performance of actions only according to the scriptural directions (not because of impressions of the three guṇas).