Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17: Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga
Three kinds of faith, and of food, sacrifice, austerity and charity.
श्रद्धात्रयविभागयोग — तीन प्रकार की श्रद्धा, तथा आहार, यज्ञ, तप और दान।
Chapter 17 of 18 · 28 verses · “The Three Kinds of Faith”
Chapter 17 summary
Arjuna asks about people who worship with faith but do not follow scripture. Krishna answers that faith itself takes three forms according to a person’s nature — sattvic, rajasic or tamasic — and that “a person is made of their faith; as their faith is, so are they” (17.3).
He then applies the three gunas to everyday life. Sattvic food promotes life, strength, health and cheerfulness; rajasic food is very bitter, sour, salty, hot or harsh and brings discomfort; tamasic food is stale, tasteless and impure (17.8–10). Sacrifice, austerity and charity also come in three forms. Austerity is threefold — of body, of speech and of mind; austerity of speech is words that cause no distress and are truthful, pleasant and beneficial (17.15). Charity given as a duty, to a worthy person, at the right time and place, expecting nothing back, is sattvic (17.20). The chapter ends with the sacred formula Om Tat Sat (17.23).
Key teachings of chapter 17
- You become what you put your faith in (17.3).
- Food, work and generosity all carry the quality of the mind behind them.
- Speech can be a discipline: truthful, kind and helpful (17.15).
- Give without expecting a return (17.20).
Key verses of chapter 17
अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत्। स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते॥
Speech that causes no distress, that is truthful, pleasant and beneficial, along with regular study, is called austerity of speech.
हिंदी अर्थ: जो वाणी किसी को उद्विग्न न करे, जो सत्य, प्रिय और हितकारी हो, तथा नियमित स्वाध्याय — यह वाणी का तप कहलाता है।
- Everyone’s faith is shaped by their nature. A person is made of their faith; as their faith is, so are they. — Gita 17.3
- Speech that causes no distress and is truthful, pleasant and beneficial — this is austerity of speech. — Gita 17.15
- A gift given because it is right to give, to one who cannot repay, at the proper time and place — that is sattvic charity. — Gita 17.20
What chapter 17 means today
Chapter 17 is the Gita’s lifestyle chapter. Two easy experiments: before speaking in a tense moment, check the four filters of 17.15; and give one small gift this week that no one will ever thank you for.
Frequently asked questions
How many verses are in chapter 17 of the Bhagavad Gita?
Chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga, has 28 verses in the standard (Gita Press) numbering.
What does the Gita say about food?
Chapter 17 (17.8–17.10) classifies food by the gunas: sattvic food is fresh, nourishing and promotes health and cheerfulness; rajasic food is overly spicy, salty or hot; tamasic food is stale and impure.
What is “yo yac chraddhah sa eva sah”?
It is from Gita 17.3: “whatever a person’s faith is, that indeed is what they are” — our deepest convictions shape who we become.