Chapter 17 · Verse 4

Yoga through Discerning the Three Divisions of Faith

यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः।प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः

yajante sāttvikā devān yakṣha-rakṣhānsi rājasāḥ pretān bhūta-gaṇānśh chānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ

Word Meanings

yajante — worship; sāttvikāḥ — those in the mode of goodness; devān — celestial gods; yakṣha — semi-celestial beings who exude power and wealth; rakṣhānsi — powerful beings who embody sensual enjoyment, revenge, and wrath; rājasāḥ — those in the mode of passion; pretān-bhūta-gaṇān — ghosts and spirits; cha — and; anye — others; yajante — worship; tāmasāḥ — those in the mode of ignorance; janāḥ — persons

Language:

Translation

Those of sattvic nature worship the gods; the rajasic worship yakshas and rakshasas; and the tamasic worship the spirits of the dead and hosts of ghosts.

Commentary

यजन्ते worship? सात्त्विकाः the Sattvic or pure men? देवान् the gods? यक्षरक्षांसि the Yakshas and the Rakshasas? राजसाः the Rajasic or the passionate? प्रेतान् ghosts? भूतगणान् the hosts of Bhutas or the naturespirits? च and? अन्ये the others? यजन्ते worship? तामसाः the Tamasic? जनाः people.Commentary Lord Krishna? after defining faith? tells Arjuna how this faith determines the object of worship. The nature of the faith (whether it is Sattvic? Rajasic or Tamasic) has to be inferred from its characteristic effects? viz.? the worship of the gods and the like. Each man selects his object of worship according to the ruling Guna of his being. The expression of a mans faith depends on the Guna that is predominant in him. A Sattvic man will give his faith the Sattvic expression? a Rajasic man the Rajasic expression and a Tamasic man the Tamasic expression.Sattvic persons or people with Sattvic faith who are devoted to the worship of the gods? are rare in this world.Yakshas are the brothers of Kubera? the lord of wealth gnomes? the spirits that guard wealth.Rakshasas Beings of strength and power such as Nairrita demons giants gifted with illusive powers.Bhutas Ghosts.