B.G 17.01
अर्जुन उवाच
arjuna uvāca
[अर्जुन (arjuna) - Arjuna; उवाच (uvāca) - said;]
Arjuna said:
ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः। तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ॥१॥
ye śāstravidhim utsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ। teṣāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvam āho rajastamaḥ ॥1॥
[ये (ye) - those who; शास्त्रविधिम् (śāstravidhim) - scriptural rules; उत्सृज्य (utsṛjya) - let go without having an understanding; यजन्ते (yajante) - worship; श्रद्धया (śraddhayā) - with faith; अन्विताः (anvitāḥ) - endowed; तेषाम् (teṣām) - their; निष्ठा (niṣṭhā) - faith; तु (tu) - but; का (kā) - what; कृष्ण (kṛṣṇa) - O Krishna; सत्त्वम् (sattvam) - goodness; आहो (āho) - or; रजः (rajaḥ) - passion; तमः (tamaḥ) - ignorance;]
O Krishna, those who let go of scriptural rules with limited understanding, but still worship with faith, what is the nature of their faith? Is it aligned with goodness, passion, or ignorance?
Gīta Bhāshya 17.01
This chapter explains the characteristic differences in different qualities. The word 'śāstravidhimutsṛjya', i.e. having let go of the rule of the scripture, implies without understanding them. After understanding the scriptures, yet abandoning their rules intentionally is opposed to dharma and is considered 'tāmasic' quality.
गुणभेदान् प्रपञ्चयति अनेन अध्यायेन।
guṇabhedān prapañcayati anena adhyāyena।
[गुण (guṇa) - different qualities; भेदान् (bhedān) - characteristic differences; प्रपञ्चयति (prapañcayati) - explains; अनेन (anena) - by this; अध्यायेन (adhyāyena) - chapter;]
This chapter explains the characteristic differences in different qualities.
शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य अज्ञात्वा।
śāstravidhimutsṛjya ajñātvā।
[शास्त्र (śāstra) - scripture; विधिम् (vidhim) - rule; उत्सृज्य (utsṛjya) - having let go; अज्ञात्वा (ajñātvā) - without knowing;]
The word 'śāstravidhimutsṛjya', i.e. having let go of the rule of the scripture, implies without understanding them.
"वेदः कृत्स्नोऽधिगन्तव्यः सरहस्यो द्विजन्मना।"
"vedaḥ kṛtsno'dhigantavyaḥ sarahasyo dvijanmanā।"
[वेदः (vedaḥ) - Veda; कृत्स्नः (kṛtsnaḥ) - entire; अधिगन्तव्यः (adhigantavyaḥ) - to be mastered; सरहस्यः (sarahasyaḥ) - with secrets; द्विजन्मना (dvijanmanā) - by the twice-born;]
"The entire Veda, along with its secrets, is to be mastered by the twice-born."
इति विधिः उत्सृष्टो हि तैः।
iti vidhiḥ utsṛṣṭo hi taiḥ।
[इति (iti) - thus; विधिः (vidhiḥ) - method; उत्सृष्टः (utsṛṣṭaḥ) - having let go; हि (hi) - indeed; तैः (taiḥ) - by them;]
Thus is the stated prescription. Indeed, who have let go of this understanding are those, i.e. those who are unaware of secret meanings of the Vedas.
"ये वै वेदं न पठन्ते न चार्थं वेदोज्झान् तान् विद्धि सानूनबुद्धीन्।"
"ye vai vedaṁ na paṭhante na cārthaṁ vedojjhān tān viddhi sānūnabuddhīn।"
[ये (ye) - those who; वै (vai) - indeed; वेदं (vedaṁ) - the Vedas; न (na) - not; पठन्ते (paṭhante) - recite; न (na) - not; च (ca) - and; अर्थं (arthaṁ) - meaning; वेदोज्झान् (vedojjhān) - abandoning the Vedas; तान् (tān) - them; विद्धि (viddhi) - know; सानूनबुद्धीन् (sānūnabuddhīn) - of inferior intellect;]
"Those who do not study or understand the Vedas, abandoning them, are considered to have inferior intellect."
इति माधुच्छन्दसश्रुतिः।
iti mādhucchandasasṛtiḥ।
[इति (iti) - thus; माधुच्छन्दसः (mādhucchandasaḥ) - Madhucchandas; श्रुतिः (śrutiḥ) - hymn;]
- stated thus in the Madhucchandas Vedic testimonial.
अन्यथा तामसा इत्येवोच्येत। न तु विभज्य। यदि सात्त्विका तर्हि नोऽत्सृष्टशास्त्राः। न हि वेदविरुद्धो धर्मः।
anyathā tāmasā ityevocayet। na tu vibhajya। yadi sāttvikā tarhi no'tsṛṣṭaśāstrāḥ। na hi vedaviruddho dharmaḥ।
[अन्यथा (anyathā) - otherwise; तामसा (tāmasā) - of 'tāmasic' quality; इति (iti) - thus; एव (eva) - indeed; उच्येत (ucyet) - is said; न (na) - not; तु (tu) - but; विभज्य (vibhajya) - dividing; यदि (yadi) - if; सात्त्विका (sāttvikā) - pure; तर्हि (tarhi) - then; न (na) - not; उत्सृष्ट (utsṛṣṭa) - abandoned; शास्त्राः (śāstrāḥ) - scriptures; न (na) - not; हि (hi) - indeed; वेदविरुद्धः (vedaviruddhaḥ) - against the Vedas; धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - duty;]
Otherwise, they are said to be of 'tāmasic' quality only, and they can't be further divided. If they are of indeed 'sāttvik' quality, then they can't be abandoning scriptures, as dharma is not opposed to the Vedas.
"वेदोखिलो धर्ममूलम् स्मृतिशीले च तद्विदाम्।"
"vedokhilo dharmamūlam smṛtiśīle ca tadvidām।"
[वेदः (vedaḥ) - Veda; अखिलः (akhilaḥ) - entire; धर्ममूलम् (dharmamūlam) - root of dharma; स्मृति (smṛti) - Smriti; शील (śīla) - conduct; च (ca) - and; तद्विदाम् (tadvidām) - of those who know that;]
"The entire Veda is the root of dharma, and those who conduct themselves, and Smritis, i.e. the texts derived from Vedas, are of those who know that."
इति हि स्मृतिः।
iti hi smṛtiḥ।
[इति (iti) - thus; हि (hi) - indeed; स्मृतिः (smṛtiḥ) - memory;]
- thus indeed is the scriptural testimonial.
"वेदप्रणिहितो धर्मो ह्यधर्मस्तद्विपर्ययः॥"
"vedapraṇihito dharmo hyadharmastadviparyayaḥ॥"
[वेद (veda) - Veda; प्रणिहितः (praṇihitaḥ) - established; धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - dharma; हि (hi) - indeed; अधर्मः (adharmaḥ) - adharma; तत् (tat) - that; विपर्ययः (viparyayaḥ) - opposite;]
"The 'dharma' is indeed established by the Veda; 'adharma' is the opposite of that."
इति भागवते ॥१॥
iti bhāgavate ॥1॥
[इति (iti) - thus; भागवते (bhāgavate) - in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa;]
- stated thus in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa.
Gīta Tātparya 17.01
The chapter elaborates on the discriminative knowledge required to differentiate between the truthful actions (sat-karma) and those that are untruthful (asat-karma).
सदसत्कर्मविवेकः।
sadasatkarmavivekaḥ।
[सत् (sat) - real; असत् (asat) - unreal; कर्म (karma) - action; विवेकः (vivekaḥ) - descriminative knowledge;]
The chapter elaborates on the discriminative knowledge required to differentiate between the truthful actions (sat-karma) and those that are untruthful (asat-karma).
