B.G 17.03

सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत। श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः ॥३॥

sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata। śraddhāmayo'yaṃ puruṣo yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ ॥3॥

[सत्त्वानुरूपा (sattvānurūpā) - according to one's true nature; सर्वस्य (sarvasya) - of everyone; श्रद्धा (śraddhā) - faith; भवति (bhavati) - becomes; भारत (bhārata) - O Bhārata; श्रद्धामयः (śraddhāmayaḥ) - full of faith; अयम् (ayam) - this; पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) - person; यः (yaḥ) - who; यत् (yat) - whatever; श्रद्धः (śraddhaḥ) - faith; सः (saḥ) - he; एव (eva) - certainly; सः (saḥ) - he;]

O Bhārata, the faith of everyone is in accordance with their true nature. A person is made of faith; whatever faith they have, they are indeed that.

Gīta Bhāshya 17.03

The word 'sattvānurūpā', i.e. one's true nature, is nothing but that which is in accordance with their consciousness (chitta). If one has sattvic faith, they are considered sattvic, and so forth.

सत्त्वानुरूपा चित्तानुरूपा।

sattvānurūpā cittānurūpā।

[सत्त्व (sattva) - true nature; अनुरूपा (anurūpā) - in accordance with; चित्त (citta) - consciousness; अनुरूपा (anurūpā) - in accordance with;]

(In accordance with nature, in accordance with mind.)

The word 'sattvānurūpā', i.e. one's true nature, is nothing but that which is in accordance with their consciousness.

यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः सात्त्विकश्रद्धः सात्त्विकः इत्यादि ॥३॥

yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ sāttvikaśraddhaḥ sāttvikaḥ ityādi ॥3॥

[यः (yaḥ) - who; यत् (yat) - whatever; श्रद्धः (śraddhaḥ) - faith; सः (saḥ) - he; एव (eva) - indeed; सः (saḥ) - he; सात्त्विकश्रद्धः (sāttvikaśraddhaḥ) - of sattvic faith; सात्त्विकः (sāttvikaḥ) - sattvic; इत्यादि (ityādi) - and so on;]

The phrase 'yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ' i.e. 'a person is defined by the nature of their faith' implies - if one has sattvic faith, they are considered sattvic, and so forth.

Gīta Tātparya 17.03

The word 'śraddhāmayaḥ' i.e. full of faith, implies the being embodying the essence of faith. The innate nature is specific to individual beings. Therefore, those with saatvik faith are known as satvik. Those with other faiths are others. Faith is inherent nature of both those bound by darkness and the liberated. For those in the cycle of rebirth, the mind remains primarily in the form of faith. The true nature of faith is mostly revealed only sometimes. The Sattvic may have fait in the form of tamas in the inner essence.

सत्त्वानुरूपा जीवानुरूपा। अतो ये सात्त्विकश्रद्धाः ते सात्त्विकाः इति ज्ञेयाः। अन्ये अन्ये इति। श्रद्धामयः श्रद्धास्वरूपः।

sattvānurūpā jīvānurūpā। ato ye sāttvikaśraddhāḥ te sāttvikāḥ iti jñeyāḥ। anye anye iti। śraddhāmayaḥ śraddhāsvarūpaḥ।

[सत्त्वानुरूपा (sattvānurūpā) - according to nature; जीवानुरूपा (jīvānurūpā) - according to living beings; अतः (ataḥ) - therefore; ये (ye) - those; सात्त्विकश्रद्धाः (sāttvikaśraddhāḥ) - pure faiths; ते (te) - they; सात्त्विकाः (sāttvikāḥ) - are pure; इति (iti) - thus; ज्ञेयाः (jñeyāḥ) - should be known; अन्ये (anye) - others; अन्ये (anye) - others; इति (iti) - thus; श्रद्धामयः (śraddhāmayaḥ) - full of faith; श्रद्धास्वरूपः (śraddhāsvarūpaḥ) - the form of faith;]

The innate nature is specific to individual beings. Therefore, those with saatvik faith are known as satvik. Those with other faiths are others. The word 'śraddhāmayaḥ' i.e. full of faith, implies the being embodying the essence of faith.

"मयं प्रधानमुद्दिष्टं स्वरूपं कार्यमेव च"

mayaṁ pradhānamuddiṣṭaṁ svarūpaṁ kāryameva ca

[मयं (mayaṁ) - we; प्रधानम् (pradhānam) - chief; उद्दिष्टम् (uddiṣṭam) - designated; स्वरूपम् (svarūpam) - form; कार्य (kārya) - action; एव (eva) - only; च (ca) - and;]

"The suffix 'maya' is used to mean primary, designated, or effect."

इति शब्दनिर्णये।

iti śabdanirṇaye।

[इति (iti) - thus; शब्द (śabda) - word; निर्णये (nirṇaye) - in the decision;]

- stated thus in the Shabdanirṇaye testimonial.

"श्रद्धास्वरूपं जीवस्य तस्मात् श्रद्धाविभेदतः। उत्तमाधममध्यास्तु जीवा ज्ञेयाः पृथक् पृथक्॥

"śraddhāsvarūpaṃ jīvasya tasmāt śraddhāvibhedataḥ। uttamādhamamadhyāstu jīvā jñeyāḥ pṛthak pṛthak॥

[श्रद्धा (śraddhā) - faith; स्वरूपं (svarūpaṃ) - nature; जीवस्य (jīvasya) - of the being; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; श्रद्धा (śraddhā) - faith; विभेदतः (vibhedataḥ) - by distinction; उत्तम (uttama) - superior; अधम (adhama) - inferior; मध्य (madhya) - middle; अस्तु (astu) - let it be; जीवाः (jīvāḥ) - beings; ज्ञेयाः (jñeyāḥ) - to be known; पृथक् (pṛthak) - separately; पृथक् (pṛthak) - separately;]

"The nature of a being's faith determines their classification as superior, inferior, or average, and they should be understood distinctly based on this differentiation.

स्वरूपभूता श्रद्धैव तमोगानां च मोक्षिणाम्। शिष्यते संसृतिस्थानां श्रद्धारूपं मनोऽपरम्॥

svarūpabhūtā śraddhaiva tamogānāṃ ca mokṣiṇām। śiṣyate saṃsṛtisthānāṃ śraddhārūpaṃ mano'param॥

[स्वरूपभूता (svarūpabhūtā) - inherent nature; श्रद्धा (śraddhā) - faith; एव (eva) - indeed; तमोगानां (tamogānāṃ) - of those bound by darkness; च (ca) - and; मोक्षिणाम् (mokṣiṇām) - of the liberated ones; शिष्यते (śiṣyate) - remains; संसृतिस्थानां (saṃsṛtisthānāṃ) - of those in the cycle of rebirth; श्रद्धारूपं (śraddhārūpaṃ) - form of faith; मनः (manaḥ) - mind; अपरम् (aparam) - other;]

Faith is inherent nature of both those bound by darkness and the liberated. For those in the cycle of rebirth, the mind remains primarily in the form of faith.

तत्र स्वरूपश्रद्धैव व्यज्यते प्रायशः क्वचित्। सात्विकस्य तमोरूपा श्रद्धान्तःकरणात्मिका। सात्त्विकी तामसस्यापि भूयस्त्वात् तद्विविच्यते॥

tatra svarūpaśraddhaiva vyajyate prāyaśaḥ kvacit। sātvikasya tamorūpā śraddhāntaḥkaraṇātmikā। sāttvikī tāmasasyāpi bhūyastvāt tadvivicyate॥

[तत्र (tatra) - there; स्वरूप (svarūpa) - true nature; श्रद्धा (śraddhā) - faith; एव (eva) - indeed; व्यज्यते (vyajyate) - is revealed; प्रायशः (prāyaśaḥ) - mostly; क्वचित् (kvacit) - sometimes; सात्विकस्य (sātvikasya) - of the sattvic; तमोरूपा (tamorūpā) - in the form of tamas; श्रद्धा (śraddhā) - faith; अन्तःकरणात्मिका (antaḥkaraṇātmikā) - inner essence; सात्त्विकी (sāttvikī) - sattvic; तामसस्य (tāmasasya) - of the tamasic; अपि (api) - also; भूयस्त्वात् (bhūyastvāt) - due to predominance; तत् (tad) - that; विविच्यते (vivicyate) - is discerned;]

There, the true nature of faith is mostly revealed only sometimes. The Sattvic may have faith in the form of tamas in the inner essence, and at times the Sattvic is also discerned as Tamasic due to its predominance.