Faith

Ye me matam idam nityam anutishthanti manavah, shraddhavantos 'nasuyanto mucyante te 'pi karmabhih

Those who constantly follow this teaching of Mine with faith and without caviling — they too are freed from the bondage of karma. Faith in sacred teaching, combined with action, leads to liberation.

Shraddhaval labhate jnanam tat-parah samyatendriyah, jnanam labdhva param shantim acirenadhigacchati

Those who have faith, are devoted, and have mastered their senses quickly attain divine knowledge. Upon attaining such knowledge, they soon achieve supreme peace.

Ajnas cashraddadhanas ca samsayatma vinashyati, nayam loko 'sti na paro na sukham samsayatmanah

The ignorant, the faithless, and the doubting soul perish. For the doubting soul there is neither this world, nor the next, nor happiness.

Arjuna uvaca: Ayatih shraddhayopeto yogac calita-manasah, aprapya yoga-samsiddhim kam gatim krishna gacchati

Arjuna asks: What becomes of the one who, though possessed of faith, has not striven with sufficient effort and whose mind has wavered away from yoga — not having attained the perfection of yoga, what path does such a person take, O Krishna? This honest question addresses the fear of spiritual failure and incomplete practice.

Yoginam api sarvesham mad-gatenantar-atmana, shraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah

Of all yogis, those who with great faith always abide in Me, think of Me within themselves, and render devotional service to Me—they are the most intimately united with Me and are the highest of all.

Yo yo yam yam tanum bhaktah shraddhayarchitum icchati, tasya tasyacalam shraddham tam eva vidadhamy aham

Whatever celestial form a devotee seeks to worship with faith, I steady the faith of such a devotee in that very form.

Sa taya shraddhaya yuktas tasyaradhanam ihate, labhate ca tatah kaman mayaiva vihitan hi tan

Endowed with that faith, he engages in the worship of that deity, and through it he obtains his desires. But in truth, those benefits are granted by Me alone. All results from all forms of worship ultimately come from God — even when people worship lesser powers, it is the Supreme that fulfills their desires.

Ashraddadhanah purusha dharmasyasya parantapa, aprapya mam nivartante mrityu-samsara-vartmani

Those who lack faith in this dharma, O Parantapa, do not attain Me; they return to the path of birth and death in this mortal world. Without inner conviction in the supreme teaching, the soul remains bound to the cycle of transmigration.

Ananya-chintayanto mam ye janah paryupasate, tesham nityabhiyuktanam yoga-kshemam vahamy aham

To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

Ye 'py anya-devata-bhakta yajante shraddhayanvitah, te 'pi mam eva kaunteya yajanty avidhi-purvakam

Even those who are devotees of other gods and worship them with faith — they too worship Me alone, O son of Kunti, but they do so in the wrong way. All genuine worship ultimately reaches the Supreme, though those who worship lesser gods do so without the complete understanding of divine unity.

Sarvam etad ritam manye yan mam vadasi keshava, na hi te bhagavan vyaktim vidur deva na danavah

O Keshava, I accept as truth everything You have told me. Neither gods nor demons, O Lord, know Your manifestation. Arjuna's complete acceptance of Krishna's teaching marks genuine surrender — he does not require further proof because his heart has been opened by the Lord's wisdom.

Ye tu dharmyāmṛitam idaṁ yathoktaṁ paryupāsate, śhraddadhānā mat-paramā bhaktās te 'tīva me priyāḥ

Those who follow this immortal dharma as I have declared, endowed with faith and considering Me as their supreme goal—such devotees are most dear to Me.

Anye tv evam ajanantah shrutvanyebhya upasate, te 'pi chatitaranty eva mrityum shruti-parayanah

Others, not knowing these paths, worship upon hearing from others. They also cross beyond death, being devoted to what they have heard. Even those who lack direct philosophical knowledge but follow authentic teachings with faith can attain liberation.

arjuna uvaca: ye sastra-vidhim utsrijya yajante sraddhayanvitah, tesam nistha tu ka krishna sattvam aho rajas tamah

Arjuna asks Krishna about those who worship with faith but without following scriptural injunctions — what is their standing? Are they in sattva, rajas, or tamas? This question opens the chapter's inquiry into the three types of faith.

sri bhagavan uvaca: tri-vidha bhavati sraddha dehinam sa svabhava-ja, sattviki rajasi caiva tamasi ceti tam srinu

Krishna answers that the innate faith of embodied beings is of three kinds — sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic — each arising from one's own nature. He invites Arjuna to hear the distinctions.

Sattvanuरूpa sarvasya shraddha bhavati bharata, shraddha-mayo 'yam purusho yo yach-chhraddha sa eva sah

O Arjuna, the faith of each person conforms to their nature. Human beings are made of faith; what their faith is, that verily they are.

sraddhayanvitah, anasuyanto 'bhyasuyanti ye tu dharma-nitya-krit-anustita tat tapas tri-vidham naraih, phalam akankshabhir yuktaih sattvikam paricakshate

This threefold austerity — of body, speech, and mind — practiced with supreme faith by men who seek no personal fruit is called sattvic.

asraddhaya hutam dattam tapas taptam kritam ca yat, asad ity ucyate partha na ca tat pretya no iha

Whatever is offered, given, practiced as austerity, or performed without faith is called 'Asat' — it is of no value either in this world or the next, O Partha.

sraddhaval anasuyas ca srinuyad api yo narah so 'pi muktah subhal lokan prapnuyat punya-karmanam

And the person who listens to this with faith and without malice, even that person shall be liberated and shall attain the auspicious worlds of the righteous. Even hearing the Gita with sincerity bears transformative spiritual fruit.