Faith

But those who honor this nectar of dharma as declared here, full of faith and holding me as supreme — those devotees are exceedingly dear to me.

ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते | श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ||१२-२०||

The Blessed Lord said: Those who fix their minds on me and worship me, ever steadfast and endowed with supreme faith — them I consider the most perfect in yoga.

श्रीभगवानुवाच | मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते | श्रद्धया परयोपेताः ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ||१२-२||

And the person of faith, free of malice, who merely listens to it — even he, liberated, will attain the auspicious worlds of those of meritorious deeds.

श्रद्धावाननसूयश्च शृणुयादपि यो नरः | सोऽपि मुक्तः शुभाँल्लोकान्प्राप्नुयात्पुण्यकर्मणाम् ||१८-७१||

Whatever is offered, given, or performed as austerity, and whatever is done, without faith, is called "Asat," Partha; it counts for nothing, here or hereafter.

अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् | असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह ||१७-२८||

And of all yogis, the one who, full of faith, worships me with the inner self absorbed in me, I hold to be the most disciplined of all.

योगिनामपि सर्वेषां मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना | श्रद्धावान्भजते यो मां स मे युक्ततमो मतः ||६-४७||

Those who constantly follow this teaching of Mine, full of faith and free from envy, are also freed from the bondage of action.

ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः | श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभिः ||३-३१||

Containing all works, all desires, all scents, all tastes, embracing all this, speechless, unconcerned—this is my Self within the heart, this is Brahman. On departing hence I shall attain it. Whoever has this conviction has no doubt at all. So said Shandilya, so said Shandilya.

सर्वकर्मा सर्वकामः सर्वगन्धः सर्वरसः सर्वमिदमभ्यात्तोऽवाक्यनादर एष म आत्मान्तर्हृदय एतद्ब्रह्मैतमितः प्रेत्याभिसंभवितास्मीति यस्य स्यादद्धा न विचिकित्सास्तीति ह स्माह शाण्डिल्यः शाण्डिल्यः

The faith of everyone accords with their essential nature, Bharata. A person is made of faith; whatever their faith is, that indeed they are.

सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत | श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः ||१७-३||

The Blessed Lord said: The faith of embodied beings is of three kinds, born of their own nature — sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic. Hear about it.

श्रीभगवानुवाच | त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा | सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु ||१७-२||

But others, not knowing this, worship after hearing it from others; they too, devoted to what they have heard, cross beyond death.

अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते | तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः ||१३-२६||

People who have no faith in this dharma, scorcher of foes, fail to reach me and return to the path of death and rebirth.

अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप | अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि ||९-३||

Endowed with that faith, the person strives to worship that form and obtains from it the desires he wishes — desires that are, in fact, granted by me alone.

स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते | लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान्हि तान् ||७-२२||

Whatever form a devotee seeks to worship with faith, I make that devotee's faith in it steady.

यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति | तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम् ||७-२१||

Arjuna said: One who is unrestrained, though endowed with faith, whose mind wanders away from yoga and who fails to reach perfection in yoga — what path does that person go, Krishna?

अर्जुन उवाच | अयतिः श्रद्धयोपेतो योगाच्चलितमानसः | अप्राप्य योगसंसिद्धिं कां गतिं कृष्ण गच्छति ||६-३७||

The person of faith, intent on it and with the senses controlled, gains knowledge; and having gained knowledge, soon attains supreme peace.

श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः | ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति ||४-३९||

He said to him: 'That finest essence which you do not perceive, my dear — from that very finest essence this great banyan tree grows. Have faith, my dear.'

तꣳ होवाच यं वै सोम्यैतमणिमानं न निभालयस एतस्य वै सोम्यैषोऽणिम्न एवं महान्यग्रोधस्तिष्ठति श्रद्धत्स्व सोम्येति

Janashruti, the great-grandson, was a man who gave with faith, gave lavishly, and cooked much for guests. Everywhere he had rest-houses built, thinking, "Everywhere people will eat my food."

जानश्रुतिर्ह पौत्रायणः श्रद्धादेयो बहुदायी बहुपाक्य आस स ह सर्वत आवसथान्मापयांचक्रे सर्वत एव मेऽन्नमत्स्यन्तीति

To them the seer said: "Stay with me another year in austerity, chastity, and faith. Then ask questions as you wish, and if we know, we shall tell you all."

तान्ह स ऋषिरुवाच भूय एव तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण श्रद्धयासंवत्सरं संवत्स्यथ यथाकामं प्रश्नान् पृच्छत यदिविज्ञास्यामः सर्वं ह वो वक्ष्याम इति ॥ १२॥

This threefold austerity, practiced with supreme faith by people who are disciplined and desire no fruit, they call sattvic.

श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः | अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ||१७-१७||