CHAPTER XVII ARJUNA: IF men forsake the holy ordinance, Heedless of Shastras, yet keep faith at heart KRISHNA: Threefold the faith is of mankind, and springs The faith of each believer, Indian Prince! Where thou shalt see a worshiper, that one The "soothfast" souls adore true gods; the souls Or Yakshas; and the men of Darkness pray Hear this of Me! there is a food which brings Rakshasas and Yakshas are unembodied but capricious beings of great power, gifts, and beauty, sometimes also of benignity. These are spirits of evil, wandering ghosts. Force, substance, strength, and health, and joy to live, Being well-seasoned, cordial comforting, 66 The Soothfast" meat. And there be foods which bring Aches and unrests, and burning blood, and grief, Thus with rites; A sacrifice not for rewardment made, Worship of gods Meriting worship; lowly reverence Words causing no man woe, words ever true, Yâtayaman, food which has remained after the watches of the night. In India this would probably go bad." Serenity of soul, benignity, Sway of the silent Spirit, constant stress Such threefold faith, in highest piety Religion shown in act of proud display To win good entertainment, worship, fame, Such-say I—is of Rajas, rash and vain. Religion followed by a witless will The gift lovingly given, when one shall say "Now must I gladly give!" when he who takes Can render nothing back; made in due place, Due time, and to a meet recipient, Is gift of Sattwan, fair and profitable. The gift selfishly given, where to receive The gift churlishly flung, at evil time, Here endeth Chapter XVII. of the Bhagavad-Gîtâ, entitled "Sraddhatrayavibhagayôg," or "The Book of Religion by the Three- I omit the concluding shlokas, as of very doubtful authenticity. CHAPTER XVIII ARJUNA: FAIN would I better know, Thou Glorious One! KRISHNA: The poets rightly teach that Sannyâs There be among the saints some who have held All action sinful, and to be renounced; And some who answer " Nay! the goodly acts- 'Tis well set forth, O Chaser of thy Foes! Renunciation is of threefold form, And Worship, Penance, Alms, not to be stayed; Yet must be practised even those high works In yielding up attachment, and all fruit Produced by works. This is My judgment, Prince! This My insuperable and fixed decree! Abstaining from a work by right prescribed Never is meet! So to abstain doth spring From "Darkness," and Delusion teacheth it. Abstaining from a work grievous to flesh, When one saith ""Tis unpleasing!" this is null ! Such an one acts from "passion; " nought of gain Abstaining from attachment to the work, Quit of debates and doubts, his is "true" act: The fruit of labors, in the lives to come, Hear from me, Long-armed Lord! the makings five Which go to every act, in Sânkhya taught As necessary. First the force; and then The agent; next, the various instruments; Fourth, the especial effort; fifth, the God. What work soever any mortal doth Of body, mind, or speech, evil or good, By these five doth he that. Which being thus, Whoso, for lack of knowledge, seeth himself As the sole actor, knoweth nought at all And seeth nought. Therefore, I say, if oneHolding aloof from self-with unstained mind Should slay all yonder host, being bid to slay, He doth not slay; he is not bound thereby! Knowledge, the thing known, and the mind which knows, These make the threefold starting-ground of act. These make the threefold total of the deed. But knowledge, agent, act, are differenced |