BG 17.1: Arjuna said: Now what, O Krishna, is the position or basis of those who leave aside the injunction of the Shastra, yet worship with faith? Is it Sattva, Rajas or Tamas?

BG 17.2: The Lord said: Threefold is the faith of embodied beings, born of their own nature, constituted of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Listen now about it.

BG 17.3: The faith of everyone, O Arjuna, is in accordance with his internal organ (Antahkarana). Man consists of faith. Whatever his faith is, that verily is he.

BG 17.4: The Sattvika types worship the gods. The Rajasa types worship Yakshas and Rakshasas. And the others, the Tamasa types, worship the departed ancestors and hosts of Bhutas.

BG 17.5: Those men who practise terrible austerity not enjoined by the Shastras, given to ostentation and conceit, and prompted by the force of sensual desires and passion;

BG 17.6: These foolish men, torturing the group of elements in their bodies and Me also who dwell within the body—know them to be demoniacal in their resolves.

BG 17.7: Even the food which is dear to all is threefold. So are sacrifices, austerity and gifts. Listen about this distinction among them.

BG 17.8: Foods which promote longevity, intellectual alertness, strength, health, pleasure and happiness and those that are sweet, oily, substantial and agreeable, are dear to Sattvika men.

BG 17.9: Foods that are bitter, sour, very salty, exceedingly heating, very pungent, dry and burning, are all dear to Rajasika men; they produce pain, sorrow and disease.

BG 17.10: That food which is stale, tasteless, putrid, decayed, refuse, unclean, is dear to Tamasika men.

BG 17.11: The sacrifice (worship) marked by Sattva is what is offered by those desiring no fruit, and having the conviction that it should be performed as enjoined in the Shastras.

BG 17.12: But that sacrifice which is offered with the fruit in view and for the sake of ostentation, know it, O Arjuna, to be Rajasika.

BG 17.13: That sacrifice which is bereft of authority, which uses offerings not sanctioned by the Shastras, which is performed without recitation of hymns and bereft of gifts and faith—that, they say, is marked by Tamas.

BG 17.14: Worship of the gods, the twice-born, the preceptors, the enlightened ones, purity, uprightness, continence and non-injury, these are called austerity of the body.

BG 17.15: Speech that causes no shock (hurt and fear etc.) and which is true, pleasant and beneficial, and also the practice of recitation of the scriptures are called the austerity of speech.

BG 17.16: Serenity of mind, benevolence, silence, self-control, purity of mind—these are called austerity of the mind.

BG 17.17: The threefold austerity, practised with supreme faith by men who desire no fruit and are devoted—they call it austerity of Sattva.

BG 17.18: That austerity, practised with ostentation for the sake of gaining respect, praise and reverence, is here said to be Rajasa. It is unsteady and impermanent.

BG 17.19: That austerity which is practised from deluded notions by means of self-torture or in order to injure another is said to be Tamasika.

BG 17.20: Gifts given with the feeling, that it is one’s own duty to give to one who makes no return, at the proper place and time to the deserving person—that is said to be Sattvika.

BG 17.21: But that which is given as a consideration for something received or in expectation of future reward, or grudgingly, is called Rajasika gift.

BG 17.22: That gift which is given grudgingly, viz., gift of useless things with a sly expectation of something in return that is said to be gift of Rajasa nature. That gift which is given at the wrong place and wrong time to unworthy recipients, without due respect and with contempt, is called the gift of Tamasa nature.

BG 17.23: Om, Tat, Sat—thus Brahman is denoted by this threefold expression. Associated with these, Brahmanas, the Vedas and sacrifices were ordained in the past.

BG 17.24: Therefore, the Veda-enjoined sacrificial acts, gifts and austerity by these expounders of the Veda, or those belonging to the first three stations are always and at all times begun after pronouncing Om at the beginning.

BG 17.25: Acts of sacrifice, of austerity and of various gifts are performed without aiming at reward by those who seek release, after pronouncing Tat.

BG 17.26: This term Sat is used in the sense of existence and goodness. And so also, O Arjuna, the word Sat is applied to an auspicious action.

BG 17.27: Devotion to sacrifice, austerities and gifts is also called Sat; and so any act for such purposes is named Sat.

BG 17.28: Whatever offering or gift is made, whatever austerity is practised and whatever action is performed without faith, that is called Asat, O Arjuna. It is naught here or hereafter.