226. Gunas and Shraddha


Science leads a student from ignorance to awareness of the physical world. For example, the calculation of time taken to empty a water tank with a hole at the bottom can vary based on the level of the student solving the problem. A seventh grader is taught to divide the total volume of the tank by the capacity of the hole to drain. However, a twelfth grader is asked to use calculus to arrive at the solution that considers gravity. As expected, the answers would vary in both cases, and it is acceptable as a seventh grader is not expected to solve complex calculus equations.

Similar situations arise on the path of spirituality where the preaching varies based on the level of ignorance of the practitioner. The Bhagavad Gita handles all such situations like a textbook from kindergarten to post-graduation. Chapters sixteen and seventeen are those chapters where Krishna comes to the level of an ignorant to explain.

After explaining divine and demonic natures, He suggests using scriptures for guidance. This advice is to the demonic natured who are at the lowest level of ignorance. Similarly, he starts the seventeenth chapter by explaining various behaviours based on gunas (characters born of prakriti) for someone at an ignorant level. On the other hand, he earlier encouraged the ‘aware’ to aim for the desireless state of guna-atheeth (transcending gunas). This fact needs to be kept in mind to understand this chapter.

Shraddha means holding or abiding in Truth and in the context of shraddha, Krishna says, “Satvik worship devatas; rajasik worship yakshas (demigods) and rakshasas (demons); and tamasik worship ghosts and host of spirits” (17.4). These are nothing but methods to fulfill desires.

He further cautions, “Know those men to be of asuric (demonic) nature who perform terrible austerities not authorized by the scriptures. Hypocrites, ahankari (one with pride of doership) -possessed by lust, attachment, and power madness - senselessly they torture the bodily elements and also offend Me” (17.5 and 17.6).


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