Arjuna asks about people who worship with faith but without regard for scripture — where do they stand? (17.1). Krishna's reply widens into a whole psychology of faith: everyone's faith accords with their nature, and a person is made of their faith — whatever your faith is, that you are (17.3). The chapter then runs the three gunas through everyday life with almost anthropological detail. Food: the sattvic promotes life, strength, and happiness; the rajasic — excessively bitter, salty, burning — breeds pain and disease; the tamasic is stale and impure (17.8–10). Sacrifice: done as duty without expectation, done for show, or done without faith at all (17.11–13).
Its most practical gift is the threefold austerity. Of the body: reverence, cleanliness, simplicity, non-violence (17.14). Of speech: words that cause no agitation — truthful, pleasant, beneficial (17.15). Of the mind: serenity, gentleness, silence, self-control, purity of heart (17.16). Charity, too, is sorted: given as duty, to the right person, expecting nothing (17.20), versus given grudgingly for return (17.21–22). The chapter closes with the formula that consecrates all practice — Om Tat Sat (17.23) — and a blunt verdict: whatever is done without faith is Asat, nothing, here and hereafter (17.28).
Key verses
The faith of each person is in accordance with their nature, O Bharata. A person is made of their faith — whatever their faith is, that indeed they are.
Speech that causes no agitation, that is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial, as well as the practice of studying the scriptures — this is called austerity of speech.
Charity given out of duty, to a worthy person, at the right place and time, and to one who cannot give anything in return — that charity is considered to be in the mode of goodness.
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