17.1 Arjuna said: Those who set aside the commandments of scripture but worship with faith – what is their state, O Krishna? Is it goodness, passion or darkness?

17.2 Krishna, the messenger, conveyed the word of God: The faith of embodied beings is threefold, born of their nature – of goodness, of passion and of darkness. Hear of it.

17.3 The faith of each is in accordance with his nature, O Bharata; man is made of his faith; as a man's faith is, so is he.

17.4 Men of goodness worship God alone and honour His angels as His servants; men of passion worship powerful beings and spirits beside Him; men of darkness worship the dead and the ghosts.

17.5 Those men who practise severe austerities not ordained by scripture, given to hypocrisy and egotism, driven by lust, attachment and force,

17.6 senseless, tormenting the elements in the body and Me also who am near to them within the body – know them to be of ungodly resolve.

17.7 Even the food dear to each is threefold, and so too sacrifice, austerity and charity. Hear of the distinction among them.

17.8 Foods that promote life, purity, strength, health, joy and cheerfulness, that are savoury, rich, substantial and agreeable, are dear to the man of goodness.

17.9 Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, very hot, pungent, harsh and burning, causing pain, grief and sickness, are dear to the man of passion.

17.10 Food that is stale, tasteless, putrid, decayed, left over and impure is dear to the man of darkness.

17.11 The sacrifice offered to God according to the scriptural command by those who seek no reward, with the mind fixed on its being a duty, is of goodness.

17.12 But the sacrifice offered in expectation of reward, or for the sake of display, O best of Bharatas, know it to be of passion.

17.13 The sacrifice contrary to the command, in which no food is distributed, without sacred words, without gifts and without faith, is called of darkness.

17.14 Reverence for God, respect for the righteous, the teachers and the wise, purity, uprightness, chastity and harmlessness are called the austerity of the body.

17.15 Speech that causes no distress, that is truthful, pleasant and beneficial, and the regular recitation of scripture, are called the austerity of speech.

17.16 Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-restraint and purity of heart are called the austerity of the mind.

17.17 This threefold austerity, practised with highest faith by men who seek no reward and are steadfast, is called of goodness.

17.18 Austerity practised with hypocrisy for the sake of gaining respect, honour and reverence is called of passion; it is unstable and fleeting.

17.19 Austerity practised through foolish obstinacy, with self-torture, or for the purpose of harming another, is called of darkness.

17.20 The gift given because giving is right, to one who can make no return, in the proper place and time and to a worthy person, is held to be of goodness.

17.21 The gift given for the sake of a return, or with an eye to reward, or reluctantly, is held to be of passion.

17.22 The gift given at the wrong place and time to unworthy persons, without respect or with contempt, is declared to be of darkness.

17.23 'Om Tat Sat' – this is the threefold declaration of the One True God: 'He, That, the Real.' By Him were ordained of old the knowers of truth, the scriptures and the sacrifices.

17.24 Therefore, uttering the remembrance of God, the followers of the One begin their acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity, as the scriptures command.

17.25 With 'That', the seekers of liberation perform acts of sacrifice, austerity and charity without aiming at reward.

17.26 'Sat', the Real, is used for what is true and what is good; and so too, O son of Pritha, the word is used for a praiseworthy deed.

17.27 Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity and charity is also called 'Sat', and so is any work done for the sake of God.

17.28 Whatever is offered, given or practised without faith in God, O son of Pritha, is called 'Asat', the unreal; it is of no value here or hereafter.