Gita for Youth - Sraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga (Yoga of the threefold Sraddha)

Chapter 17: The Threefold Sraddha

Arjuna asked Sri Krishna, “Those who disregard the scriptures but worship with devotion and dedication (sraddha), what faith do they process, Oh Krishna?”

The previous chapter concluded with Sri Krishna’s assertion that one who disregards the scriptures driven by arrogance and desire, does not attain happiness or virtuous end. Therefore Arjuna’s doubt is concerning those who, despite not knowing the scriptures, worship the Supreme Being with complete devotion and dedication. They may be illiterate, ignorant but not arrogant. They may even be of such high spirituality that whatever they do becomes scriptural injunction themselves. Therefore Sri Krishna further explained the distinction He made.

He said that there are three types of Sraddha, coming under the modifications of the qualities of nature, like everything else. One is Sattviki, second one is Rajasi and the third one is Tamasi. These are driven by the nature of the individual who possesses the Sraddha. Everybody’s Sraddha is molded according to the character he or she possesses. The individual is composed of Sraddha almost entirely and therefore his Sraddha will define him.

A Sattvik will worship gods and demigods, a rajasa will worship yakshas and rakshas, the divine creatures who have certain powers at their disposal to fulfill desires immediately. A tamasik will worship ghosts, goblins and demons, because their nature gels well with his.

The above description of the worship of the resp. powers takes stem from the fact that a person of Sattvik nature will be attracted towards divinities, who bear an affinity with his own nature. He may not desire anything but may perform all rites according to the injunctions of the scriptures out of love and admiration for the divinities. A rajasik person, on the other hand, owing to being subjected to passions and desires, will try to reach out to semi divinities who resemble his nature. Such entities can fulfill desire readily and are also propitiated readily. They are flesh eaters and like animal sacrifices and a Rajasik person would prefer grand sacrifices with animals to show off to the world that they possess devotion. A tamasik will always attempt something which neither involves a lot of effort, nor a lot of patience and nor dedication. Therefore his Sraddha is directed towards the lower powers of the nature who have exactly the same nature as he has and who would be able to assist him in evil designs like causing harm to somebody he hates (Maran/Uchatan etc. – the tantrik rituals).

To take this point further Sri Krishna said, one who indulges in severe ascetic practices in dissonance with the injunctions of the scriptures, driven by pride and arrogance and propelled by desires and attachments, who causes his body to suffer heavily for the sake of such practices and therefore cause injury to the soul, is definitely of demoniac character.

This gives a definite answer to the question posed by Arjuna. The disregard for the scripture is not unintentional, nor is ignorance the cause. It is a deliberate attempt to forsake scriptures and practice what one would deem fit, in the process making one’s own body, mind and spirit (and probably that of others as well) to suffer violently, is a sure tendency possessed by the demoniacs. They are driven by lust for power, name, fame, fortune. They do not care for the societal norms. In the name of ascetic practices they probably satisfy their own crooked tendencies. Certain characteristics similar to this were observed in the practice of a much degenerated form of Tantra called Vamachara. In the name of the Tantric practices people often would indulge in lustful activities, causing troubles to their body, mind and spirit and thinking all the while that what they were doing were right. They were driven by their own passions and egos. Such worshippers are of Rajasik and Tamasik type but never of Sattvik disposition