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सप्तदशोऽध्यायः
अर्जुन उवाच ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः। तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ॥ १ ॥
CHAPTER XVII. [When a description has thus been made of persons, who maintain and protect the world by following the KarmaYoga-Sāstra, as also of those, who, on the other hand, destroy the world, the question why these differences arise between men and men, naturally springs up. The ordinary answer to that question, namely, “prakrtyā niyatäh svayā" that is," that is according to everybody's nature", las been given in Chapter VII above (7.20). But, as a full exposition about the three constituents namely, sattva, rajas, and tamas, has not been made in that chapter, it was not possible to give there a detailed explanation of these differences, which arise from Praksti. Therefore, these three constituents have been described in Chapter XIV; and after explaining in this Chapter how diverse kinds of faith etc., arise on account of these constituents, the entire subject-matter of Jñāna and Vijñāna has been concluded in this chapter. In the same way, the reason for the differences in the Path of Devotion, mentioned in the Chapter IX (see 9.23 and 24), becomes clear by the explanation given in this chapter. Arjuna first asks)
Arjuna said :-(1) O Kệsņa! those who, notwithstanding that they are filled with Faith, yet perform sacrifice without observing the Scriptural methods, what should their niştha' (that is, mental condition) be supposed to be ? Is it sättvika, or rūjasa, or tāmasa ?
(This is the doubt raised by Arjuna on the admonition given at the end of the last chapter that Scriptural methods should be followed. It sometimes happens that even having faith in the Scriptures, a man commits mistakes as a result of ignorance. For instance, instead of
