Verse 17.1
Speaker: Arjuna
Sanskrit
अर्जुन उवाच | ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः | तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ||१||
Transliteration (IAST)
arjuna uvāca | ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ | teṣāṁ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ ||1||
Word-by-Word Meanings
Translation
Arjuna said: Those who, setting aside the injunctions of the scriptures, perform worship with faith - what is their condition, O Krishna? Is it sattva, rajas, or tamas?
Commentary
Arjuna's question arises from the previous chapter's teaching about the divine and demoniac natures. Shankaracharya explains that Arjuna wants to know the status of those who worship with faith but without scriptural guidance. Ramanuja notes this question addresses the practical reality of people who are sincere but uninstructed in scriptural methods.