Verse 17.4

Verse 17.4: “The Sattva-dominated persons proffer worship unto the God; the Rajas-dominated unto the Yaksas; the rest who are Tamas-dominated proffer worship unto Departed-Spirits and Ghostly-Hordes.

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

Those moulded of Sattva faith have generally the liking for Heaven. They master all arts and sciences, perform select sacrificial rites-nay they even get admission in the region of Gods. Those, Oh Warrior, that are formed of Rajas faith, worship the demons and other spirits (living in ethereal regions). Now, about the Tamas-dominated faith. It is a (regular) heap of sins, very rugged and cruel. They (of Tamas faith) kill beings for making ritual offerings and worship on dirty funeral grounds at evening hours, assemblages of ghostly orders and corpses (departed spirits). Such beings, should be known (as if) formed out of the essence extracted from the Tamas quality and are the very home of the Tamas (—ridden) faith. These are the three-fold classes of the faith found (abiding) in (three) different signs in the world and I have explained them to you with the sole object that you should preserve only the Sattva faith, casting away the remaining two—the opposing ones.

Those that claim the Sattva-faith as their protector have, Oh Dhananjaya, nothing to fear (as coming in the way as a goblin) of their becoming one with the Deity ) even though they might not have studied the Brahma-Sutras, (a standard work on metaphysics) or might not be well-versed in the Shastras (Scriptures), or might not have grasped the great theories Established Truths). But one who acts with perfect Sattva faith and follows in the footsteps of those elders who are themselves the very interpretation incarnate of the Shruti and Smriti Scriptures, and set an example of righteous conduct to others (by their own acts)—such a one acting as he does following their way of conduct, automatically secures the same fruit as the wise do (secure through their study of the Scriptures).

One succeeds with great difficulty in lighting a lamp while another without any trouble lights another (his own) lamp on the first: does the latter in any way get cheated in respect of the light? Or, one builds a (big) house spending unlimited money over it; could not another (a stranger) dwelling in that house, experience the same amount of comfort? That apart: would a tank satisfy the thirst only of him who constructed it and of no one else? Or would the only one who cooked food (in a house) get it there (for eating) and none else? No need to say more: yet, would the Ganges (Godavari) be the holy waters of the Ganges only for the Sage Gautama (who with great effort brought it to the earth) and prove to be an ordinary stream to others in the world? Therefore, one who follows in firm faith another knowing (better) the methods in the Scriptures, according to one’s own intellect, secures liberation even though he be illiterate (^).