अर्जुन उवाच ।ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः ।तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ॥
arjuna uvāca |ye śāstravidhim utsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ |teṣāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ ||
- अर्जुन · arjuna
- Arjuna
- उवाच · uvāca
- said
- ये · ye
- those who
- शास्त्रविधिम् · śāstravidhim
- the rule of scripture
- उत्सृज्य · utsṛjya
- setting aside
- यजन्ते · yajante
- worship, sacrifice
- श्रद्धयान्विताः · śraddhayānvitāḥ
- filled with faith
- तेषाम् · teṣām
- their
- निष्ठा · niṣṭhā
- standing, state
- का · kā
- what
- कृष्ण · kṛṣṇa
- O Krishna
- सत्त्वम् · sattvam
- lucidity
- रजः · rajaḥ
- passion
- तमः · tamaḥ
- inertia
“Arjuna said: Those who worship full of faith yet set aside the rule of scripture — what is their standing, O Krishna? Lucidity, passion, or inertia?”
— Original plain-language translation
Arjuna's question bridges the chapters: if scripture is the measure (16.24), where does sincere but unguided faith belong? He frames the answer in the gunas' language, showing how deeply that teaching has sunk in. Krishna's reply makes faith itself threefold.
— Reader's notes (original)