Contents
Shri Sankara's Gita Bhashya
(Sri Sankaracharya's Commentary on the Gita)
CHAPTER -17
|
|
Those who do not know of any specific procedure enjoined by Scripture i.e., as described in the Śruti or Smrti, they who, merely from observing the established practice of the learned (the vener able) and being endued with śraddhā, worship the gods and others, are understood by the description, "those who setting aside the ordinance of the Śāstra worship with śraddhā. "They, on the other hand, who while knowing of some specific injunction of Scripture set it aside and worship the gods and others, contraven ing the prescribed procedure, are not to be understood by the said description. Why? Because of the qualification of 'being endued with śraddhā'. It is indeed not possible to imagine that they, who are quite aware of some specific scriptural injunction as to the worship of gods (and others) and yet set it aside irreverently, can be said to engage in the worship of the gods (and others) prescribed by scripture, with the disposition of 'being endued with śraddhā[1]. Therefore, it is only that class of persons who have been referred to at first that has to be understood here by the description stated. Of them, thus described, O Kfsna, what is the condition, posi tion? Is it sattva, or is it rajas, or else, tamasl This is what is meant: the worship which is offered by them to gods and others, is it of the sāttvic nature, or of the rājasic nature, or of the tamasic nature? Feeling that this question of a general range cannot fittingly be answered without classification of the several aspects. |
 |
References and Context
- ↑ Because of their slighting the scriptural injunctions which they know of, and engaging in the worship of gods and others according to their fancy, they are to be classed as asuras, as settled in the previous Chapter (v. 23). (A)