Srimad Bhagavad Gita -Ramanujacharya 509

Srimad Bhagavad Gita -Ramanujacharya

Chapter-17 Śraddhā-traya-vibhāga Yogaḥ

śrī bhagavān uvāca trividhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṃ sā svabhāvajā | sātvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti tāṃ śṛṇu || 2 || The Blessed Lord said: 2. Threefold is the conviction of embodied beings, inherent in their own nature, classified as Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic — listen to the teaching about it. Commentary The conviction (śraddhā) of all embodied beings arises from their natural disposition (svabhāva) — one's own character. Śraddhā is the peculiar state or predilection (ruci = taste) caused by past habitual tendencies (vāsanas). One develops a conviction in accordance with one's natural taste. For ‘conviction’ (śraddhā) is defined as enthusiasm for a certain method by which one believes one will achieve one's desired goals. Vāsana (habitual pattern formation), Ruci (taste) and Śraddhā (conviction) are the characteristics of the Self which arise from it’s identification with the three modes of Material Nature. The three Modes (Gunas) are the different states of the body, the senses, the mind and sense-objects. These states arise in one through the subtle impressions caused by association with Gunas in sense experiences. These three Modes of Material Nature can only be established from their effects. Habits, taste and convictions originate from personal experiences with the external world comprised of the three Modes. Thus conviction is categorised as being in the mode of Goodness, Passion or Ignorance — now listen.