Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17 Verse 1

Gita 17.1

ये, शास्त्रविधिम्, उत्सृृज्य, यजन्ते, श्रद्धया, अन्विताः,
तेषाम्, निष्ठा, तु, का, कृष्ण, सत्त्वम्, आहो, रजः, तमः।।1।।

Gita 17.1

(Arjun said)

Ye, shastrvidhim’, utsrjya, yajante, shraddhya, anvitaH,
Teshaam’, nishtha, tu, ka, Krishna, Sattvam’, aaho, RajH, TamH ||1||

(Arjun uvaach)

Translation: (Krishna) O Krishna! (ye) those who (shastrvidhim’) ordinances of the scriptures (utsrjya) abandoning (shraddhya) with faith (anvitaH) endowed with (yajante) worship the demi-gods etc (teshaam’) their (nishtha) state (tu) then (ka) what (Sattvam’) is Satvik (aaho) or (RajH) Rajsi (TamH) Tamsi? (1)

Translation: O Krishna! Those who, abandoning the ordinances of the scriptures, worship the demigods etc with faith, what is their state then, Satvik, Rajsi or Tamsi?

Important: - In Gita Chapter 17 from Verse 2 to 22, there is description of the religious practices performed by those devotees, who abandoning the ordinances of the scriptures, act arbitrarily i.e. worship according to their nature, which has been described as useless in Gita Gita Chapter 16 Verse 23-24. For this reason only, Arjun has enquired in this Gita Chapter 17’s aforesaid Verse 1. In its answer, God has said that whatever nature a devotee had in his previous human birth, he acquires the same nature whenever he attains a human birth again. He does not agree even when advised; know him to be of demoniac nature. The description of such worshippers is given with full explanation in Gita Gita Chapter 7 Verse 12 to 15. Its evidence is clearly given in Gita Gita Chapter 8 Verse 5-6. In this Gita Chapter 17 from Verse 2 to 22, although there is description of the comparison between one-another; however, it is still opposite to the injunctions of the scriptures. Because of which, it is not meritorious. In this Gita Chapter 17 from Verse 23 to the last Verse 28, there is description of the attainment of the Purna Parmatma (Complete God) for which there is a special evidence in Gita Gita Chapter 4 Verse 34 and Gita Chapter 15 Verse 1 to 4.