| Arjuna. If men forsake the holy ordinance,
Heedless of Shastras, yet keep faith at heart And worship, what shall be the state of those,
Great Krishna! Sattwan, Rajas, Tamas? Say!
Krishna. Threefold the faith is of mankind, and springs
From those three qualities,- becoming "true," Or "passion-stained," or "dark," as thou
shalt hear! The faith of each believer, Indian
Prince! Conforms itself to what he truly is. Where thou shalt see a worshipper, that one
To what he worships lives assimilate, [Such as the shrine, so is the
votary,]
The "soothfast" souls adore true
gods; the souls Obeying Rajas worship Rakshasas Or Yakshas; and the men of Darkness pray
To Pretas and to Bhutas.
Yea, and those Who practise bitter penance, not enjoined
By rightful rule- penance which hath its root In self-sufficient, proud hypocrisies-
Those men, passion-beset, violent, wild, Torturing- the witless ones- My
elements Shut in fair company within their flesh, (Nay, Me myself, present within the flesh!)
Know them to devils devoted, not to Heaven!
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