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  "work": {
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    "name": "Bhagavad Gita"
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  "chapter": {
    "num": 17,
    "slug": "17-discourse-17-the-yoga-of-the-threefold-faith",
    "title": "Discourse 17: The Yoga of the Threefold Faith",
    "of": 18,
    "words": 734,
    "text": "## Discourse 17: The Yoga of the Threefold Faith\n\n\nVerse 17:1: Arjuna said: Those that sacrifice full of faith, but casting aside the ordinances of \nthe Scriptures, what is verily their condition, O Krishna? Is it one of Purity, Passion, or \nDarkness? \n\nVerse 17:2: The Blessed Lord said: Threefold is by nature the inborn faith of the embodied \n— pure, passionate, and dark. Hear thou of these. \n\nVerse 17:3: The faith of each is shaped to his own nature, O Bharata. The man consists of \nhis faith; that which his faith is, he is even that. \n\nVerse 17:4: Pure men worship the Gods; the passionate, the gnomes and giants; the others, \nthe dark folk, worship ghosts and troops of nature spirits. \n\nVerse 17:5: The men who perform severe austerities, unenjoined by the Scriptures, wedded \nto vanity and egoism, impelled by the force of their desires and passions, \n\nVerse 17:6: Unintelligent, tormenting the aggregated elements forming the body, and Me \nalso, seated in the inner body, know these demoniacal in their resolves. \n\nVerse 17:7: The food also which is dear to each is threefold, as also sacrifice, austerity and \nalmsgiving. Hear thou the distinction of these. \n\nVerse 17:8: The foods that augment vitality, energy, vigour, health, joy and cheerfulness, \ndelicious, bland, substantial and agreeable, are dear to the pure. \n\nVerse 17:9: The passionate desire foods that are bitter, sour, saline, over-hot, pungent, dry \nand burning and which produce pain, grief and sickness. \n\nVerse 17:10: That which is stale and flat, putrid and corrupt, leavings also and unclean, is \nthe food dear to the dark. \n\nVerse 17:11: The sacrifice which is offered by men without desire for fruit, as enjoined by \nthe ordinances, under the firm belief that sacrifice is a duty, that is pure. \n\nVerse 17:12: The sacrifice offered with a view verily to fruit, and also indeed for self- \nglorification, O best of the Bharatas; know thou that to be of passion. \n\nVerse 17:13: The sacrifice contrary to the ordinances, without distributing food, devoid of \nwords of power and without gifts, empty of faith, is said to be of darkness. \n\nVerse 17:14: Worship given to the Gods, to the twice-born, to the teachers and to the wise, \npurity, straightforwardness, continence and harmlessness, are called the austerity of the \nbody. \n\nVerse 17:15: Speech causing no annoyance, truthful, pleasant and beneficial, the practice of \nthe study of the Scriptures, are called the austerity of speech. \n\nVerse 17:16: Mental happiness, equilibrium, silence, self-control, purity of nature—this is \ncalled the austerity of the mind. \n\nVerse 17:17: This threefold austerity, performed by men with the utmost faith, without \ndesire for fruit, harmonised, is said to be pure. \n\nVerse 17:18: The austerity which is practised with the object of gaining respect, honour and \nworship, and for ostentation, is said to be of passion, unstable and fleeting. \n\nVerse 17:19: That austerity done under a deluded understanding, with self-torture, or with \nthe object of destroying another, that is declared of darkness. \n\nVerse 17:20: That alms given to one who does nothing in return, believing that a gift ought \nto be made in a fit place and time to a worthy person, that alms is accounted pure. \n\nVerse 17:21: That given with a view to receiving in return, or looking for fruit again, or \ngrudgingly, that alms is accounted of passion. \n\nVerse 17:22: That alms given at unfit place and time, and to unworthy persons, \ndisrespectfully and contemptuously, that is declared of darkness. \n\nVerse 17:23: \"AUM TAT SAT,\" this has been considered to be the threefold designation of \nthe Eternal. By that were ordained of old Brahmanas, Vedas and sacrifices. \n\nVerse 17:24: Therefore with the pronunciation of \"AUM\" the acts of sacrifice, gift and \nausterity as laid down in the ordinances are always commenced by the knowers of the \nEternal. \n\nVerse 17:25: With the pronunciation of \"TAT\" and without aiming at fruit are performed the \nvarious acts of sacrifice, austerity and gift, by those desiring liberation. \n\nVerse 17:26: \"SAT\" is used in the sense of reality and goodness; likewise, O Partha, the \nword \"SAT\" is used in the sense of a good work. \n\nVerse 17:27: Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity and gift is also called \"SAT\", and an action \nfor the sake of the Supreme is also named \"SAT\". \n\nVerse 17:28: Whatsoever is wrought without faith, oblation, gift, austerity, or other deed, \n\"ASAT\" it is called, O Partha; it is nought, here or hereafter.",
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    "license": null,
    "methodology_url": null
  }
}