Shloka 17
Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga — Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga
श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः । अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ॥ १७.१७ ॥
śraddhayā parayā taptaṁ tapas tat tri-vidhaṁ naraiḥ | aphalākāṅkṣibhir yuktaiḥ sāttvikaṁ paricakṣate || 17.17 ||
ตบะสามประการนั้น ซึ่งผู้มีวินัยปฏิบัติด้วยศรัทธาอันยิ่ง โดยไม่ปรารถนาผลตอบแทน เรียกว่า “สาตตวิกะ”
That threefold austerity practiced with supreme faith by disciplined persons, without desire for reward, is called sāttvika.
That threefold tapas, performed with highest faith by those who are integrated (yukta) and who do not desire results, is termed sāttvika by people.
Key differences are interpretive: yुक्त (yukta) is variously “self-controlled,” “steadfast,” or “integrated,” and परया श्रद्धया may be “supreme faith” or “wholehearted conviction,” shaping whether the focus is devotional faith, ethical sincerity, or psychological commitment.
FAQs
The verse links healthy discipline to intrinsic motivation: practice sustained by conviction and self-regulation rather than external rewards, which tends to reduce anxiety about outcomes.
Sāttvika tapas is presented as supportive of liberation-oriented aims because it minimizes egoic appropriation of practice and aligns conduct with clarity (sattva).
It marks the transition from defining tapas to evaluating it by guṇa, emphasizing intention (result-seeking vs. non-result-seeking) as the decisive criterion.
One can apply it by committing to disciplined habits (study, service, meditation) for their formative value rather than for status, praise, or immediate payoff.