ABSTRACT
CHAPTER XVII 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 P Say ! Krishna. Threefold the faith is of mankind, and springsFrom 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 1 Or Yakshas ; and the men of Darkness pray To Pretas and to Bhutas.1 2 Yea, and those Who practise bitter penance, not enjoined By rightful rule-penance which hath its root In self-sufficient, proud hypocrisies1 Rakshasas and Yakshas are unembodied but capricious beings of great power, gifts, and beauty, sometimes also of benignity.2 These are spirits of evil, wandering ghosts.97
