śraddhayā parayā taptaḿ
tapas tat tri-vidhaḿ naraiḥ
aphalākāńkṣibhir yuktaiḥ
sāttvikaḿ paricakṣate
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 17.17
This threefold austerity, performed with transcendental faith by men not expecting material benefits but engaged only for the sake of the Supreme, is called austerity in goodness.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
No commentary by Srila Prabhupada.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
The three types of austerity are those of body, words, and mind (tat tri vidham).
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
17.17 The threefold austerity practised with supreme faith through the body, speech and mind by men who have no thoughts of any reward and who are devoted, viz., are imbued with the thought that it is the worship of the Supreme Person, they call such austerity as Sattvika.
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
Thus the tapah or austerities performed through the physical body, speech and the mind have been delineated by Lord Krishna. These threefold austerities when practiced without any desire for reward or compensation with great faith and steadfast determination by those devoted to bhakti or exclusive loving devotion to the Supreme Lord are situated completely in sattva guna the mode of goodness.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
The three fold divisions of austerity of the physical body, speech and the mind has been delineated by Lord Krishna based on the quality of sattva guna the mode of goodness. Those who expect no rewards or enumeration in return who perform the aforementioned austerities with great faith and steadfast determination in Lord Krishna, adhering to the absolute authority of the Vedic scriptures are situated in sattva guna.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
17.17 When tat, that; trividham, threefold-based on three factors; tapah, austerity, which is being discussed; is taptam, undertaken, practised; paraya, with supreme, with the highest; sraddhaya, faith, belief in God and the other world; naraih, by people, by its performers; aphala-akanksibhih, who do not hanker after results,who are devoid of desire for results; and yuktaih, who are self-controlled;-that austerity which is of this kind, the noble people paricaksate, speak of it; as sattvikam, born of sattva.
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
17.17-19 Sraddhaya etc. upto tamasam udahrtam. There is faith in all the three-fold austerity. the faith of a man of the Sattva is full of austerity itself. The faith of a man of the Rajas is in the Rajas i.e, showing (or hyprocricy) etc. But, the faith (or desire) of a man well established in the Tamas is merely in ruining others. Thus the sage speaks of all the three-fold austerity practised with faith.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
sraddhaya paraya taptam
tapas tat tri-vidham naraih
aphalakanksibhir yuktaih
sattvikam paricaksate
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
śraddhayā — with faith; parayā — transcendental; taptam — executed; tapaḥ — austerity; tat — that; tri-vidham — of three kinds; naraiḥ — by men; aphala-ākāńkṣibhiḥ — who are without desires for fruits; yuktaiḥ — engaged; sāttvikam — in the mode of goodness; paricakṣate — is called.
