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→Śraddhā: Construct Definition from the Bhagavad-Gītā by Dharm P. S. Bhawuk: Collecting content - to be edited
In verse 17.118Arjuna says to Krsna, “People who do not follow the method given in śāstras or scriptures, but worship with śraddhā, what is their nature? Are they sāttvika (calmness or illumination), rājasika (or dynamism), or tāmasika (or inertia)?” This question allows us to synthesise the three gunas as enunciated in sān˙khya darśana with śraddhā. In verse 17.2,19 Krsna tells Arjuna that śraddhā is of three types, sāttvika, rājasika and tāmasika, and it depends on the inner nature of a person, thus providing the typology of śraddhā from the perspective of sān˙khya philosophy. In verse 17.3,20 Krsna tells Arjuna that śraddhā reflects the basic nature of people, and whatever is the nature of śraddhā of a person, so becomes that person. Śraddhā is used twice in this verse, and it captures two important points. First, śraddhā reflects the basic nature of people. And second, people are the personification of śraddhā.
In verse 17.118Arjuna says to Krsna, “People who do not follow the method given in śāstras or scriptures, but worship with śraddhā, what is their nature? Are they sāttvika (calmness or illumination), rājasika (or dynamism), or tāmasika (or inertia)?” This question allows us to synthesise the three gunas as enunciated in sān˙khya darśana with śraddhā. In verse 17.2,19 Krsna tells Arjuna that śraddhā is of three types, sāttvika, rājasika and tāmasika, and it depends on the inner nature of a person, thus providing the typology of śraddhā from the perspective of sān˙khya philosophy. In verse 17.3,20 Krsna tells Arjuna that śraddhā reflects the basic nature of people, and whatever is the nature of śraddhā of a person, so becomes that person. Śraddhā is used twice in this verse, and it captures two important points. First, śraddhā reflects the basic nature of people. And second, people are the personification of śraddhā.
People with sāttvika śraddhā worship deities, those with rājasika śraddhā worship lesser deities, and those with tāmasika śraddhā worship evil spirits.21 Based on one’s śraddhā and inherent qualities, one not only chooses what one eats but also the kind of yajña, tapas, and dāna one performs.<ref>Dharm P. S. Bhawuk, [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0971333620906758 Sraddha: Construct Definition from the Bhagavad-Gita], SAGE Journals, Volume 32, Issue 1.</ref>
People with sāttvika śraddhā worship deities, those with rājasika śraddhā worship lesser deities, and those with tāmasika śraddhā worship evil spirits.21 Based on one’s śraddhā and inherent qualities, one not only chooses what one eats but also the kind of yajña, tapas, and dāna one performs.
=== Absence of śraddhā: Making everything inauspicious ===
In verse 4.4022 Krsna tells Arjuna that those who are ignorant, without śraddhā, and sceptical are ruined, completely lose out on achievements both in this world and beyond, and also do not find happiness. In this verse, absence of śraddhā is equated to lack of knowledge. Verse 4.39 also states that only those who have śraddhā obtain knowledge (śraddhāvān labhate jñānam). Further, absence of śraddhā is equated to being sceptical, and śraddhā is also presented as a precondition of happiness.
In verse 9.3,23 Krsna tells Arjuna that people without śraddhā in the teachings of Krsna go through the cycle of life and death without attaining moksa. Verses 17.11, 17.12 and 17.13, point out to three types of yajñas or sacrifices. In verse 17.1324 Krsna tells Arjuna that a yajña is in the nature of tāmasika if it is performed without śraddhā, without mantra, without daksinā or remuneration to the priests, without prasādam or food offerings to people attending the yajña, or without following proper procedure laid out in the śāstras. Thus, this verse is both a prohibition against performing yajña without śraddhā, and an instruction for performing yajña with śraddhā.
In verse 17.28,25 Krsna tells Arjuna that not only yajña, but dāna, tapas, and karma also performed without śraddhā are said to be without truth and bear no fruit in this world or beyond. In verses 17.2626 and 17.27,27 the word sat, as it is used in om tatsat, means auspicious, and means that brahman is truth (verse 17.2328). It is also stated that yajña, dāna, tapas, and karma are auspicious and must always be performed (see verses 18.329 and 18.530). When performed without śraddhā these become asat or inauspicious. It is the presence of śraddhā that makes them virtuous. - Śraddhā as the Foundation of Yajña, Dāna, Tapas, and Karma.
=== Discussion ===
The two Samskrt dictionaries by Monier-William and Apte provide the following meaning of the word śraddhā: faith, trust, confidence, trustfulness, faithfulness, belief, wish, desire, willingly, gladly, curiosity (śraddhā mākhyāhinastāvat or just satisfy our curiosity and tell us), purity, respect, reverence, calmness or composure of mind, to consent, assent to, approve and welcome (with na, ‘to disapprove’).
Śraddhā can be of several types. According to the Bhagavad Gītā, the śraddhā of a devotee following the path of devotion is of the highest type. It is clear that śraddhā occupies a central place in whatever path of spirituality is followed. Also śraddhā is the antecedent of jñāna, and the relationship between śraddhā and jñāna is moderated by tatparah (or eager engagement in a practice) and samyatendriyah (or practicing selfrestraint). The value of an individual’s effort who is on the path of spirituality is not lost either. Further, as jñāna acts as a mediator between śraddhā and moksa (or liberation), śraddhā becomes an instrument of moksa, the highest life pursuit of humans in the Indian worldview, the other three being dharma or duty, artha or wealth, and kāma or pleasure. Such a complex understanding cannot be captured by single word translations of the construct of śraddhā in English or other languages;
According to the Bhagavad-Gītā, one must always perform yajña, dāna, tapas, and karma. When one gives away something (dāna), one may suffer some loss but that may be considered tyāga or sacrifice, which is considered a kind of tapas. Considering the complex relationship between dāna and tapas, I would like to propose that dāna and tapas are interrelated constructs and can be visualised as occupying a common semantic space. In a similar fashion, all activities (karma) done for lokasamgraha or for the good of people too may be considered sacrifice or tapas. All karma, dāna, and tapas done with niskāmabhāva or without attachment to the rewards from the expected outcomes are considered sāttvika acts. They are part of a sāttvika yajña, and constitute components of a spiritual practice. Thus, dāna and tapas, karma and tapas, karma and yajña, dāna and yajña and tapas and yajña are pairs of constructs that not only intercorrelate but also share common semantic spaces. What is central to all the activities is that if yajña, dāna, tapas and karma are performed with śraddhā, it makes these four activities part of sat or truth. Its absence makes them go futile as they lose their relationships. Thus, śraddhā occupies a central position in the nomological network of yajña, dāna, tapas and karma.
Śraddhā reflects the basic nature of people and a person may be seen more or less as personification of śraddhā. It expresses itself in very different kinds of behaviours that people engage in. For example, many people in India go to temples like the one at Guruvāyura, but depending on their śraddhā, each acts differently. Some go around the temple by walking at normal pace; others walk slowly, foot-to-foot, much like a mindful walk; and yet others roll over sideways in going around the temple. Similarly, in Lhasa, people prostrate in front of temples hundreds of time or go around the temple by prostrating, depending upon their śraddhā. This perhaps illustrates how śraddhā captures the basic nature of people.
In the West, optimists are those who have a positive attitude and find the proverbial glass as half full. They are known to find opportunities even in difficult and dire situations. Contrary to them, pessimists see the glass as half empty, and are often cynical and unwilling to work through challenges to bring about changes in their own personal lives, organisations or societies. It may be considered that such basic nature of the optimists or pessimists reflects śraddhā of the person in self, others, society and the Divine. I believe that śraddhā may be used as a foundational construct for understanding both positive and negative psychologies.
From interpersonal perspective it was found that śraddhā is an emotion that one has for another person. For example, a śraddhāvan student, much like Arjuna did to Krsna, follows the instructions of a teacher by surrendering to him or her. The teacher fulfils the student’s wish for knowledge and provides necessary instructions to guide him or her to perform his or her duty. The characteristics of śraddhā-based exchange between a teacher and a student will also apply to all superior–subordinate dyads like parent–child, older–brother–younger–brother and so forth. The same dynamics is likely to be at play between a person and his or her deity or God. Since śāstras or scriptural texts, which provide instructions in guiding human behaviour, they too are treated in the same manner by a śraddhāvan individual.
It was noted that though individual effort moderates the relation between śraddhā and liberation, śraddhā is also considered a gift of God or divine grace. Such grace of God that appears as śraddhā can be seen reflected in the daily interactions of spiritual practitioners. For example, a spiritual practitioner’s harmonising behaviour is likely to emerge from his or her neutrality towards all, and not viewing people (or contexts) in terms of dichotomies like friend or enemy, good or bad, favourable or antagonistic, and so forth. Thus, the construct of śraddhā can be employed to examine how social entrepreneurs can possibly effect social change.
In view of the above, it appears that śraddhā is a unique Indian indigenous construct that needs to be studied to help us understand not only the psychology of Indian people but also of people in societies which are similarly inclined. Understanding śraddhā is also likely to help us understand other major constructs. It should also help us understand interpersonal relationships, since śraddhā is the foundation of many relationships, which hitherto has been neglected by researchers. It is hoped that the thick description of the construct of śraddhā and the proposed nomological network will contribute to both Indian and global psychologies, and stimulate both basic and applied research.<ref>Dharm P. S. Bhawuk, [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0971333620906758 Sraddha: Construct Definition from the Bhagavad-Gita], SAGE Journals, Volume 32, Issue 1.</ref>
== References ==
== References ==
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