Shraddha (श्रद्धा)

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परिचयः ॥ Introduction

In Vivekachudamani, Sloka 25, Śrī Śankaracharya says:

“शास्त्रस्य गुरुवाक्यस्य सत्यबुद्ध्यवधारणम्। सत्यबुद्ध्यावधारणा सा श्रद्धा कथिता सद्भिर्यया वस्तूपलभ्यते॥”

Meaning, trust in Śāstra and in the words of Guru with truthful behavior performed with śrअddhā intern helps in the understanding of reality and the gain of desired results or objects.

Shraddha is the rudimentary stage of Bhakti. (Sri Shandilya Bhakti Sutras)

व्युत्पत्तिः ॥ Etymology

The term is derived from two Sanskrit roots: shrat meaning "truth," "heart" or "faithfulness," and dha, meaning "to direct one’s mind toward." (Yogapedia)

General Definition

can be associated with faith, trust, confidence, and loyalty. Sri Aurobindo describes Śraddhā as “the soul’s belief in the Divine’s existence, wisdom, power, love and grace.”

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

1) To confide, believe, put faith in (with acc. of thing); कः श्रद्धास्यति भूतार्थम् (kaḥ śraddhāsyati bhūtārtham) Mk.3.24; कामिन्यः श्रदधुरनार्जवं नरेषु (kāminyaḥ śradadhuranārjavaṃ nareṣu) Śi.8.11;9.69; U.7.6; श्रद्दधे त्रिदशगोप- मात्रके दाहशक्तिमिव कृष्णवर्त्मनि (śraddadhe tridaśagopa- mātrake dāhaśaktimiva kṛṣṇavartmani) R.11.42.

2) To consent, assent.

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा).—

1) Trust, faith, belief, confidence.

2) Belief in divine revelation, religious faith; श्रद्धा वित्तं विधिश्चेति त्रितयं तत्समागतम् (śraddhā vittaṃ vidhiśceti tritayaṃ tatsamāgatam) Ś.7.29; R.2.16; अयतिः श्रद्धयोपेतो योगात् चलितमानसः (ayatiḥ śraddhayopeto yogāt calitamānasaḥ) Bg.6.37;7.21;17.3.

3) Sedateness, composure of mind.

4) Intimacy, familiarity.

5) Respect, reverence.

6) Strong or vehement desire; तथापि वैचित्र्य- रहस्यलुब्धाः श्रद्धां विधास्यन्ति सचेतसोऽत्र (tathāpi vaicitrya- rahasyalubdhāḥ śraddhāṃ vidhāsyanti sacetaso'tra) Vikr.1.13; युद्धश्रद्धा- पुलकित इव प्राप्तसख्यः करेण (yuddhaśraddhā- pulakita iva prāptasakhyaḥ kareṇa) Mu.6.18.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा).—[adjective] trusting, faithful ([dative]).

— [feminine] ā trust, faith, belief in ([locative] or —°); fidelity, sincerity (also personif.); wish, desire, longing for ([locative], [accusative] [with] prati, infin., or —°); curiosity, whim, appetite.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

2) Śraddhā (श्रद्धा):—[=śrad-dhā]

4) Śraddhā (श्रद्धा):—[=śrad-√dhā] [from śrad] b [Parasmaipada] [Ātmanepada] -dadhāti, -dhatte ([present participle] śraddadhat, śrad-dadhāna; [Vedic or Veda] [infinitive mood] śraddhe cf. śrat above), to have faith or faithfulness, have belief or confidence, believe, be true or trustful (with na, ‘to disbelieve’ etc.), [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.;

—to credit, think anything true (two [accusative]), [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.;

—to believe or have faith in or be true to (with [dative case], and in later language with [genitive case] of thing or person, or with [locative case] of thing), [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.;

—to expect anything ([accusative]) from ([ablative]), [Mahābhārata];

—to consent, assent to, approve, welcome (with [accusative]; with na, ‘to disapprove’), [Kathāsaritsāgara];

—to be desirous of ([accusative]), wish to ([infinitive mood]), [ib.; Bhāgavata-purāṇa] :

—[Causal] -dhāpayati, to make faithful, render trustful, inspire confidence, [Ṛg-veda x, 151, 5.]

5) [from śrad] c f. faith, trust, confidence, trustfulness, faithfulness, belief in ([locative case] or [compound]; śraddhayā-√gam, ‘to believe in’, with [genitive case] [Divyāvadāna]), trust, confidence, loyalty (Faith or Faithfulnesses is often personified and in [Ṛg-veda x, 151] invoked as a deity; in [Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa] she is the daughter of Prajā-pati, and in [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa] of the Sun; in [Mahābhārata] she is the daughter of Dakṣa and wife of Dharma; in [Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa] she is the mother of Kāma, and in [Bhāgavata-purāṇa] the daughter of Kardama and wife of Aṅgiras or Manu), [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.

6) [v.s. ...] wish, desire (śraddhayā ind. ‘willingly, gladly’), longing for ([locative case] [accusative] with prati [infinitive mood], or [compound]), [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.

9) [v.s. ...] curiosity (śraddhām ākhyāhi nas tāvat, ‘just satisfy our curiosity and tell us’), [Kathāsaritsāgara]

10) [v.s. ...] purity, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

11) [v.s. ...] respect, reverence, [Horace H. Wilson]

12) [v.s. ...] calmness or composure of mind, [Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary]

13) [v.s. ...] intimacy, [ib.] (Wisdom library)

Types of Shraddha

सा त्रिविधा । यथा, -- श्रीभगवानुवाच । “त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा । सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु ॥ सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्व्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत । श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छद्धः स एव सः ॥ यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान् यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः । प्रेतान् भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥” इति श्रीभगवद्गीतायां १७ अध्यायः ॥ (Shabdakalpadruma)

Greatness of Shraddha

तस्याः प्रशंसा यथा, -- ब्रह्मोवाच । “श्रद्धापूर्व्वा इमे धर्म्माः श्रद्धा मध्यान्त- संस्थिताः । श्रद्धा नित्या प्रतिष्ठाश्च धर्म्माः श्रंद्धैव कीर्त्तिताः ॥ श्रुतिमात्ररसाः सूक्ष्माः प्रधानपुरुषेश्वराः । श्रद्धामात्रेण गृह्यन्ते न करेण न चक्षुषा ॥ कायक्लेशैर्न बहुभिस्तथवार्थस्य राशिभिः । धर्म्मः संप्राप्यते सूक्ष्मः श्रद्धाहीनैः सुरैरपि ॥ श्रद्धा धर्म्मः परः सूक्ष्मः श्रद्धा ज्ञानं हुतं तपः । श्रद्धा स्वर्गश्च मोक्षश्च श्रद्धा सर्व्वमिदं जगत् ॥ सर्व्वस्वं जीवितं वापि दद्यादश्रद्धया यदि । नाप्नुयात्तत्फलं किञ्चित् श्रद्धादानं ततो भवेत् ॥ एवं श्रद्धान्वयाः सर्वे सर्वधर्म्माः प्रकीर्त्तिताः । केशवः श्रद्धया गम्यो ध्येयः पूज्यश्च सर्वदा ॥” इति वह्निपुराणे धेनुदानमाहात्म्याध्यायः ॥ (Shabdakalpadruma)

In the Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita, in which Sri Krishna says, “shraddhavan labhate jnanam,” meaning “one with shraddha gains knowledge” - refers to a direct understanding of Divine truth, rather than belief through blind faith.

The Bhagavad Gita also says that a person is what their shraddha is, alluding to the notion that an individual's character or nature is what shapes their destiny. (Yogapedia)

In the Yoga Sutras

Yoga Sutra 1.20 states that "the practice of yoga begins with faith". The term shraddha is used to refer to faith in this context, suggesting that connecting to shraddha helps to build faith in oneself and one’s decisions. (Yogapedia)

In Vedanta

Source: Shodhganga: Siva Gita A Critical Study

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा) refers to “faith”.—Śraddhā is to believe in what you do not see and the reward is in seeing what you believed.

In Ayurveda

Source: gurumukhi.ru: Ayurveda glossary of terms

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा):—Desire

7) [v.s. ...] desire of eating, appetite, [Suśruta]

8) [v.s. ...] the longing of a pregnant woman, [Caraka]

(Wisdom library)

In Vaishnava Sampradaya

Source: Pure Bhakti: Bhagavad-gita (4th edition)

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा) refers to “faith in the statements of scripture awakened when one has accumulated pious devotional activities over many births or by the association and mercy of a pure Vaiṣṇava; the first manifestation of the creeper of devotion. The inner essence of the seed of śraddhā is the conception implanted within the disciple’s heart to serve Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in a particular capacity”.

Source: Pure Bhakti: Bhajana-rahasya - 2nd Edition

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा) refers to:—Faith in the statements of the śāstras which is awakened after accumulating pious devotional credits over many births.

Source: Pure Bhakti: Brhad Bhagavatamrtam

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा) refers to:—Faith; the firm conviction that all of one’s obligations will be fulfilled by performing kṛṣṇa-bhakti. (Wisdom library)

Shraddha as a Deity

in RV. x , 151 invoked as a deity

In the Brahmanas

in TBr. she is the daughter of प्रजा-पति, and in S3Br. of the Sun ;

In the Itihasa and Puranas

in MBh. she is the daughter of दक्षand wife of धर्म;

in Ma1rkP. she is the mother of काम, and in BhP. the daughter of कर्दमand wife of अङ्गिरस्or मनु) RV.

Dharmadeva had a son named kāma by śraddhā. (viṣṇu purāṇa, Part 1, Chapter 7).

ŚRADDHĀ IV . Daughter born to kardama prajāpati by Devahūti. She became the wife of aṅgiras. They had two sons, Utatthya and bṛhaspati and four daughters, sinīvālī, kuhū, rākā and anumati. (bhāgavata, 3rd skandha).

Wisdom library

Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

1) Śraddhā (श्रद्धा).—A daughter born to Dakṣa Prajāpati by his wife Praṣūti. Twentyfour daughters were born to them. Of them, thirteen were the wives of Dharmadeva including Śraddhā.

Dharmadeva had a son named Kāma by Śraddhā. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Part 1, Chapter 7).

2) Śraddhā (श्रद्धा).—Sūrya’s daughter. She had several other names such as, Vaivasvatī, Sāvitrī, Prasavitrī etc. (For more details, see under Sāvitrī I),

3) Śraddhā (श्रद्धा).—Wife of Vaivasvata Manu. (See under Vaivasvata Manu).

4) Śraddhā (श्रद्धा).—Daughter born to Kardama Prajāpati by Devahūti. She became the wife of Aṅgiras. They had two sons, Utatthya and Bṛhaspati and four daughters, Sinīvālī, Kuhū, Rākā and Anumati. (Bhāgavata, 3rd Skandha).

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा, “faith”) is one of the twenty-four daughters of Dakṣa by Prasūti: one of the three daughters of Svāyambhuvamanu and Śatarūpā, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.1.16:—“Dakṣa begot twenty-four daughters. Thirteen daughters Śraddhā etc. were given to Dharma in marriage by Dakṣa. O lordly sage, listen to the names of Dharma’s wives. Their names are [Śraddhā (faith),...]. Thereupon the entire universe consisting of three worlds, mobile and immobile was filled (with progeny). Thus according to their own actions and at the bidding of Śiva innumerable famous Brahmins were born out of the various living beings”.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Śraddhā (श्रद्धा).—A daughter of Kardama married to Angirasa. Mother of four daughters—Sinīvālī, Kuhū, Rākā and Anumatī and sons Utathya and Bṛhaspati.*

1b) A daughter of Dakṣa and wife of Dharma; mother of Śubha and Kāma.*

1c) A wife of Śrāddhadeva and mother of ten sons; observed payovrata and wanted the birth of a daughter. Ilā was born.*

2a) Śrāddha (श्राद्ध).—A son of Śatrughna, the son of Anādhṛṣṭhi.*

Source: Shodhganga: The saurapurana - a critical study

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा) refers to one of the daughters of Dakṣa and Prasūti: one of the two daughters of Manu-svāyaṃbhuva and Śatarūpā, according to the Vaṃśa (‘genealogical description’) of the 10th century Saurapurāṇa: one of the various Upapurāṇas depicting Śaivism.—Accordingly, Ākūti was married to Ruci and Prasūti to Dakṣa. Dakṣa produced in Prasūti twenty-four daughters. [...] [Dakṣa gave thirteen daughters Śraddhā and others to Dharma.]

References: Skanda Purana, Harivamsha, Markandeya Purana, Matsya Purana, Vishnu Purana (Wisdom library)

Śraddhā^1 (commonly translated as ‘Faith’), daughter of Daksha and wife of Dharma. § 115 (Aṃśāvat.): I, 66, 2578.

ŚRADDHĀ I . A daughter born to dakṣa prajāpati by his wife Praṣūti. Twentyfour daughters were born to them. Of them, thirteen were the wives of Dharmadeva including śraddhā.

ŚRADDHĀ II . Sūrya's daughter. She had several other names such as, Vaivasvatī, sāvitrī, Prasavitrī etc.

ŚRADDHĀ III . Wife of vaivasvata manu.

In Pancharatra Samhita

In the Pancharatra tradition, shraddha is one of the twenty-four emanations of Lakṣmī accompanying Nārāyaṇa. This particular manifestation couples with his counterpart form called Padmanābha and together they form the eleventh celestial couple. (Wisdom Library)

In Shakta Sampradaya

In Shakta philosophy, shraddha is one of the names attributed to Devī, as chanted by the Vedas in their hymns, who were at the time incarnated in their personified forms. (Devī-bhāgavata-purāṇa chapter 5.51-68, called “the narrative of Hayagrīva”.) (Wisdom library)

Śraddhā: Construct Definition from the Bhagavad-Gītā by Dharm P. S. Bhawuk

The analysis of Bhagavad Gita resulted in nine themes, and many behavioural outcomes of śraddhā such as not finding faults in others.

Jñāna or knowledge is seen as mediating between śraddhā and moksa or liberation. This relationship is moderated by tatparah (or eager engagement in the spiritual practice one has chosen) and samyatendriyah (or practicing self-restraint).

Śraddhā is considered as one of the highest virtues. It is a gift of the Supreme. It always bears fruits which carry over to the next life.

The highest quality of śraddhā is that of a devotee. From interpersonal perspective, śraddhā is an emotion one has for another person, a deity or śāstra (scriptural text or instructions in such texts that guide human behaviour).

Śraddhā reflects the basic nature of people. Absence of śraddhā causes all efforts to go in vain.

It is hoped that explication of the indigenous construct, śraddhā, will also enrich our understanding of adhyātma or spirituality.

In this article, the construct of śraddhā is derived from the Bhagavad-Gītā, a dialogue between Shri Krsna and Arjuna, which takes place in the Mahābhārata after Arjuna shares his quandary with him relating to fighting his kins.

Deriving the meaning of the construct of śraddhā from the Bhagavad-Gītā.

Śraddhā appears in the Bhagavad-Gītā 17 times in 15 verses of eight cantos, specifically, 3.31, 4.39, 6.37, 6.47, 7.21 (twice), 7.22, 9.23, 12.2, 12.20, 17.1, 17.2, 17.3 (twice), 17.13, 17.17 and 18.71.

The opposite of śraddhā, which is aśraddhā, also appears four times in three cantos, specifically in verses, 4.40, 9.3, 17.13 (as a compound word, śraddhā virahitam or without śraddhā) and 17.28.

In Canto 17, śraddhā is defined with respect to the three gunas (quality or innate tendencies) of sāmkhya darśana or philosophy.

Further, śraddhā is also used to explicate other constructs like yajña, tapas (austerities), dāna (charity) and karma (action), thus highlighting the importance of this construct in understanding Indian worldview and psychology.

The analyses of śraddhā gave eight themes, and the analysis of aśraddhā gave one theme. The nine themes derived from the analyses of the 19 verses from the Bhagavad-Gītā are presented in the next section.

Śraddhā: Not finding faults

In verse 3.313, Krsna tells Arjuna that those people who always follow Krsna’s directive (given in verse 3.30), who have śraddhā in him (śraddhāvantah) and who are not jealous of him (anasuyantah), become free of the bondage of karma. In this verse, Krsna contrasts śraddhā with asūya (envy, jealousy or indignation caused by happiness of others), illustrating that when we have śraddhā for someone, we do not find fault with that person or envy the achievements of that person. Thus, śraddhā is associated with ansūya (absence of envy/jealousy), and a behavioural outcome of śraddhā is not finding faults in others. This has implications for practice in that spiritual practitioners should cultivate śraddhā and ansūya. Thus, śraddhā can be viewed as the fruition of not harbouring asūya or jealousy for anyone, thus breaking the boundaries between self and others.

Śraddhā and moksa

In verse 4.394, Krsna tells Arjuna that a person who has śraddhā, is eagerly engaged in the spiritual practice that one has chosen, is in control of his or her senses and achieves jñāna or knowledge of the self. In a spiritual journey, one has to be eagerly engaged in the practice one has selected, and the effort must lead to control of the senses. However, without śraddhā, all the effort and control of senses go in vain. Śraddhā is considered a necessary condition for spiritual practices. Ādi Śankar emphasises in his commentary that external practices can be performed by even fraudulent or deceitful people, but such practices would not lead to knowledge. He indicates that śraddhā is an internal quality.

The importance of śraddhā for the practice of spirituality is clearly laid out in this verse. The second line of the verse points out to the consequence of achieving jñāna—one immediately achieves unparalleled or supreme peace, which is interpreted as moksa by Ādi Śankar. Thus, we see in this verse a model where śraddhā is seen as the antecedent of jñāna. However, this relationship is moderated by tatparah or eager engagement in a spiritual practice and samyatendriyah or practice of self-restraint5. Jñāna (or knowledge) mediates between śraddhā (reverence) and moksa or liberation. Since moksa is the highest pursuit of life in India (the other three are: dharma or duty, artha or wealth and kāma or pleasure), śraddhā occupies an important place in the worldview of Indians.

In verse 18.716, Krsna tells Arjuna that those who have śraddhā and are also not envious (ansūyah), even by listening to the dialogue (in the Bhagavad-Gītā), definitely become free and go to auspicious places (beyond earth) because of their meritorious karma or actions. In this and the previous verse (18.70), Krsna emphasises the merit of studying the Bhagavad-Gītā, and in doing so employs śraddhā and ansūya (absence of envy) as the two virtues. It builds on what is presented earlier in the analysis of verse 3.31, where ansūya was also emphasised along with śraddhā. Thus, the importance of śraddhā is emphasised for achieving moksa, which is one of the four purusārthas or life pursuits prescribed for the Indians. It should also be noted that people can have śraddhā for texts like the Bhagavad-Gītā.

Śraddhā: The highest of virtues with everlasting outcomes

The question Arjuna asks of Krsna in verse 6.377 is one of the many important questions he asks in the Bhagavad-Gītā. He asks Krsna what happens ultimately to the person who has śraddhā but fails to make the necessary effort. This question builds on verse 4.39, though after many things have been explained in between. In verse 4.39 śraddhā was presented as necessary condition for achieving jñāna, and it is in this context that Arjuna asks Krsna about what happens when śraddhā is present but one does not succeed in the path of spirituality because of unsteady manas or mind8. In verses 6.39–6.47, Krsna explains that nothing is lost for the person who has śraddhā and who has made some effort. Such a person picks up in the next life from the same state that he or she has been in the present life; that is, no merit is lost in transitioning to a new life. Thus, śraddhā is not only the necessary condition, but always bears fruits that are never lost.

In verse 6.47,9 Krsna eulogises śraddhā as the highest virtue and says that even among yogins (practitioners of yoga) the best is one who chants the name of Krsna surrendering with śraddhā. It can be seen that śraddhā is a bhāva (or emotion) that one has for another person, and it is often expressed as—I have śraddhā for X (where X is a target person, or a text as noted earlier). Considering that Krsna is considered God personified, śraddhā is something that one has for God. Thus, śraddhā is one of the highest virtues, and it bears fruits that do not diminish in value with rebirth.

Śraddhā: A divine grace

In verse 7.21,10 Krsna tells Arjuna that any devotee who wants to worship with śraddhā, whatever form of deity it may be, Krsna bestows acalam or unflinching śraddhā to that devotee so that he or she can worship that deity. There are two points to be noted in this verse. First, Krsna does not discriminate among devotees who have śraddhā; they can worship whichever form of deity they want to. In other words, we are free to choose the spiritual practice, and Krsna endows us with the necessary śraddhā, based on what we bring to the practice. Second, Krsna blesses people who have śraddhā. In other words, śraddhā shown by human beings begets divine śraddhā or śraddhā from Krsna.

Verse 7.2211 continues from the previous one, and Krsna states that when the devotee worships the deity of his or her choice with the divine śraddhā provided by Krsna, his or her desires are fulfilled by Krsna himself. Therefore, śraddhā is not only something that brings one to Krsna but also continues to bring the blessings of Krsna to the devotees, whoever and however they worship. Thus, śraddhā is a gift of God, or a divine grace.

Śraddhā: Always bears fruits

In verse 9.23,12 Krsna tells Arjuna that those devotees who worship other devas (Śiva, Indra, Rudra and so forth) with śraddhā are still worshipping Krsna, albeit not following proper procedure. This verse elaborates on the ideas presented in verses 7.21 and 7.22, and states that even if śraddhā is placed in other deities, and not Krsna, such ‘misplaced’ śraddhā is still placed in him. Thus, śraddhā never gets misplaced and always bears fruit.

This verse is in effect similar to verse 2.40,13 where Krsna proclaims that effort invested in the practice of karmayoga (a spiritual practice in which action is emphasised without attachment to rewards also called niskāma karma), one of the practices of spirituality, neither suffers a loss, nor is there an adverse effect; and even a little bit of practice helps a person to get over his or her biggest of fears. Thus, śraddhā is integral to the procedure that makes efforts bear fruit in the practice of spirituality.

Devotees’ śraddhā: The highest

In verse 12.2,14 Krsna tells Arjuna that the best spiritual practitioner is one who fixes his or her mind on Krsna and is always engaged in worshipping Krsna with deep śraddhā. This verse is in response to Arjuna’s question about who is a better spiritual practitioner, one who follows bhaktiyoga or the path of devotion, or one who follows jñānayoga or the path of knowledge. Since śraddhā is used to characterise bhaktiyoga, its relevance to both the paths of knowledge, as noted earlier in verse 4.39, śraddhāvān labhate jñānam (only those who have śraddhā obtain knowledge) and devotion (as noted in verse 12.2) is unequivocal.

Canto 12 of the Bhagavad-Gītā is called bhaktiyoga, and in verse 12.2 Krsna firmly states that the path of devotion is superior to the path of knowledge and uses śraddhā to define devotion. Further, in the concluding verse Krsna employs śraddhā again to describe the person that is dearest to him. Thus, śraddhā is what describes a spiritual practitioner, both who practices bhaktiyoga or the path of devotion and jñānayoga or the path of knowledge.

Śraddhā: For person, deity or śāstra

Confused about his duty, when Arjuna was inclined to act in a cowardly manner, he surrenders to Krsna as a student, which is captured in verse 2.7.15 He beseeches Krsna to instruct him firmly to do what was best for him. This reflects the śraddhā one places in another person, especially a guru or teacher. At the end of the Bhagavad-Gītā in verse 18.73,16 Arjuna tells Krsna that by Krsna’s grace his confusion was dispelled, he was free of doubts and he had gained his discriminatory faculty. Further, Arjuna tells Krsna that he was ready to follow his instructions. This shows that a student surrenders to his or her teacher, listens to the instructions and carries out the instructions of the teacher. This is showing śraddhā to a person. Thus, śraddhā is an emotion that a student has for a teacher. It should also be noted that people can have śraddhā for any of the various Hindu deities as noted in verse 7.21 presented in section four earlier. In other words, śraddhā is needed in worshipping a deity or pursuing any spiritual practice. Thus, śraddhā is also an emotion one has for a deity.

In verses 12.13–12.19 many attributes like being in a balanced state, not having any negative feeling towards other beings, always being content with whatever comes one’s way, and so forth, are presented to characterise devotees who are dear to Krsna. In the concluding verse of the Canto (12.2017) another quality that is highlighted is that devotees who worship Krsna by surrendering to him with deep śraddhā, and follow the dhārmika or pious and nectar-like (amrta-like) instructions meticulously are dearest to Him. Such instructions refer to what is stated in śāstras or scriptures. What is meant here is that it is not enough to have śraddhā for a person, deity or God but an individual needs to have it also in śāstra (or scriptural text) that guide human behaviour.

Śraddhā shapes a person

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.