Shraddha (श्रद्धा)

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Shraddha (Samskrit: श्रद्धा) as a concept broadly refers to firm belief towards a deity, person or shastra. As a quality, it is described as the rudimentary stage of Bhakti. Shraddha is also a deity in the Rgveda. And is seen personified across Vedic literature from the Brahmanas, to the Itihasas and Puranas. This article explores the different facets of Shraddha from the Vedas to the Puranas.

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

The term Shraddha is explained in Apte's Sanskrit dictionary with the following words:

"to believe, put faith in, trust, respect, revere or desire something"

It also refers to,

• a state of calmness or composure of the mind
• a firm belief in divine revelation

Simply put, Shraddha is an emotion one has for a deity, person or shastra (any scriptural text or injunctions that guide human behaviour). It is the ability or quality to believe in what one does not see and its reward is in seeing what was believed in. It is infact, considered as one of the highest virtues; a gift of the Supreme Being that always bears fruits which carry over to the next life as well.

The highest quality of shraddha is said to be that of a devotee. It reflects the firm conviction of a bhakta that all of one’s obligations will be fulfilled by adhering to the path of bhakti. And by accumulating pious devotional activities over many births or by associating with a pure bhakta, one's Shraddha in the statements of Shastras is awakened. And hence, Shraddha is referred to as the first manifestation of the creeper of devotion.

Also, it is said that Shraddha reflects the basic nature of people. And an absence of Shraddha causes all efforts to go in vain. The Bhagavad Gita, in Chapter 17 (Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga), explains this indigenous concept of Shraddha with respect to the three gunas (quality or innate tendencies) of Samkhya darshana or philosophy namely, Sattva, rajas and tamas; an understanding of which enriches in general, the understanding of bharatiya adhyatmata.

श्रद्धायाः महत्त्वम् ॥ Greatness of Shraddha

The Samskrit dictionary, Shabdakalpadruma, quotes the greatness of Shraddha as enumerated in the Adhyaya named 'Dhenu-dana Mahatmya' from the Agni Purana as follows,

तस्याः प्रशंसा यथा, -- ब्रह्मोवाच । “श्रद्धापूर्वा इमे धर्माः श्रद्धा मध्यान्त-संस्थिताः । श्रद्धा नित्या प्रतिष्ठाश्च धर्माः श्रंद्धैव कीर्त्तिताः ॥ श्रुतिमात्ररसाः सूक्ष्माः प्रधानपुरुषेश्वराः । श्रद्धामात्रेण गृह्यन्ते न करेण न चक्षुषा ॥ कायक्लेशैर्न बहुभिस्तथवार्थस्य राशिभिः । धर्मः संप्राप्यते सूक्ष्मः श्रद्धाहीनैः सुरैरपि ॥ श्रद्धा धर्मः परः सूक्ष्मः श्रद्धा ज्ञानं हुतं तपः । श्रद्धा स्वर्गश्च मोक्षश्च श्रद्धा सर्वमिदं जगत् ॥ सर्वस्वं जीवितं वापि दद्यादश्रद्धया यदि । नाप्नुयात्तत्फलं किञ्चित् श्रद्धादानं ततो भवेत् ॥ एवं श्रद्धान्वयाः सर्वे सर्वधर्माः प्रकीर्त्तिताः । केशवः श्रद्धया गम्यो ध्येयः पूज्यश्च सर्वदा ॥” इति वह्निपुराणे धेनुदानमाहात्म्याध्यायः ॥ tasyāḥ praśaṁsā yathā, -- brahmovāca । "śraddhāpūrvā ime dharmāḥ śraddhā madhyānta-saṁsthitāḥ । śraddhā nityā pratiṣṭhāśca dharmāḥ śraṁddhaiva kīrttitāḥ ॥ śrutimātrarasāḥ sūkṣmāḥ pradhānapuruṣeśvarāḥ । śraddhāmātreṇa gr̥hyante na kareṇa na cakṣuṣā ॥ kāyakleśairna bahubhistathavārthasya rāśibhiḥ । dharmaḥ saṁprāpyate sūkṣmaḥ śraddhāhīnaiḥ surairapi ॥ śraddhā dharmaḥ paraḥ sūkṣmaḥ śraddhā jñānaṁ hutaṁ tapaḥ । śraddhā svargaśca mokṣaśca śraddhā sarvamidaṁ jagat ॥ sarvasvaṁ jīvitaṁ vāpi dadyādaśraddhayā yadi । nāpnuyāttatphalaṁ kiñcit śraddhādānaṁ tato bhavet ॥ evaṁ śraddhānvayāḥ sarve sarvadharmāḥ prakīrttitāḥ । keśavaḥ śraddhayā gamyo dhyeyaḥ pūjyaśca sarvadā ॥" iti vahnipurāṇe dhenudānamāhātmyādhyāyaḥ ॥

भगवद्गीतायां श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in Bhagavad Gita

The term Shraddha appears 17 times in 15 verses across eight chapters in the Bhagavad Gita. The verses being, 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. While Ashraddha, the opposite of shraddha, occurs 4 times across 3 chapters which are, 4.40, 9.3, 17.13 (as a compound word) and 17.28. An analysis of these 19 verses from the Bhagavad Gita bring forth the different facets of the concept of Shraddha that highlights the importance of this construct in understanding Bharatiya worldview and psychology.

श्रद्धाप्रकाराः ॥ Types of Shraddha

Shabdakalpadruma quotes the verses 17.2, 17.3 and 17.4 from the Bhagavad Gita (Adhyaya 17) and states,

सा (श्रद्धा) त्रिविधा । sā (śraddhā) trividhā ।

ie. shraddha is of 3 types. Namely, Satviki, Rajasi and Tamasi.

त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा । सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु ॥१७.२॥ trividhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṁ sā svabhāvajā । sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti tāṁ śr̥ṇu ॥17.2॥

Meaning: Shraddha of people, born of their individual natures, is of three kinds. It is characterized by sattva, rajas or tamas. This is in response to Arjuna's question to Shri Krishna in verse 17.1 about the nature of people who do not follow the method given in the shastras but worship with Shraddha that reads as,

ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः । तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ॥१७.१॥ ye śāstravidhimutsr̥jya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ । teṣāṁ niṣṭhā tu kā kr̥ṣṇa sattvamāho rajastamaḥ ॥17.1॥

And having enumerated the typology of shraddha from the perspective of Samkhya philosophy, Shri Krishna emphasizes further that Shraddha of each person is in accordance with one's natural disposition. A person is made of his Shraddha; what his Shraddha is, that he verily is.

सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत । श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः ॥१७.३॥ sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata । śraddhāmayo'yaṁ puruṣo yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ ॥17.3॥

In other words, people are the personification of their Shraddha. In fact, it is so central and essential a thing that the Gita says, whatever is a man’s shraddha, that he is, yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ. And commenting on this verse, Sri Aurobindo adds that whatever one has faith to see as possible in himself and strive for, that one can create and become. Thus, Shraddha has the ability to shape a person. And the nature of shraddha of a person, reflects in the choices one makes. Hence, it is said further,

यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः । प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥१७.४॥ yajante sāttvikā devānyakṣarakṣāṁsi rājasāḥ । pretānbhūtagaṇāṁścānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ ॥17.4॥

Meaning: People in whom sattva prevails worship the deities; people in whom rajas prevails worship the lesser deities and people in whom tamas prevails worship ghosts and evil beings.

Thus, Shraddha depends on the inner nature of a person and thereby, reflects the basic nature of people. And it is based on one’s shraddha and inherent qualities, that one chooses the kind of yajna, tapas and dana one performs.

यज्ञदानतपकर्मसु श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in Yajna, Dana, Tapa and Karma

The Bhagavad Gita states that yajna, dana, tapa and karma are auspicious and must always be performed.

यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् । यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ॥१८.५॥ yajñadānatapaḥkarma na tyājyaṁ kāryameva tat । yajño dānaṁ tapaścaiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām ॥18.5॥

And as explained in the previous section of the article, one's choice of yajna, dana, tapa or karma depends on one's inherent qualities that are driven either by Sattva, Rajas or Tamas. Consequently, in verses 17.11, 17.12 and 17.13, the Bhagavad Gita points out to three types of yajnas viz. Sattvika, Rajasa and Tamasa. And it is mentioned therein that absence of shraddha makes a yajna tamasika in nature.

श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ॥१७.१३॥ śraddhāvirahitaṁ yajñaṁ tāmasaṁ paricakṣate ॥17.13॥

Thus, this verse is both a prohibition against performing a yajna without shraddha and an instruction for performing yajna with shraddha. Because when performed without shraddha, not only yajna but dana, tapa and karma also become asat (or inauspicious) and bear no fruit in this world or beyond.

अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् । असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह ॥१७.२८॥ aśraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ tapastaptaṁ kr̥taṁ ca yat । asadityucyate pārtha na ca tatpretya no iha ॥17.28॥

Thus, shraddha is the foundation of Yajna, Dana, Tapa and Karma as it is the presence of shraddha that makes them virtuous.

भगवति श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in a Deity

Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita tells Arjuna that any devotee who wants to worship with shraddha, whatever form of deity it may be, He bestows unflinching shraddha to that devotee so that he or she can worship that deity.

यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति । तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम् ॥७.२१॥ yo yo yāṁ yāṁ tanuṁ bhaktaḥ śraddhayārcitumicchati । tasya tasyācalāṁ śraddhāṁ tāmeva vidadhāmyaham ॥7.21॥

There are two points to be noted in this verse.

• First, one can worship any form of deity one wishes to with Shraddha. Meaning, one is free to choose one's spiritual practice, and Shri Krishna endows the necessary shraddha. In other words, shraddha is needed in worshipping a deity or pursuing any spiritual practice. Thus, shraddha is an emotion one has for a deity.
• Second, Shri Krishna blesses those who have shraddha. That is, shraddha shown by human beings begets divine shraddha or grace from Shri Krishna.

भगवच्छ्रद्धा फलम् ॥ Fruit of Shraddha in a Deity

Continuing from verse 7.21 quoted above, Shri Krishna further states that when a devotee worships the deity of his or her choice with the divine shraddha provided by Him, their desires are fulfilled by Shri Krishna himself.

स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते । लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान्हि तान् ॥७.२२॥ sa tayā śraddhayā yuktastasyārādhanamīhate । labhate ca tataḥ kāmānmayaiva vihitānhi tān ॥7.22॥

Therefore, shraddha is not only something that brings one to Shri Krishna but also continues to bring the blessings of Shri Krishna to the devotees, whoever and however they worship. Thus, shraddha is a gift of the Supreme, a divine grace.

आप्तेषु श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in a Person or Shastra

In Vivekachudamani, Shri Shankaracharya says,

शास्त्रस्य गुरवाक्यस्य सत्यबुद्ध्यवधारणम् । सा श्रद्धा कथिता सद्भिर्यया वस्तूपलभ्यते ॥ २५ ॥ śāstrasya guravākyasya satyabuddhyavadhāraṇam । sā śraddhā kathitā sadbhiryayā vastūpalabhyate ॥ 25 ॥

Meaning: Acceptance by firm judgment of the mind as true of what the scriptures and the Guru instruct, is called by the sages as Shraddha, by means of which the Reality is perceived.

This emphasizes on the importance of cultivating shraddha for a person (Guru) or Shastra.

गुरौ श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in a Guru

When Arjuna, confused about his duty, was inclined to act in a cowardly manner, he surrenders to Shri Krishna as a student and beseeches Shri Krishna to instruct him firmly to do what was best for him. He says,

कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेताः । यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् ॥२.७॥

kārpaṇyadoṣopahatasvabhāvaḥ pr̥cchāmi tvāṁ dharmasammūḍhacetāḥ ।

yacchreyaḥ syānniścitaṁ brūhi tanme śiṣyaste'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam ॥2.7॥

This reflects the shraddha one places in another person, especially a guru or teacher. Similarly, at the end of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna tells Shri Krishna that by Shri Krishna's grace his confusion was dispelled, he was free of doubts, had gained his discriminatory faculty and was now ready to follow Shri Krishna's instructions.

नष्टो मोहः स्मृतिर्लब्धा त्वत्प्रसादान्मयाच्युत । स्थितोऽस्मि गतसन्देहः करिष्ये वचनं तव ॥१८.७३॥ naṣṭo mohaḥ smr̥tirlabdhā tvatprasādānmayācyuta । sthito'smi gatasandehaḥ kariṣye vacanaṁ tava ॥18.73॥

This shows that a student not only surrenders to his or her teacher but also listens to and carries out the instructions of the teacher. This is nothing but showing shraddha to a person. Thus, shraddha is also an emotion that a student has for a teacher.

शास्त्रेषु श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in Shastras

Adhyaya 12 of the Bhagavad Gita (verses 12.13-12.19) presents characteristics of devotees who are dear to Shri Krishna like being in a balanced state, not having any negative feeling towards other beings, always being content with whatever comes one’s way, etc. The concluding verse of this adhyaya reads as follows:

ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते । श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ॥१२.२०॥ ye tu dharmyāmr̥tamidaṁ yathoktaṁ paryupāsate । śraddadhānā matparamā bhaktāste'tīva me priyāḥ ॥12.20॥

Meaning: Devotees who worship Shri Krishna by surrendering to Him with deep shraddha and follow the dharmika (pious) and nectar-like instructions meticulously are dearest to Him.

By instructions here, is meant what is stated in shastras or scriptures. Therefore, it is conveyed that it is not enough to have shraddha merely for a deity or person, rather an individual needs to have shraddha also in shastras (or scriptural texts) that guide human behaviour.

शास्त्रश्रद्धाफलम् ॥ Fruit of Shraddha in Shastras

In verse 3.30 of the Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna says,

मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा । निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः ॥३.३०॥ mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi saṁnyasyādhyātmacetasā । nirāśīrnirmamo bhūtvā yudhyasva vigatajvaraḥ ॥3.30॥

Meaning: Surrendering all your actions to Me, with a mind focussed on the self, free from desire and selfishness, fight having eased the heat of excitement. This is nothing but a directive expounded by Shri Krishna Himself. And thereby, it is to be trusted as it is an apta-vachana or shastra-vachana (authoritative statement). Shri Krishna says, those who constantly follow this doctrine of Mine, with faith and without finding fault (in it), such people are freed from (the results of) all actions.

ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः । श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभिः ॥३.३१॥ ye me matamidaṁ nityamanutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ । śraddhāvanto'nasūyanto mucyante te'pi karmabhiḥ ॥3.31॥

This verse illustrates that when we place shraddha on an entity, we do not find fault with it. Consequently, there is no question of harbouring feelings of envy or jealousy towards the entity we have shraddha for. Thus, shraddha is associated with anasuya (absence of envy/jealousy). Moreover, the behavioural outcome of shraddha is not finding faults in others that has implications for spiritual practitioners. For, not harbouring asuya or jealousy for anyone breaks the boundaries between self and others. Therefore, shraddha is contrasted with asuya (envy, jealousy or indignation caused by happiness of others) and spiritual practitioners are directed to cultivate shraddha and anasuya.

साधनाङ्गः ॥ Integral Part of Sadhana

It is said that 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. And Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita emphasizes that this is possible only for a person who is endowed with Shraddha.

श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः । ४.३९ । śraddhāvām̐llabhate jñānaṁ tatparaḥ saṁyatendriyaḥ । 4.39 ।

Commenting on this verse Adi Shankaracharya says that practices like prostrations, etc. are external in nature and invariably, not fruitful as they can be performed even by fraudulent or deceitful people. However, it is not so in the case of those endowed with Shraddha.

प्रणिपातादिस्तु बाह्योऽनैकान्तिकोऽपि भवति मायावित्वादिसंभवात् न तु तत् श्रद्धावत्त्वादौ... praṇipātādistu bāhyo'naikāntiko'pi bhavati māyāvitvādisaṁbhavāt na tu tat śraddhāvattvādau...

This indicates that shraddha is an internal quality and a necessary condition for spiritual practices. For, without shraddha, all the efforts and control of senses go in vain. Even in the yoga sutras, shraddha is mentioned as one of the key factors for attaining 'Samadhi', the final stage described in Ashtangayoga.

श्रद्धावीर्यस्मृतिसमाधिप्रज्ञापूर्वक इतरेषाम् ॥२०॥ śraddhāvīryasmr̥tisamādhiprajñāpūrvaka itareṣām ॥20॥

Meaning: To others (this Samadhi) comes through faith, energy, memory, concentration, and discrimination of the real.

This clearly lays out the importance of shraddha in the practice of spirituality.

Shraddha in Integral Yoga

Integral yoga, mentioned by Sri Aurobindo, refers to a sort of synthesis of all the different systems of yoga. In the practice of this system, there is one kind of faith demanded as indispensable which is faith in the divine and the Shakti, faith in the presence and power of the Divine in us and the world, a faith that all in the world is the working of one divine Shakti, that all the steps of the Yoga, its strivings, sufferings and failures as well as its successes, satisfactions and victories are utilities and necessities of her workings and that by a firm and strong dependence on and a total self-surrender to the Divine and to his Shakti in us we can attain to oneness, freedom, victory and perfection.

Elaborationg further on perfection, Sri Aurobindo emphasizes that there are three parts of the perfection of our instrumental nature including perfection of intelligence, heart, vital consciousness and body, perfection of the surrender of our instruments and action to the divine Shakti, etc. And he says that they depend at every moment of their progression on a fourth power that is covertly and overtly the pivot of all endeavour and action ie. shraddha or faith. This perfect faith he describes as an assent of the whole being to the truth seen by it or offered to its acceptance. According to him, its central working is a faith of the atman in its own will to be, attain and become; its idea of self and things and its knowledge, of which the belief of the intellect, the heart’s consent and the desire of the life mind to possess and realise are the outward figures. This faith, he says, in some form of itself, is indispensable to the action of the being. Because, without it, man cannot move a single pace in life, much less take any step forward to a yet unrealised perfection.

Specifying the character of shraddha needed for the integral Yoga, Sri Aurobindo says, a great and wide spiritual and intelligent faith, intelligent with the intelligence of that larger reason which assents to high possibilities, is the character of the shraddha needed for the integral Yoga. He says, this shraddha is in reality an influence from the supreme Spirit and its light a message from our supramental being which is calling the lower nature to rise out of its petty present to a great self-becoming and self-exceeding. And that which receives this influence and answers to the call is not so much the intellect, the heart or the life mind, but the inner atman which better knows the truth of its own destiny and mission.

He also mentions that the English word faith is inadequate to express the connotations of the concept of shraddha.

Because the intellect, the heart, or the desires of the life mind may take a prominent place in the circumstances that provoke our first entry into the path; but if these are all, then there can be no surety of our fidelity to the call and our enduring perseverance in the Yoga. For, the intellect may abandon the idea that attracted it, the heart weary may fail us, the desire of the life mind may turn to other objectives. But if it is the spirit that has been touched, the inward atman that has received the call, shraddha will remain firm and resist all attempts to defeat or slay it. (Need for shraddha)

Describing the journey of a seeker in the path of integral yoga, Sri Aurobindo says that a seeker's progress is an ascent from level to level and each new height brings in other vistas and revelations of the much that has still to be done, bhurikartvam, till the divine Shakti has at last taken up all his endeavour and he has only to assent and participate gladly by a consenting oneness in her luminous workings. And that which will support him through these changes, struggles, transformations which might otherwise dishearten and baffle is a firm faith in the Shakti that is at work and reliance on the guidance of the Master of the Yoga whose wisdom is not in haste and whose steps through all the perplexities of the mind are assured, just and sound, because they are founded on a perfectly comprehending transaction with the necessities of our nature.

He also explains that the progress of the Yoga is a procession from the mental ignorance through imperfect formations to a perfect foundation and increasing of knowledge and in its more satisfyingly positive parts a movement from light to greater light, and it cannot cease till we have the greatest light of the supramental knowledge. Therefore, the motions of the mind in its progress must necessarily be mixed with a greater or lesser proportion of error and hence he says that faith of the heart and the life mind, like that of the intelligence, must be capable of a constant correction, enlarging and transformation. So that is prepared to change and enlarge its understanding of spiritual experiences, to correct mistaken or half-true ideas about them and receive more enlightening interpretations, to replace insufficient by more sufficient intuitions, and to merge experiences that seemed at the time to be final and satisfying in more satisfying combinations with new experience and greater largenesses and transcendences.

In short, one's faith must be an assent that receives all spiritual experience, but with a wide openness and readiness for always more light and truth, an absence of limiting attachment and no such clinging to forms as would interfere with the forward movement of the Shakti towards the integrality of the spiritual being, consciousness, knowledge, power, action and the wholeness of the one and the multiple Ananda.

Faith in the Shakti must necessarily be preceded or at least accompanied by a firm and virile faith in our own spiritual will and energy and our power to move successfully towards unity and freedom and perfection. At the same time this faith in oneself must be purified from all touch of rajasic egoism and spiritual pride. The faith in the divine Shakti must be always at the back of our strength and when she becomes manifest, it must be or grow implicit and complete. The intimate feeling of her presence and her powers and the satisfied assent of all our being to her workings in and around it is the last perfection of faith in the Shakti. And behind her is the Ishwara and faith in him is the most central thing in the shraddha of the integral Yoga.

Sri Aurobindo says that once faith is developed to perfection, as higher knowledge opens, it becomes more and more justified as we begin to see the great and small significances that escaped our limited mentality. And faith will pass into knowledge.

The highest state of the assent, the shraddha of the being will be when we feel the presence of the Ishwara and feel all our existence and consciousness and thought and will and action in his hand and consent in all things and with every part of our self and nature to the direct and immanent and occupying will of the Spirit. And that highest perfection of the shraddha will also be the opportunity and perfect foundation of a divine strength: it will base, when complete, the development and manifestation and the works of the luminous supramental Shakti.

साधकगुणः ॥ Quality of a Sadhaka

Devotees’ shraddha: The highest

मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते । श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ॥१२.२॥

In verse 12.2, 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 shraddha. 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 shraddha 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 shraddha 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 shraddha to define devotion. Further, in the concluding verse Krsna employs shraddha again to describe the person that is dearest to him. Thus, shraddha is what describes a spiritual practitioner, both who practices bhaktiyoga or the path of devotion and jñānayoga or the path of knowledge.

मोक्षसाधनत्वम् ॥ Shraddha as Moksha Sadhana

shraddha and moksa

श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः । ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥४.३९॥

In verse 4.39, Krsna tells Arjuna that a person who has shraddha, 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 shraddha, all the effort and control of senses go in vain. shraddha is considered a necessary condition for spiritual practices. Adi Shankaracharya 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 shraddha is an internal quality.

The importance of shraddha 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 Adi Shankaracharya. Thus, we see in this verse a model where shraddha 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-restraint. Jñāna (or knowledge) mediates between shraddha (reverence) and moksa or liberation. Since moksa is the highest pursuit of life in Bharata (the other three are: dharma or duty, artha or wealth and kāma or pleasure), shraddha occupies an important place in the Bharatiya worldview.

कालातीतं फलम् ॥ Everlasting Nature of the Fruit

shraddha: The highest of virtues with everlasting outcomes

अयतिः श्रद्धयोपेतो योगाच्चलितमानसः । अप्राप्य योगसंसिद्धिं कां गतिं कृष्ण गच्छति ॥६.३७॥

योगिनामपि सर्वेषां मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना । श्रद्धावान् भजते यो मां स मे युक्ततमो मतः ॥६.४७॥

The question Arjuna asks of Krsna in verse 6.37 is one of the many important questions he asks in the Bhagavad-Gītā. He asks Krsna what happens ultimately to the person who has shraddha 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 shraddha was presented as necessary condition for achieving jñāna, and it is in this context that Arjuna asks Krsna about what happens when shraddha is present but one does not succeed in the path of spirituality because of unsteady manas or mind. In verses 6.39–6.47, Krsna explains that nothing is lost for the person who has shraddha 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, shraddha is not only the necessary condition, but always bears fruits that are never lost.

In verse 6.47, Krsna eulogises shraddha 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 shraddha. It can be seen that shraddha is a bhāva (or emotion) that one has for another person, and it is often expressed as—I have shraddha for X (where X is a target person, or a text as noted earlier). Considering that Krsna is considered Supreme being personified, shraddha is something that one has for Him. Thus, shraddha is one of the highest virtues, and it bears fruits that do not diminish in value with rebirth.

श्रद्धाफलम् ॥ Fruit of Shraddha

In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says,

श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः । ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥४-३९॥

Meaning: The one who is full of faith (shraddha) and zeal and has subdued his senses obtains knowledge; having obtained knowledge, he soon attains Supreme Peace.

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

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

shraddha and moksa

अध्येष्यते च य इमं धर्म्यं संवादमावयोः । ज्ञानयज्ञेन तेनाहमिष्टः स्यामिति मे मतिः ॥१८- ७०॥

श्रद्धावाननसूयश्च शृणुयादपि यो नरः । सोऽपि मुक्तः शुभाँल्लोकान्प्राप्नुयात्पुण्यकर्मणाम् ॥१८.७१॥

In verse 18.71, Krsna tells Arjuna that those who have shraddha 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 shraddha and anasūya (absence of envy) as the two virtues. It builds on what is presented earlier in the analysis of verse 3.31, where anasūya was also emphasised along with shraddha. Thus, the importance of shraddha is emphasised for achieving moksa, which is one of the four purusārthas or life pursuits prescribed for Bharatiyas. It should also be noted that people can have shraddha for texts like the Bhagavad-Gītā.

Jnana or knowledge is seen as mediating between shraddha 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).

shraddha: Always bears fruits

येऽप्यन्यदेवताभक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः । तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम् ॥९.२३॥

In verse 9.23, Krsna tells Arjuna that those devotees who worship other devas (Śiva, Indra, Rudra and so forth) with shraddha 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 shraddha is placed in other deities, and not Krsna, such ‘misplaced’ shraddha is still placed in him. Thus, shraddha never gets misplaced and always bears fruit.

This verse is in effect similar to verse 2.40, 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 nishkama 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, shraddha is integral to the procedure that makes efforts bear fruit in the practice of spirituality.

नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते । स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात् ॥२.४०॥

संहृतिः ॥ Synopsis

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

In this article, the construct of shraddha 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 shraddha from the Bhagavad-Gītā.

17.17

श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः । अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ॥१७.१७॥

Synopsis

shraddha can be of several types. According to the Bhagavad Gītā, the shraddha of a devotee following the path of devotion is of the highest type. It is clear that shraddha occupies a central place in whatever path of spirituality is followed. Also shraddha is the antecedent of jñāna, and the relationship between shraddha 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 shraddha and moksa (or liberation), shraddha 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 shraddha 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, Prof Bhawuk proposes 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 shraddha, it makes these four activities part of sat or truth. Its absence makes them go futile as they lose their relationships. Thus, shraddha occupies a central position in the nomological network of yajña, dāna, tapas and karma.

shraddha reflects the basic nature of people and a person may be seen more or less as personification of shraddha. 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 shraddha, 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. This perhaps illustrates how shraddha 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 shraddha of the person in self, others, society and the Divine. Prof Bhawuk believes that shraddha may be used as a foundational construct for understanding both positive and negative psychologies.

From interpersonal perspective it was found that shraddha 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 shraddha-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 shraddha and liberation, shraddha is also considered a gift of the Supreme Being or divine grace. Such grace of the divine that appears as shraddha 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 shraddha can be employed to examine how social entrepreneurs can possibly effect social change.

In view of the above, it appears that shraddha 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 shraddha is also likely to help us understand other major constructs. It should also help us understand interpersonal relationships, since shraddha is the foundation of many relationships, which hitherto has been neglected by researchers. It is hoped that the thick description of the construct of shraddha and the proposed nomological network will contribute to both Indian and global psychologies, and stimulate both basic and applied research.

श्रद्धाविहिनत्वम् ॥ Absence of shraddha

अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति । नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः ॥४.४०॥

In verse 4.40 Krsna tells Arjuna that those who are ignorant, without shraddha, 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 shraddha is equated to lack of knowledge.

Verse 4.39 also states that only those who have shraddha obtain knowledge (śraddhāvān labhate jñānam). Further, absence of shraddha is equated to being sceptical, and shraddha is also presented as a precondition of happiness.

अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप । अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि ॥९.३॥

In verse 9.3, Krsna tells Arjuna that people without shraddha in the teachings of Krsna go through the cycle of life and death without attaining moksa.

Shraddha as a Deity

The deity of the Rigveda Sukta 10.151 is shraddha.

In the Brahmanas

In the Taittiriya Brahmana, shraddha is the daughter of प्रजापति and in Shatapatha Brahmana of the Sun.

श्रद्धा वै सूर्यस्य दुहिता... ।१२.७.३.११।

In the Itihasa and Puranas

Mahabharata - Shraddha Yajna

अग्रे सर्वेषु यज्ञेषु श्रद्धायज्ञो विधीयते। 12.59.44 (60.40)

दैवतं हि महच्छ्रद्धा पवित्रं यजतां च यत्। 12.59.44 (60.41)

Meaning: Of all forms of Yajnas, Shraddha Yajna is the foremost as Shraddha is the greatest deity who purifies those performing the Yajnas.

यज्ञो मनीषया तात सर्ववर्णेषु भारत।। 12.59.47 (60.44)

नास्य यज्ञकृतो देवा ईहन्ते नेतरे जनाः। ततः सर्वेषु वर्णेषु श्रद्धायज्ञो विधीयते।। 48

Meaning: All the Varnas are entitled to take the vow of performing symbolic Yajnas in the depth of their conscious mind. All the devatas and humans desire to be a part of such a Manasika Yajna. For, being endowed with shraddha, these yajnas are extremely pure. And therefore, all Varnas are entitled to perform Shraddha based Yajnas.

Mahabharata

श्रद्धा वै सात्विकी देवी सूर्यस्य दुहिता द्विज। सावित्री प्रसवित्री च हविर्वाङ्भनसी ततः।।12.270.8

In the Mahabharata, Shraddha is the daughter of दक्ष and wife of धर्म

दक्षस्त्वजायताङ्गुष्ठाद्दक्षिणाद्भगवानृषिः। ब्रह्मणः पृथिवीपाल शान्तात्मा सुमहातपाः।। 1.67.10

वामादजायताङ्गुष्ठाद्भार्या तस्य महात्मनः। तस्यां पञ्चाशतं कन्याः स एवाजनयन्मुनिः।। 1.67.11

ददौ स दश धर्माय सप्तविंशतिमिन्दवे। दिव्येन विधिना राजन्कश्यपाय त्रयोदश।। 1.67.13

नामतो धर्मपत्न्यस्ताः कीर्त्यमाना निबोध मे। कीर्तिर्लक्ष्मीर्धृतिर्मेधा पुष्टिः श्रद्धा क्रिया तथा।। 1.67.14

बुद्धिर्लज्जा मतिश्चैव पत्न्यो धर्मस्य ता दश। द्वाराण्येतानि धर्मस्य विहितानि स्वयंभुवा।। 1.67.15

According to the Bhagavata Purana, Vayu Purana and Vishnu Purana also, Shraddha is the daughter of Daksha, the wife of Dharma and the mother of Shubha and Kama.

Bhagavata Purana IV. 1. 49-50

श्रद्धा मैत्री दया शान्तिः तुष्टिः पुष्टिः क्रियोन्नतिः । बुद्धिर्मेधा तितिक्षा ह्रीः मूर्तिर्धर्मस्य पत्‍नयः ॥ ४९ ॥

श्रद्धासूत शुभं मैत्री प्रसादं अभयं दया । शान्तिः सुखं मुदं तुष्टिः स्मयं पुष्टिः असूयत ॥ ५० ॥

Vayu Purana 10. 25, 34

श्रद्धा लक्ष्मीर्धृतिस्तुष्टिः पुष्टिर्मेधा क्रिया तथा । बुद्धिर्लज्जा वपुःशान्तिः सिद्धिः कीर्तिस्त्रयोदशी ॥ २५ ॥

श्रद्धा कामं विजज्ञे वै दर्पो लक्ष्मीसुतः स्मृतः । धृत्यास्तु नियमः पुत्रस्तुष्ट्याः संतोष उच्यते ॥ ३४ ॥

According to the Vishnu Purana, shraddha (श्रद्धा) is a daughter born to Daksha Prajapati by his wife Prasuti. Twentyfour daughters were born to them. Of them, thirteen were the wives of Dharmadeva including shraddha (Wisdom Library - Puranic Encyclopedia). And Dharmadeva had a son named Kama by shraddha. (Part 1, Chapter 7)

प्रसूत्यां च तथा दक्षश्चतस्त्रो विंशतिस्तथा । ससर्ज कन्यास्तासां च सम्यङ्नामानि मे शृणु ॥ १,७.२२ ॥

श्रद्धा लक्ष्मीर्धृतिस्तुष्टिर्मेधा पुष्टिस्तथा क्रिया । बुद्धिर्लज्जा वपुः शान्तिः सिद्धिः कीर्तिस्त्रयोदशी ॥ १,७.२३ ॥

पत्न्यर्थं प्रतिजग्राह धर्मो दाक्षायणीः प्रभुः । ताभ्यः शिष्टयवीयस्य एकादश सुलोचनाः ॥ १,७.२४ ॥

श्रद्धा कामं चला दर्पं नियमं धृतिरात्मजम् । सन्तोषं च तथा तुष्टिर्लोभं पुष्टिरसूयत ॥ १,७.२८ ॥

The Bhagavata Purana (IX. 1. 11, 14) also describes Shraddha as wife of Shraddhadeva and mother of ten sons who observed payovrata for the birth of a daughter. And Ila was born.

ततो मनुः श्राद्धदेवः संज्ञायामास भारत । श्रद्धायां जनयामास दश पुत्रान् स आत्मवान् ॥ ११ ॥

तत्र श्रद्धा मनोः पत्‍नी होतारं समयाचत । दुहित्रर्थं उपागम्य प्रणिपत्य पयोव्रता ॥ १४ ॥

In the 3rd skandha of the Bhagavata Purana shraddha is described as the daughter born to kardama prajapati by Devahuti. She became the wife of angiras. And they had two sons, Utatthya and brhaspati and four daughters, sinivali, kuhu, raka and anumati. (Puranic Encyclopedia, Purana Index)

श्रद्धां अङ्‌गिरसेऽयच्छत् .... ॥ २२ ॥

Elsewhere also, in the Bhagavata Purana, shraddha is the daughter of कर्दम and wife of अङ्गिरस् or मनु

श्रद्धा त्वङ्‌गिरसः पत्‍नी... ॥ ३४ ॥

तत्र श्रद्धा मनोः पत्‍नी... ॥ १४ ॥

In the Markandeya Purana, Shraddha is the mother of काम

ससर्ज कन्यास्तासाञ्च सम्यङ्नामानि मे शृणु । श्रद्धा लक्ष्मीर्धृतिस्तुष्टिः पुष्टिर्मेधा क्रिया तथा॥५०.२०॥

ख्यात्याद्या जगृहुः कन्या मुनयो मुनिसत्तमाः । श्रद्धा कामं श्रीश्च दर्पं नियमं धृतिरात्मजम्॥५०.२५॥

According to the Shiva Purana, shraddha is one of the twenty-four daughters of Daksha by Prasuti (one of the three daughters of Svayambhuvamanu and Shatarupa).

स्वायंभुवो मनुस्तत्र पुरुषः परसाधनम् ।। शतरूपाभिधा नारी योगिनी सा तपस्विनी ।। १२ ।।

सा पुनर्मनुना तेन गृहीतातीव शोभना ।। विवाहविधिना ताताऽसृजत्सर्गं समैथुनम् ।। १३ ।।

तस्यां तेन समुत्पन्नस्तनयश्च प्रियव्रतः ।। तथैवोत्तानपादश्च तथा कन्यात्रयं पुनः।।१४।।

आकूतिर्देवहूतिश्च प्रसूतिरिति विश्रुताः ।। आकूतिं रुचये प्रादात्कर्दमाय तु मध्यमाम् ।।१५।।

ददौ प्रसूतिं दक्षायोत्तानपादानुजां सुताः ।। तासां प्रसूतिप्रसवैस्सर्वं व्याप्तं चराचरम् ।।१६।।

देवहूत्यां कर्दमाच्च बह्व्यो जातास्सुता मुने ।। दशाज्जाताश्चतस्रश्च तथा पुत्र्यश्च विंशतिः ।। १८ ।।

धर्माय दत्ता दक्षेण श्रद्धाद्यास्तु त्रयोदश ।। शृणु तासां च नामानि धर्मस्त्रीणां मुनीश्वर।।१९।।

श्रद्धा लक्ष्मीर्धृतिस्तुष्टिः पुष्टिर्मेधा तथा क्रिया ।। वसुःर्बुद्धि लज्जा शांतिः सिद्धिः कीर्तिस्त्रयोदश ।।2.1.16.२०।।

Meaning: “Dakṣa begot twenty-four daughters. Thirteen daughters shraddha etc. were given to Dharma in marriage by Dakṣa. O lordly sage, listen to the names of Dharma’s wives. Their names are [shraddha (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” (2.1.16) - Wisdom library

According to the Saura Purana, shraddha (श्रद्धा) refers to one of the daughters of Daksha and Prasuti.

Manu-svayambhuva and Shatarupa had two daughters Akuti and Prasuti. Prasuti was married to Daksha and they had 24 daughters. Daksha gave thirteen daughters, namely, shraddha and others to Dharma in marriage (Shodhganga: The saurapurana - a critical study).

In Shakta Sampradaya

In Shakta philosophy, shraddha is one of the names attributed to Devi, 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)

वेदा ऊचुः |

धीः श्रीः कान्तिः क्षमा शान्तिः श्रद्धा मेधा धृतिः स्मृतिः ॥ ५४ ॥

(Wisdom library-https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/shraddha)

(Yogapedia https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5360/shraddha)