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Shraddha (Samskrit: श्रद्धा) as a concept broadly refers to firm belief towards a deity, person or shastra.<ref name=":4">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> As a quality, it is described as the rudimentary stage of [[Bhakti (भक्तिः)|Bhakti]].<ref name=":15">Tridandi Sri Bhakti Prajnan Yati (1991), [https://archive.org/details/ShandilyaBhaktiSutra Sri Shandilya Bhakti Sutras], Madras: Sree Gaudiya Math.</ref> Shraddha is also a deity in the [[Rigveda (ऋग्वेदः)|Rgveda]].<ref name=":16" /> And is seen personified across [[Vaidika Vangmaya (वैदिकवाङ्मयम्)|Vedic literature]] from the [[Brahmana (ब्राह्मणम्)|Brahmanas]] to the [[Itihasa (इतिहासः)|Itihasas]] and [[Puranas (पुराणानि)|Puranas]].<ref name=":25">Vettam Mani (1975), [https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/734/mode/2up Puranic Encyclopaedia], Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.</ref> This article explores the different facets of Shraddha from the [[Vedas (वेदाः)|Vedas]] to the Puranas.
  
 
== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==
 
== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==
In Vivekachudamani, Sloka 25, Śrī Śankaracharya says:
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The term Shraddha is explained in Apte's Sanskrit dictionary with the following words: <blockquote>"to believe, put faith in, trust, respect, revere or desire something"</blockquote>It also refers to,
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* a state of calmness or composure of the mind
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* a firm belief in divine revelation<ref name=":0">Vaman Shivram Apte (1890), The Practical Sanskrit English Dictionary, Poona: Shiralkar & Co., See: [https://archive.org/details/ldpd_7285627_000/page/n1075/mode/2up Shraddha].</ref><ref name=":4" />
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Simply put, Shraddha is an emotion one has for a deity, person or shastra (any scriptural text or injunctions that guide human behaviour).<ref name=":4" /> It is the ability or quality to believe in what one does not see and its reward is in seeing what was believed in.<ref name=":17">K.V.Anantharaman (2010), Siva Gita A Critical Study. See: [https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/295754/14/15_appendix.pdf Faith (Glossary)]</ref> 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.
  
“शास्त्रस्य गुरुवाक्यस्य सत्यबुद्ध्यवधारणम्। सत्यबुद्ध्यावधारणा सा श्रद्धा कथिता सद्भिर्यया वस्तूपलभ्यते॥”
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The highest quality of shraddha is said to be that of a devotee.<ref name=":4" /> It reflects the firm conviction of a bhakta that all of one’s obligations will be fulfilled by adhering to the path of bhakti.<ref>Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja (2010), Sri Brhad Bhagavatamrta, Vrndavana: Gaudiya Vedanta Publications. See: [https://www.purebhakti.com/resources/ebooks-magazines/bhakti-books/english/9-brhad-bhagavatamrta-canto-2-volume-1/file Sraddha (Glossary)]</ref> 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.<ref>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (2003), Sri Bhajana Rahasya, Vrindavan: Gaudiya Vedanta Publications. See: [https://www.purebhakti.com/resources/ebooks-magazines/bhakti-books/english/3-bhajana-rahasya/file Sraddha (Glossary)]</ref><ref>Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja (2015), Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Vrindavana: Gaudiya Vedanta Publications. See: [https://www.purebhakti.com/resources/ebooks-magazines/bhakti-books/english/32-bhagavad-gita/file Sraddha (Glossary)]</ref>
  
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. (https://sanatanadhara.com/bhakthi/)
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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 (भगवद्गीता)|Bhagavad Gita]], in Chapter 17 ([[Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga (श्रद्धात्रयविभागयोगः)|Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga]]), explains this indigenous concept of Shraddha with respect to the [[Trigunas (त्रिगुणाः)|three gunas]] (quality or innate tendencies) of [[Samkhya Darshana (साङ्ख्यदर्शनम्)|Samkhya darshana]] or philosophy namely, [[Sattva (सत्त्वम्)|Sattva]], [[Rajas (रजः)|rajas]] and [[Tamas (तमः)|tamas]]; an understanding of which enriches in general, the understanding of bharatiya adhyatmata.<ref name=":4" />
  
Shraddha is the rudimentary stage of Bhakti. (Sri Shandilya Bhakti Sutras book)
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== श्रद्धायाः महत्त्वम् ॥ Greatness of Shraddha ==
  
== व्युत्पत्तिः ॥ Etymology ==
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The Samskrit dictionary, Shabdakalpadruma<ref name=":2">Shabdakalpadruma, Part 5. See: [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A5 Shraddha]</ref>, quotes the greatness of Shraddha as enumerated in the Adhyaya named 'Dhenu-dana Mahatmya' from the Agni Purana as follows, <blockquote>
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary<ref name=":0">Vaman Shivram Apte (1890), The Practical Sanskrit English Dictionary, Poona: Shiralkar & Co., See: [https://archive.org/details/ldpd_7285627_000/page/n1075/mode/2up Shraddha].</ref>
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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 ॥<ref name=":1">Raja Radha Kanta Deva (1967), Shabdakalpadrum (Part 5), Varanasi: The Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office. See: [https://archive.org/details/ShabdaKalpadrumaComplete/page/n2861/mode/2up Shraddha]</ref>
  
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.
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''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 ॥'' </blockquote>
  
Śraddhā (श्रद्धा).
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== भगवद्गीतायां श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in Bhagavad Gita ==
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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.<ref name=":4" />
  
1) Trust, faith, belief, confidence.
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=== श्रद्धाप्रकाराः ॥ Types of Shraddha ===
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Shabdakalpadruma<ref name=":1" /> quotes the verses 17.2, 17.3 and 17.4 from the Bhagavad Gita and states,  <blockquote>सा (श्रद्धा) त्रिविधा ।<ref name=":2" /> ''sā (śraddhā) trividhā ।''</blockquote>ie. shraddha is of 3 types. Namely, Satviki, Rajasi and Tamasi.  <blockquote>त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा । सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु ॥१७.२॥<ref name=":5">Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 17 (Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga)]</ref> 
  
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.
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''trividhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṁ sā svabhāvajā । sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti tāṁ śr̥ṇu ॥17.2॥'' </blockquote>Meaning: Shraddha of people, born of their individual natures, is of three kinds. It is characterized by sattva, rajas or tamas.<ref name=":3">Swami Nikhilananda (1944), [https://estudantedavedanta.net/Srimad%20Bhagavad%20Gita%20with%20Commentary%20-%20Swami%20Nikhilananda%20(1944)%20%5BEnglish%5D.pdf The Bhagavad Gita], New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center.</ref>
  
3) Sedateness, composure of mind.
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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<ref name=":4" /> that reads as, <blockquote>ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः । तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ॥१७.१॥<ref name=":5" />
  
4) Intimacy, familiarity.
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ye śāstravidhimutsr̥jya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ । teṣāṁ niṣṭhā tu kā kr̥ṣṇa sattvamāho rajastamaḥ ॥17.1॥ </blockquote>And having enumerated the typology of shraddha from the perspective of Samkhya philosophy<ref name=":4" />, 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.<ref name=":3" /><blockquote>सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत । श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः ॥१७.३॥<ref name=":5" /></blockquote><blockquote>''sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata । śraddhāmayo'yaṁ puruṣo yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ ॥17.3॥''</blockquote>In other words, people are the personification of their Shraddha.<ref name=":4" /> 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.<ref name=":18">Sri Aurobindo, [http://www.sriaurobindo.nl/docs/Sri%20Aurobindo/23-24TheSynthesisofYoga.pdf The Synthesis of Yoga], Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust.</ref> Thus, Shraddha has the ability to shape a person.<ref name=":4" /> And the nature of shraddha of a person, reflects in the choices one makes. Hence, it is said further,  <blockquote>यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः । प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥१७.४॥<ref name=":5" />  </blockquote><blockquote>yajante sāttvikā devānyakṣarakṣāṁsi rājasāḥ । pretānbhūtagaṇāṁścānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ ॥17.4॥  </blockquote>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.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />
  
5) Respect, reverence.
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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 (यज्ञः)|yajna]], [[Tapas (तपस्)|tapas]] and [[Dana (दानम्)|dana]] one performs.<ref name=":4" />
  
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.<ref name=":0" />
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=== यज्ञदानतपकर्मसु श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in Yajna, Dana, Tapa and Karma ===
  
(Wisdom library-https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/shraddha)
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The Bhagavad Gita states that yajna, dana, tapa and karma are auspicious and must always be performed.<ref name=":4" /> <blockquote>
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यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् । यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ॥१८.५॥<ref name=":7" />
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''yajñadānatapaḥkarma na tyājyaṁ kāryameva tat । yajño dānaṁ tapaścaiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām ॥18.5॥'' </blockquote>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.<ref name=":4" /> <blockquote>श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ॥१७.१३॥<ref name=":5" /> ''śraddhāvirahitaṁ yajñaṁ tāmasaṁ paricakṣate ॥17.13॥'' </blockquote>This verse acts as both, a prohibition against performing a yajna without shraddha and an instruction for performing yajna with shraddha.<ref name=":4" /> Similarly, in case of tapa, which is threefold in nature (kayika, vachika and manasika), it is said that tapa practised with shraddha by people who desire no fruit and are devoted is called Sattvika tapa.<ref>Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 17, [https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/srimad?htshg=1&scsh=1&etsiva=1&etpurohit=1&etgb=1&setgb=1&etssa=1&etadi=1&&language=dv&field_chapter_value=17&field_nsutra_value=17 Verse 17 (Translation)]</ref> <blockquote>श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः । अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ॥१७.१७॥<ref name=":5" /> </blockquote><blockquote>śraddhayā parayā taptaṁ tapastattrividhaṁ naraiḥ । aphalākāṅkṣibhiryuktaiḥ sāttvikaṁ paricakṣate ॥17.17॥ </blockquote>Infact, the Bhagavad Gita further emphasizes that when performed without shraddha, not only yajna but dana, tapa and karma also become [[Asat (असत्)|asat]] (or inauspicious) and bear no fruit in this world or beyond.<ref name=":4" /> <blockquote>अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् । असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह ॥१७.२८॥<ref name=":5" />  </blockquote><blockquote>''aśraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ tapastaptaṁ kr̥taṁ ca yat । asadityucyate pārtha na ca tatpretya no iha ॥17.28॥''  </blockquote>Thus, shraddha is the foundation of Yajna, Dana, Tapa and Karma as it is the presence of shraddha that makes them virtuous.
  
The term is derived from two Sanskrit roots: ''shrat'' meaning "truth," "heart" or "faithfulness," and ''dha'', meaning "to direct one’s mind toward." (Yogapedia https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5360/shraddha)
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Infact, Prof. Dharm Bhawuk in his research explains that dana-tapas, karma-tapas, karma-yajna, dana-yajna and tapas-yajna are pairs of constructs that not only intercorrelate but also share common semantic spaces. And what is central to all the activities is that if yajna, dana, tapas and karma are performed with shraddha, it makes these four activities part of [[Sat (सत्)|sat]] or truth. While, its absence makes them go futile as they lose their relationships. Thus, shraddha occupies a central position in the nomological network of yajna, dana, tapas and karma.<ref name=":4" /
  
== Types of Shraddha ==
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== भगवति श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in a Deity ==
सा त्रिविधा । यथा, -- श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
 
  
“त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु ॥१७- २॥
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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.<ref name=":4" /> <blockquote>
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यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम् ॥७.२१॥<ref name=":19">Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9E%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9E%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 7 (Jnana Vijnana Yoga)]</ref>
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''yo yo yāṁ yāṁ tanuṁ bhaktaḥ śraddhayārcitumicchati । tasya tasyācalāṁ śraddhāṁ tāmeva vidadhāmyaham ॥7.21॥'' </blockquote>There are two points to be noted in this verse.
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* 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.
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* Second, Shri Krishna blesses those who have shraddha. That is, shraddha shown by human beings begets divine shraddha or grace from Shri Krishna. 
  
सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत । श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः ॥१७- ३॥
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=== भगवच्छ्रद्धा फलम् ॥ Fruit of Shraddha in a Deity ===
  
यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥१७- ४॥<ref>Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 17 (Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga)]</ref>
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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.<ref name=":4" /> <blockquote>
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स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते । लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान्हि तान् ॥७.२२॥<ref name=":19" />
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''sa tayā śraddhayā yuktastasyārādhanamīhate । labhate ca tataḥ kāmānmayaiva vihitānhi tān ॥7.22॥'' </blockquote>Furthermore, he also states in verse 9.23 that even if shraddha is placed in other deities, and not in Shri Krishna, such shraddha is still placed in him.<ref name=":4" /><blockquote>येऽप्यन्यदेवताभक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम् ॥९.२३॥<ref name=":8">Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 9 (Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga)]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>ye'pyanyadevatābhaktā yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ । te'pi māmeva kaunteya yajantyavidhipūrvakam ॥9.23॥</blockquote>Meaning: Those devotees who worship other [[Deva (देवः)|devas]] with shraddha are still worshipping Shri Krishna, albeit not following proper procedure.
  
इति श्रीभगवद्गीतायां १७ अध्यायः ॥<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1">Raja Radha Kanta Deva (1967), Shabdakalpadrum (Part 5), Varanasi: The Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office. See: [https://archive.org/details/ShabdaKalpadrumaComplete/page/n2861/mode/2up Shraddha]</ref>
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Therefore, shraddha never gets misplaced and always bears fruit. It is something that brings one to Shri Krishna and also continues to bring the blessings of Shri Krishna to the devotees, whoever and however they worship. It is indeed, a gift of the Supreme, a divine grace.<ref name=":4" />
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== आप्तेषु श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in a Person or Shastra ==
  
Meaning: Bhagavan said, "Shraddha of people, born of their individual natures, is of three kinds. It is characterized by sattva, rajas or tamas. Hear now about it. Shraddha of each person is in accordance with his natural disposition. O Bharata, a person is made of his Shraddha; what his Shraddha is, that he verily is. People in whom sattva prevails worship the deities; people in whom rajas prevails worship the demigods; and people in whom tamas prevails worship ghosts and disembodied spirits."<ref name=":3">Swami Nikhilananda (1944), [https://estudantedavedanta.net/Srimad%20Bhagavad%20Gita%20with%20Commentary%20-%20Swami%20Nikhilananda%20(1944)%20%5BEnglish%5D.pdf The Bhagavad Gita], New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center.</ref>
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In Vivekachudamani, Shri [[Adi Shankaracharya (आदिशङ्कराचार्यः)|Shankaracharya]] says,<blockquote>
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शास्त्रस्य गुरवाक्यस्य सत्यबुद्ध्यवधारणम् । सा श्रद्धा कथिता सद्भिर्यया वस्तूपलभ्यते ॥ २५ ॥
  
== Greatness of Shraddha ==
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''śāstrasya guravākyasya satyabuddhyavadhāraṇam । sā śraddhā kathitā sadbhiryayā vastūpalabhyate ॥ 25 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Acceptance by firm judgment of the mind as true of what the scriptures and the [[Guru (गुरुः)|Guru]] instruct, is called by the sages as Shraddha, by means of which the Reality is perceived.<ref>Swami Madhavananda (1921), [https://estudantedavedanta.net/VivekaChudamani-of-Sri-Shankaracharya.pdf Vivekachudamani of Sri Sankaracharya], Mayavati: The Advaita Ashrama.</ref>
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 ॥<ref name=":2">Shabdakalpadruma, Part 5. See: [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A5 Shraddha]</ref><ref name=":1" />
 
  
== In the Bhagavad Gita ==
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This emphasizes on the importance of cultivating shraddha for a person (Guru) or Shastra.<ref name=":4" />
In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says,
 
  
श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥४-३९॥<ref>Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9E%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 4 (Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga)]</ref>
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=== गुरौ श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in a Guru ===
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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.<ref name=":4" /> He says, <blockquote>कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेताः यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् ॥२.७॥<ref name=":9">Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%99%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%96%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 2 (Sankhya Yoga)]</ref>
  
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.<ref name=":3" />
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''kārpaṇyadoṣopahatasvabhāvaḥ pr̥cchāmi tvāṁ dharmasammūḍhacetāḥ ।''
  
== In the Yoga Sutras ==
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''yacchreyaḥ syānniścitaṁ brūhi tanme śiṣyaste'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam ॥2.7॥''</blockquote>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.<ref name=":4" /> <blockquote>नष्टो मोहः स्मृतिर्लब्धा त्वत्प्रसादान्मयाच्युत । स्थितोऽस्मि गतसन्देहः करिष्ये वचनं तव ॥१८.७३॥<ref name=":7">Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 18 (Moksha Sannyasa Yoga)]</ref> </blockquote><blockquote>naṣṭo mohaḥ smr̥tirlabdhā tvatprasādānmayācyuta । sthito'smi gatasandehaḥ kariṣye vacanaṁ tava ॥18.73॥ </blockquote>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.<ref name=":4" />
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 ==
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=== शास्त्रेषु श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in Shastras ===
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.
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Adhyaya 12 ([[Bhakti Yoga (भक्तियोगः)|Bhakti Yoga]]) 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.<ref name=":4" /> The concluding verse of this adhyaya reads as follows: <blockquote>
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ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते । श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ॥१२.२०॥<ref name=":10">Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 12 (Bhakti Yoga)]</ref>
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''ye tu dharmyāmr̥tamidaṁ yathoktaṁ paryupāsate । śraddadhānā matparamā bhaktāste'tīva me priyāḥ ॥12.20॥'' </blockquote>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.
  
In Ayurveda
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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.<ref name=":4" />
  
Source: gurumukhi.ru: Ayurveda glossary of terms
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==== शास्त्रश्रद्धाफलम् ॥ Fruit of Shraddha in Shastras ====
  
Śraddhā (श्रद्धा):—Desire
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In verse 3.30 of the Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna says, <blockquote>
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मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा । निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः ॥३.३०॥<ref name=":20">Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 3 (Karma Yoga)]</ref>
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''mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi saṁnyasyādhyātmacetasā । nirāśīrnirmamo bhūtvā yudhyasva vigatajvaraḥ ॥3.30॥'' </blockquote>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.<ref>Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, [https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/srimad?language=dv&field_chapter_value=3&field_nsutra_value=30&etsiva=1&etpurohit=1&etgb=1&etssa=1&etadi=1&choose=1 Verse 30 (Translation)]</ref>
  
7) [<abbr>v.s.</abbr> ...] desire of eating, appetite, [Suśruta]
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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.<ref>Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, [https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/srimad?etsiva=1&etpurohit=1&etgb=1&etssa=1&etadi=1&choose=1&&language=dv&field_chapter_value=3&field_nsutra_value=31 Verse 31 (Translation)]</ref><blockquote>ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः । श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभिः ॥३.३१॥<ref name=":20" /></blockquote><blockquote>''ye me matamidaṁ nityamanutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ । śraddhāvanto'nasūyanto mucyante te'pi karmabhiḥ ॥3.31॥''</blockquote>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). Building on this, Shri Krishna, in the following verses, also emphasises the merit of studying the Bhagavad Gita and tells Arjuna that those who have shraddha and are also not envious (anasūyaḥ), they definitely become free and go to auspicious places (beyond earth) because of their meritorious karma or actions even by merely listening to the dialogue (in the Bhagavad Gita); thereby, enumerating the fruit of having shraddha for shastra granthas like the Bhagavad Gita.<ref name=":4" /><blockquote>अध्येष्यते च य इमं धर्म्यं संवादमावयोः । ज्ञानयज्ञेन तेनाहमिष्टः स्यामिति मे मतिः ॥१८.७०॥
  
8) [<abbr>v.s.</abbr> ...] the longing of a pregnant woman, [Caraka]
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श्रद्धावाननसूयश्च शृणुयादपि यो नरः । सोऽपि मुक्तः शुभाँल्लोकान्प्राप्नुयात्पुण्यकर्मणाम् ॥१८.७१॥<ref name=":7" />
  
(Wisdom library)
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adhyeṣyate ca ya imaṁ dharmyaṁ saṁvādamāvayoḥ । jñānayajñena tenāhamiṣṭaḥ syāmiti me matiḥ ॥18.70॥
  
== In Vaishnava Sampradaya ==
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śraddhāvānanasūyaśca śr̥ṇuyādapi yo naraḥ । so'pi muktaḥ śubhām̐llokānprāpnuyātpuṇyakarmaṇām ॥18.71॥</blockquote>On the other hand, in verse 9.3, Shri Krishna enumerates the fruit of not fostering shraddha in the teachings of Shri Krishna.<ref name=":4" /> He says,<blockquote>अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप । अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि ॥९.३॥<ref name=":8" /></blockquote><blockquote>aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa । aprāpya māṁ nivartante mr̥tyusaṁsāravartmani ॥9.3॥</blockquote>Meaning: People without shraddha in the teachings of Shri Krishna go through the cycle of life and death without attaining [[Moksha (मोक्षः)|moksha]].
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”.
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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.<ref name=":4" />
  
Source: Pure Bhakti: Bhajana-rahasya - 2nd Edition
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== साधनाङ्गः ॥ Integral Part of Sadhana ==
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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.<ref name=":4" />  <blockquote>श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः । ४.३९ ।<ref name=":6">Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9E%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 4 (Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga)]</ref> ''śraddhāvām̐llabhate jñānaṁ tatparaḥ saṁyatendriyaḥ । 4.39 ।''</blockquote>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.<ref name=":4" /> <blockquote>प्रणिपातादिस्तु बाह्योऽनैकान्तिकोऽपि भवति मायावित्वादिसंभवात् न तु तत् श्रद्धावत्त्वादौ...<ref name=":21">Bhagavad Gita, Adhyaya 4, [https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/srimad?language=dv&field_chapter_value=4&field_nsutra_value=39&htshg=1&scsh=1&etsiva=1&etpurohit=1&etgb=1&setgb=1&etssa=1&etadi=1 Verse 39 with Shankara Bhashya and translation] </ref>
  
Śraddhā (श्रद्धा) refers to:—Faith in the statements of the ''śāstras'' which is awakened after accumulating pious devotional credits over many births.  
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''praṇipātādistu bāhyo'naikāntiko'pi bhavati māyāvitvādisaṁbhavāt na tu tat śraddhāvattvādau...'' </blockquote>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.<ref name=":4" /> Even in the yoga sutras, shraddha is mentioned as one of the key factors for attaining 'Samadhi', the final stage described in Ashtangayoga.<blockquote>श्रद्धावीर्यस्मृतिसमाधिप्रज्ञापूर्वक इतरेषाम् ॥२०॥<ref>Yoga Sutra, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%9E%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D_-_%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7 Pada 1]</ref> śraddhāvīryasmr̥tisamādhiprajñāpūrvaka itareṣām ॥20॥</blockquote>Meaning: To others (this Samadhi) comes through faith, energy, memory, concentration, and discrimination of the real.<ref>Swami Vivekananda, [http://www.hinduonline.co/DigitalLibrary/SmallBooks/PatanjaliYogaSutraSwamiVivekanandaSanEng.pdf Patanjali Yoga Sutras]</ref>Infact, Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita eulogises shraddha as the highest virtue and emphasizes that even among yogis (practitioners of yoga) the best is one who chants the name of Shri Krishna surrendering with shraddha.<ref name=":4" /><blockquote>योगिनामपि सर्वेषां मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना । श्रद्धावान् भजते यो मां स मे युक्ततमो मतः ॥६.४७॥<ref name=":22">Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 6 (Atma Samyama Yoga)]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>yogināmapi sarveṣāṁ madgatenāntarātmanā । śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ ॥6.47॥</blockquote>This clearly lays out the importance of shraddha in the practice of spirituality.<ref name=":4" />
  
Source: Pure Bhakti: Brhad Bhagavatamrtam
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=== Shraddha in Integral Yoga ===
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Integral yoga, mentioned by Sri Aurobindo, refers to a sort of synthesis of all the different systems of [[Yoga Darshana (योगदर्शनम्)|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 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.
  
Śraddhā (श्रद्धा) refers to:—Faith; the firm conviction that all of one’s obligations will be fulfilled by performing kṛṣṇa-bhakti. (Wisdom library)
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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 (आत्मन्)|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.<ref name=":18" />
  
== Sri Aurobindo on Shraddha<ref>Sri Aurobindo, [http://www.sriaurobindo.nl/docs/Sri%20Aurobindo/23-24TheSynthesisofYoga.pdf The Synthesis of Yoga], Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust.</ref> ==
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* '''Character and the Need of Shraddha'''
This soul faith, in some form of itself, is indispensable to the action of the being and without it man cannot move a single pace in life, much less take any step forward to a yet unrealised perfection. It is so central and essential a thing that the Gita can justly say of it that whatever is a man’s ´sraddh¯a, that he is, yo yacchraddhah. sa eva sah. , and, it may be added, whatever he has the faith to see as possible in himself and strive for, that he can create and become. There is one kind of faith demanded as indispensable by the integral Yoga and that may be described as faith in God 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 and sufferings and failures as well as its successes and 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 and freedom and victory and perfection.
 
  
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 ´sraddh¯a needed for the integral Yoga.
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The progress of Yoga is explained by Sri Aurobindo as 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 it 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.
  
This ´sraddh¯a—the English word faith is inadequate to express it—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 the influence and answers to the call is not so much the intellect, the heart or the life mind, but the inner soul which better knows the truth of its own destiny and mission.  
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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.
  
There the intellect, the heart, or the desires of the life mind may take a prominent place, or even more fortuitous accidents and outward incentives; but if these are all, then there can be no surety of our fidelity to the call and our enduring perseverance in the Yoga. The intellect may abandon the idea that attracted it, the heart weary or fail us, the desire of the life mind turn to other objectives. But outward circumstances are only a cover for the real workings of the spirit, and if it is the spirit that has been touched, the inward soul that has received the call, the ´sraddh¯a will remain firm and resist all attempts to defeat or slay it.  
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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.<ref name=":18" />
  
There will very possibly be many of those trying obscurations of which even the Vedic Rishis so often complained, “long exiles from the light”, and these may be so thick, the night on the soul may be so black that faith may seem utterly to have left us. But through it all the spiritwithin will be keeping its unseen hold and the soul will return with a new strength to its assurance which was only eclipsed and not extinguished, because extinguished it cannot be when once the inner self has known and made its resolution.1
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* '''Importance of Shraddha in the Path of Integral Yoga'''
  
There can be for the seeker of the integral Yoga no clinging to resting-places on the road or to half-way houses; he cannot be satisfied till he has laid down all the great enduring bases of his perfection and broken out into its large and free infinities, and even there he has to be constantly filling himself with more experiences of the Infinite. His 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, bhu¯ ri kartvam, 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. That which will support him through these changes, struggles, transformations which might otherwise dishearten and baffle,—for the intellect and life and emotion always grasp too much at things, fasten on premature certitudes and are apt to be afflicted and unwilling when forced to abandon that on which they rested,—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 and just and sound, because they are founded on a perfectly comprehending transaction with the necessities of our nature.
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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.  
  
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. The motions of the mind in its progress must necessarily be mixed with a greater or lesser proportion of error, and we should not allow our faith to be disconcerted by the discovery of its errors or imagine that because the beliefs of the intellect which aided us were too hasty and positive, therefore the fundamental faith in the soul was invalid.
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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.  
  
The faith of the heart and the life mind, like that of the intelligence, must be capable of a constant correction, enlarging and transformation.  
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Moreover, he emphasizes that 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.<ref name=":18" />
  
This faith is essentially the secret ´sraddh¯a of the soul, and it is brought more and more to the surface and there satisfied, sustained and increased by an increasing assurance and certainty of spiritual experience. Here too the faith in us must be unattached, a faith that waits upon Truth and 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.
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* '''Foundation of Divine Strength'''
  
Our 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.
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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 faith demanded of us both in its general principle and its constant particular application amounts to a large and ever increasing and a constantly purer, fuller and stronger assent of the whole being and all its parts to the presence and guidance of God and the Shakti. The faith in the Shakti, as long as we are not aware of and filled with her presence, 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. Man is given faith in himself, his ideas and his powers that he may work and create and rise to greater things and in the end bring his strength as a worthy offering to the altar of the Spirit.
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According to him, the highest state of 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.  
  
At the same time this faith in oneself must be purified from all touch of rajasic egoism and spiritual pride.
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This exposition on Shraddha, especially within the context of integral yoga, also exemplifies why, as agreed by Sri Aurobindo, the English word faith is inadequate to express the connotations of the concept of shraddha.<ref name=":18" />
  
The power of the divine universal Shakti which is behind our aspiration is illimitable, and when it is rightly called upon it cannot fail to pour itself into us and to remove whatever incapacity and obstacle, now or later; for the times and durations of our struggle while they depend at first, instrumentally and in part, on the strength of our faith and our endeavour, are yet eventually in the hands of the wisely determining secret Spirit, alone the Master of the Yoga, the Ishwara.
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== साधकगुणः ॥ Quality of a Sadhaka ==
  
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.
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In verse 12.1 of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna asks Shri Krishna as to who is a better spiritual practitioner, one who follows bhaktiyoga (the path of devotion) or one who follows jnanayoga (the path of knowledge).<ref name=":4" /><blockquote>
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एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते । ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ॥१२.१॥<ref name=":10" />
  
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.
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evaṁ satatayuktā ye bhaktāstvāṁ paryupāsate । ye cāpyakṣaramavyaktaṁ teṣāṁ ke yogavittamāḥ ॥12.1॥</blockquote>In response to this, Shri Krishna replies that <blockquote>मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते । श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ॥१२.२॥<ref name=":10" /> </blockquote><blockquote>mayyāveśya mano ye māṁ nityayuktā upāsate । śraddhayā parayopetāste me yuktatamā matāḥ ॥12.2॥ </blockquote>Meaning: The best spiritual practitioner is one who fixes his or her mind on Shri Krishna and is always engaged in worshipping Shri Krishna with deep shraddha.
  
And behind her is the Ishwara and faith in him is the most central thing in the ´sraddh¯a of the integral Yoga.
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In this context, it is noted that an earlier verse of the Bhagavad Gita mentions that only those who have shraddha obtain knowledge.<ref name=":4" /><blockquote>श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं ... ॥४.३९॥<ref name=":6" /> śraddhāvām̐llabhate jñānaṁ ... ॥4.39॥</blockquote>Thus, shraddha is what describes a spiritual practitioner, both who practices bhaktiyoga (the path of devotion) and jnanayoga (the path of knowledge); thereby, establishing the unequivocal relevance of shraddha to both the paths ie. the path of knowledge and that of devotion. Moreover, in verse 12.2, Shri Krishna firmly states that the path of devotion is superior to the path of knowledge and uses shraddha to define devotion. And emphasizes in the concluding verse of the same adhyaya that enumerates on bhaktiyoga that those endowed with shraddha are dearest to Him.<ref name=":4" /><blockquote>ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते । श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ॥१२.२०॥<ref name=":10" /></blockquote><blockquote>ye tu dharmyāmr̥tamidaṁ yathoktaṁ paryupāsate । śraddadhānā matparamā bhaktāste'tīva me priyāḥ ॥12.20॥</blockquote>Thus, shraddha is a bhava (emotion) that one has for another person; in this case, Shri Krishna who is none other than the Supreme being personified. And the shraddha of a devotee is considered the highest of virtues.<ref name=":4" />
  
This faith we must have and develop to perfection that all things are the workings under the universal conditions of a supreme self-knowledge and wisdom, that nothing done in us or around us is in vain or without its appointed place and just significance, that all things are possible when the Ishwara as our supreme Self and Spirit takes up the action and that all that has been done before and all that he will do hereafter was and will be part of his infallible and foreseeing guidance and intended towards the fruition of our Yoga and our perfection and our life work. This faith will be more and more justified as the higher knowledge opens, we shall begin to see the great and small significances that escaped our limited mentality and faith will pass into knowledge.
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== मोक्षसाधनत्वम् ॥ Shraddha as Moksha Sadhana ==
  
The highest state of the assent, the ´sraddh¯a 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 ´sraddh¯a 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.
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In the Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna says, <blockquote>
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श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः । ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥४.३९॥<ref name=":6" />
  
== Śraddhā: Construct Definition from the Bhagavad-Gītā by Dharm P. S. Bhawuk ==
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śraddhāvām̐llabhate jñānaṁ tatparaḥ saṁyatendriyaḥ । jñānaṁ labdhvā parāṁ śāntimacireṇādhigacchati ॥4.39॥ </blockquote>Meaning: A person who has shraddha, is eagerly engaged in the spiritual practice that one has chosen and is in control of his or her senses, achieves jnana or knowledge of the self. And having attained knowledge, one immediately achieves unparalleled or supreme peace.
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).  
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Thus, the first line of this verse presents shraddha as antecedent of jnana with tatparaḥ ie. eager engagement in a spiritual practice and saṁyatendriyaḥ ie. practice of self-restraint moderating this relationship between shraddha and Jnana. And the second line points out to the consequence of achieving jnana ie. attaining immediate and unparalleled peace; which is interpreted as moksa by Adi Shankaracharya in his commentary on this verse.<ref name=":4" /> He says,<blockquote>ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परं मोक्षाख्यां शान्तिम् उपरतिम् अचिरेण क्षिप्रमेव अधिगच्छति।<ref name=":21" /></blockquote><blockquote>jñānaṁ labdhvā paraṁ mokṣākhyāṁ śāntim uparatim acireṇa kṣiprameva adhigacchati।</blockquote>In short, shraddha is antecedent of jnana; while jnana (or knowledge) mediates between shraddha (reverence) and moksha. And since moksha is the highest pursuit of life in [[Bharatavarsha (भरतवर्षम्)|Bharata]], the other three being [[Dharma (धर्मः)|dharma]] (duty), artha (wealth) and kama (pleasure), shraddha occupies an important place in the Bharatiya worldview.<ref name=":4" />
  
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.
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=== कालातीतं फलम् ॥ Everlasting Nature of the Fruit ===
  
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).  
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The preceeding section elaborated on verse 4.39 that presented shraddha as a necessary condition for achieving jnana. Building on this, after the explanation of many other things, Arjuna asks Shri Krishna in verse 6.37<ref name=":4" />,<blockquote>अयतिः श्रद्धयोपेतो योगाच्चलितमानसः । अप्राप्य योगसंसिद्धिं कां गतिं कृष्ण गच्छति ॥६.३७॥<ref name=":22" /></blockquote><blockquote>ayatiḥ śraddhayopeto yogāccalitamānasaḥ । aprāpya yogasaṁsiddhiṁ kāṁ gatiṁ kr̥ṣṇa gacchati ॥6.37॥</blockquote>Meaning: What happens ultimately to the person who has shraddha but fails to make the necessary effort or does not succeed in the path of spirituality because of unsteady manas or mind.
  
Śraddhā reflects the basic nature of people. Absence of śraddhā causes all efforts to go in vain.  
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This is one of the many important questions Arjuna asks of Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. And in verses 6.40–6.47, Shri Krishna 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 even while transitioning to a new life. Thus, shraddha always bears fruits that are never lost; they do not diminish in value even with rebirth. It is highest of virtues with everlasting outcomes.<ref name=":4" />
  
It is hoped that explication of the indigenous construct, śraddhā, will also enrich our understanding of adhyātma or spirituality.
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== श्रद्धाविहिनत्वम् ॥ Absence of Shraddha ==
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It is already enumerated earlier in verse 4.39 that only those who have shraddha obtain knowledge.<ref name=":4" /><blockquote>श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं ... ॥४.३९॥<ref name=":6" /> śraddhāvām̐llabhate jñānaṁ ... ॥4.39॥</blockquote>In continuity to this, Shri Krishna in the following verse says, <blockquote>अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति । नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः ॥४.४०॥<ref name=":6" /></blockquote><blockquote>ajñaścāśraddadhānaśca saṁśayātmā vinaśyati । nāyaṁ loko'sti na paro na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ ॥4.40॥</blockquote>Meaning: Those who are ignorant, without shraddha and sceptical are ruined and completely lose out on achievements both in this world and beyond, and also do not find happiness.  
  
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.
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Thus, absence of Shraddha is equated to lack of knowledge, to being sceptical and shraddha itself is presented herein as a precondition of happiness.<ref name=":4" />
  
=== Deriving the meaning of the construct of śraddhā from the Bhagavad-Gītā. ===
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== परिभाषासंहृतिः ॥ Synopsis of Construct Analysis<ref name=":4" />==
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.  
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The terms shraddha and ashraddha feature across 19 verses in the Bhagavad Gita. An analysis of these occurances brings to fore 9 themes surrounding the concept of shraddha; 8 from the analysis of the term shraddha and 1 from the analysis of ashraddha. These themes in turn help in deriving the definition of the construct of shraddha. A brief understanding of the construct shraddha derived in this way, through the analysis of the Bhagavad Gita verses, is enumerated below:
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# There are many behavioural outcomes of shraddha such as not finding faults in others.
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# Shraddha occupies a central place in whatever path of spirituality is followed. In fact, shraddha is considered integral to the procedure that makes efforts bear fruit in the practice of spirituality. Also, the value of an individual’s effort who is on the path of spirituality is not lost. Thus, shraddha always bears fruits.
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# Shraddha is the antecedent of jnana. And since jnana acts as a mediator between shraddha and moksa, shraddha becomes an instrument for achieving moksa which is highest of the four purusharthas (life pursuits) prescribed for humans in the Bharatiya worldview; thereby emphasizing the importance of shraddha in the Bharatiya worldview.
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# Shraddha is also used to explicate other constructs like yajna, tapas (austerities), dana (charity) and karma (action); thereby highlighting the importance of this construct in understanding Bharatiya worldview and psychology.
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# Shraddha can be of several types. While it is noted that people can have shraddha for texts like the Bhagavad Gita, according to the Bhagavad Gita, the shraddha of a devotee following the path of devotion is of the highest type.
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# Shraddha reflects the basic nature of people and a person may be seen more or less as personification of shraddha that expresses itself in very different kinds of behaviours that people engage in. Infact, it is believed that the basic nature of the optimists or pessimists (as known in the west) reflects shraddha of the person in self, others, society and the Divine. Based on this, Prof. Bhawuk in his research proposes that shraddha may be used as a foundational construct for understanding both positive and negative psychologies.
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# From interpersonal perspective it is found that shraddha is an emotion that one has for another person. For example, a śraddhāvan                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  student, much like Arjuna did to Shri Krishna, 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. These characteristics of shraddha based exchange between a teacher and a student will also apply to all superior–subordinate pairs 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 also. And as shastras or scriptural texts provide instructions in guiding human behaviour, they too are treated in the same manner by a śraddhāvan individual.
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# It is also noted that though individual effort moderates the relation between shraddha and moksha, 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.
  
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.  
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Such a complex understanding of the construct of shraddha cannot be captured by single word translation in English viz. faith. In fact, 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. Moreover, understanding shraddha is also likely to help us understand other major constructs as well as understand interpersonal relationships, since shraddha itself is the foundation of many relationships.  
  
In Canto 17, śraddhā is defined with respect to the three gunas (quality or innate tendencies) of sāmkhya darśana or philosophy.  
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== श्रद्धायज्ञः ॥ Shraddha Yajna ==
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[[Mahabharata (महाभारतम्)|Mahabharata]] states that everyone was entitled to take the vow of performing Manasika Yajnas (symbolic yajnas) in the depth of their conscious mind. And all the devatas as well as humans desired to be part of such a manasika yajna because these yajnas were endowed with shraddha that made them extremely pure. Therefore, according to the Mahabharata, all [[Varna Dharma (वर्णधर्मः)|varnas]] were entitled to perform Shraddha based Yajnas.<ref name=":12">Ramnarayanadutta Shastri Pandey, Mahabharata (Vol.5 Shanti Parva), Gorakhpur: Gita Press</ref><blockquote>यज्ञो मनीषया तात सर्ववर्णेषु भारत ॥ ४७ ॥ नास्य यज्ञकृतो देवा ईहन्ते नेतरे जनाः । ततः सर्वेषु वर्णेषु श्रद्धायज्ञो विधीयते ॥ ४८ ॥<ref name=":11">Mahabharata, Shanti Parva, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D-12-%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5-059 Adhyaya 59]</ref>
  
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.
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yajño manīṣayā tāta sarvavarṇeṣu bhārata ॥ 47 ॥
  
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.
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nāsya yajñakr̥to devā īhante netare janāḥ । tataḥ sarveṣu varṇeṣu śraddhāyajño vidhīyate ॥ 48 ॥</blockquote>The Mahabharata also emphasizes therein that of all forms of Yajnas, Shraddha Yajna is the foremost as Shraddha is the greatest deity who purifies those performing the Yajnas.<ref name=":12" /><blockquote>अग्रे सर्वेषु यज्ञेषु श्रद्धायज्ञो विधीयते । दैवतं हि महच्छ्रद्धा पवित्रं यजतां च यत् ॥४४॥<ref name=":11" /></blockquote><blockquote>agre sarveṣu yajñeṣu śraddhāyajño vidhīyate । daivataṁ hi mahacchraddhā pavitraṁ yajatāṁ ca yat ॥44॥</blockquote>
  
=== Śraddhā: Not finding faults ===
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== देवतास्वरूपम् ॥ Shraddha as a Deity ==
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.
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Shraddha is mentioned as the deity of the Rigvedic Sukta 10.151.<ref name=":16">Rigveda, Mandala 10, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%83_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%82_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%A6.%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AB%E0%A5%A7 Sukta 151]</ref> In the Devi Bhagavata, shraddha is one of the names attributed to Devi Mahamaya in the verses chanted in her praise by the Vedas in their incarnate form.<ref>Swami Vijnanananda (1921-22), [https://archive.org/details/SrimadDeviBhagavatamEnglish/page/n15/mode/2up Sri Devi Bhagavatam]</ref> <blockquote>वेदा ऊचुः | धीः श्रीः कान्तिः क्षमा शान्तिः श्रद्धा मेधा धृतिः स्मृतिः ॥ ५४ ॥<ref>Devi Bhagavata, Skandha 1, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A6%E0%A5%A7/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A6%E0%A5%AB Adhyaya 5]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>vedā ūcuḥ | dhīḥ śrīḥ kāntiḥ kṣamā śāntiḥ śraddhā medhā dhr̥tiḥ smr̥tiḥ ॥ 54 ॥</blockquote>
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=== ब्राह्मणेषु श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in the Brahmanas ===
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The Shatapatha Brahmana describes shraddha as daughter of the [[Surya (सूर्यः)|Sun]].<blockquote>श्रद्धा वै सूर्यस्य दुहिता... ।१२.७.३.११।<ref>Shatapatha Brahmana, Kanda 12, Adhyaya 7, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%A8/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AD/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A3_%E0%A5%A9 Brahmana 3]</ref> śraddhā vai sūryasya duhitā... ।12.7.3.11।</blockquote>This is reiterated in the Shanti parva of the Mahabharata that says, <blockquote>श्रद्धा वै सात्विकी देवी सूर्यस्य दुहिता द्विज । १२.२७०.८<ref>Mahabharata, Shanti Parva, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D-12-%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5-270 Adhyaya 270]</ref> śraddhā vai sātvikī devī sūryasya duhitā dvija । 12.270.8</blockquote>
  
=== Śraddhā and moksa ===
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=== इतिहासपुराणेषु श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in the Itihasa and Puranas ===
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.
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Shraddha is personified at various instances across the Mahabharata and the Puranas. These instances are enumerated in brief below:
  
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.
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* The Mahabharata, Bhagavata Purana, Vayu Purana, [[Vishnu Purana (विष्णुपुराणम्)|Vishnu Purana]], Shiva Purana and Saura Purana describe shraddha as the daughter of Daksha and the wife of Dharma.
  
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.
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According to the Mahabharata, Daksha who was born off the right thumb of [[Brahma (ब्रह्मा)|Brahma]] had 50 daughters from his wife. Shraddha was one among the 10 daughters he gave in marriage to Dharma. Others being Kirti, Lakshmi, Dhrti, Medha, Pushti, Kriya, Buddhi, Lajja and Mati. And it is interesting to note here that Brahma declares these 10 to be the doors of Dharma ie. that through which one may be initiated into Dharma.<ref>Ramnarayandatta Shastri Pandey, Mahabharata (Vol.1 Adi Parva), Gorakhpur: Gita Press.</ref><blockquote>दक्षस्त्वजायताङ्गुष्ठाद्दक्षिणाद्भगवानृषिः ।... तस्यां पञ्चाशतं कन्याः स एवाजनयन्मुनिः ।। ददौ स दश धर्माय... १.६७.१०-१३
  
=== Śraddhā: The highest of virtues with everlasting outcomes ===
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नामतो धर्मपत्न्यस्ताः कीर्त्यमाना निबोध मे। कीर्तिर्लक्ष्मीर्धृतिर्मेधा पुष्टिः श्रद्धा क्रिया तथा।। १.६७.१४
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.
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बुद्धिर्लज्जा मतिश्चैव पत्न्यो धर्मस्य ता दश। द्वाराण्येतानि धर्मस्य विहितानि स्वयंभुवा।। १.६७.१५<ref>Mahabharata, Adi Parva, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D-01-%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5-067 Adhyaya 67]</ref>
  
=== Śraddhā: A divine grace ===
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dakṣastvajāyatāṅguṣṭhāddakṣiṇādbhagavānr̥ṣiḥ ।... tasyāṁ pañcāśataṁ kanyāḥ sa evājanayanmuniḥ ।।
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.
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dadau sa daśa dharmāya... 1.67.10-13
  
=== Śraddhā: Always bears fruits ===
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nāmato dharmapatnyastāḥ kīrtyamānā nibodha me। kīrtirlakṣmīrdhr̥tirmedhā puṣṭiḥ śraddhā kriyā tathā।। 1.67.14
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.
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buddhirlajjā matiścaiva patnyo dharmasya tā daśa। dvārāṇyetāni dharmasya vihitāni svayaṁbhuvā।। 1.67.15</blockquote>The Bhagavata Purana mentions that Prasuti, daughter of [[Manu (मनु)|Manu]], married Daksha, the son of Brahma. They had 16 daughters. Shraddha was one of their 13 daughters given in marriage to Dharma. The others being Maitri, Daya, Shanti, Tushti, Pushti, Kriya, Unnati, Buddhi, Medha, Titiksha, Hri and Murti.<ref name=":26">A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1972), Srimad Bhagavatam ([http://prabhupadabooks.com/pdf/sb4.1.pdf Fourth Canto-Part One]), The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.</ref><blockquote>प्रसूतिं मानवीं दक्ष उपयेमे ह्यजात्मजः । तस्यां ससर्ज दुहितॄः षोडशामललोचनाः ॥ ४७ ॥ त्रयोदशादाद्धर्माय ...
  
=== Devotees’ śraddhā: The highest ===
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श्रद्धा मैत्री दया शान्तिः तुष्टिः पुष्टिः क्रियोन्नतिः । बुद्धिर्मेधा तितिक्षा ह्रीः मूर्तिर्धर्मस्य पत्‍नयः ॥ ४९ ॥<ref name=":13">Bhagavata Purana, Skandha 4, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AA/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7 Adhyaya 1]</ref>
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.
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prasūtiṁ mānavīṁ dakṣa upayeme hyajātmajaḥ । tasyāṁ sasarja duhitr̥̄ḥ ṣoḍaśāmalalocanāḥ ॥ 47 ॥ trayodaśādāddharmāya ...
  
=== Śraddhā: For person, deity or śāstra ===
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śraddhā maitrī dayā śāntiḥ tuṣṭiḥ puṣṭiḥ kriyonnatiḥ । buddhirmedhā titikṣā hrīḥ mūrtirdharmasya pat‍nayaḥ ॥ 49 ॥</blockquote>The Vayu Purana also mentions that Prasuti, daughter of Manu and Shatarupa, was given in marriage to Daksha. They begot 24 daughters who are known as mothers of the universe. 13 of them including Shraddha viz. Lakshmi, Dhrti, Tushti, Pushti, Medha, Kriya, Buddhi, Lajja, Vapu, Shasti, Siddhi and Kirti were given in marriage to Dharma. And as in the Mahabharata, these are stated as doors to Dharma.<blockquote>... स्वायंभुवः प्रसूतिं तु दक्षाय व्यसृजत्प्रभुः ॥ १७ ॥ ... स्वायंभुवसुतायां तु प्रसूत्यां लोकमातरः ॥ २२ ॥ तस्यां कन्याश्चतुर्विंशद्दक्षस्त्वनयत्प्रभुः । ... २३ ।
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.
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श्रद्धा लक्ष्मीर्धृतिस्तुष्टिः पुष्टिर्मेधा क्रिया तथा । बुद्धिर्लज्जा वपुःशान्तिः सिद्धिः कीर्तिस्त्रयोदशी ॥ २५ ॥
  
=== Śraddhā shapes a person ===
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पत्न्यर्थे प्रतिजाग्रह धर्मो दाक्षायणीः प्रभुः । द्वाराण्येतानि चैवास्य विहितानि स्वयंभुवा ॥ २६ ॥<ref name=":23">Rampratap Tripathi Shastri (1987), [https://archive.org/details/VayuPuranam/page/n103/mode/2up Vayu Puranam], Allahabad: Hindi Sahitya Sammelan.</ref>
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.
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... svāyaṁbhuvaḥ prasūtiṁ tu dakṣāya vyasr̥jatprabhuḥ ॥ 17 ॥ ... svāyaṁbhuvasutāyāṁ tu prasūtyāṁ lokamātaraḥ ॥ 22 ॥ tasyāṁ kanyāścaturviṁśaddakṣastvanayatprabhuḥ । ... 23 ।
  
=== Absence of śraddhā: Making everything inauspicious ===
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śraddhā lakṣmīrdhr̥tistuṣṭiḥ puṣṭirmedhā kriyā tathā । buddhirlajjā vapuḥśāntiḥ siddhiḥ kīrtistrayodaśī ॥ 25 ॥
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.
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patnyarthe pratijāgraha dharmo dākṣāyaṇīḥ prabhuḥ । dvārāṇyetāni caivāsya vihitāni svayaṁbhuvā ॥ 26 ॥</blockquote>These very details are enumerated also in,
  
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.
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# Vishnu Purana (Amsha 1, Adhyaya 7, verses 17-24)<ref name=":24">Vishnu Purana, Amsha 1, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AD Adhyaya 7]</ref>
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# Shiva Purana (Rudra Samhita, Srshti Khanda, Adhyaya 16, Verses 12-20)<ref>Shiva Purana, Samhita 2 (Rudra Samhita), Khanda 1 (Srshti Khanda), [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A5%A8_(%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE)/%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7_(%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9F%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%83)/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AC Adhyaya 16]</ref>
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# Saura Purana<ref>Snigdha Mohanty (2004), The Saura Purana - A Critical Study ([https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/129627/8/08_chapter%203.pdf Chapter 3]), Orissa: Utkal University.</ref>
  
=== Discussion ===
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* Furthermore, the Vayu Purana (Adhyaya 10, verse 34)<ref name=":23" />, Vishnu Purana (Amsha 1, Adhyaya 7, verse 28)<ref name=":24" /> and Markandeya Purana (Adhyaya 50, verse 25)<ref>Markandeya Purana, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A6%E0%A5%AA%E0%A5%AC-%E0%A5%A6%E0%A5%AB%E0%A5%A6 Adhyaya 50]</ref> mention that Shraddha is the mother of Kama. And the Bhagavata Purana (Skandha 4, Adhyaya 1, verse 50)<ref name=":13" /> states that Shraddha gave birth to Shubha.
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;
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* There are a couple of more occurances of Shraddha in the Bhagavata Purana as follows:
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The Bhagavata Purana (in Skandhas 3<ref>A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1974), Srimad Bhagavatam ([http://prabhupadabooks.com/pdf/SB3.3.pdf Third Canto-Part 3]), The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.</ref> and 4<ref name=":26" />) describes Shraddha as one of the nine daughters of Kardama Muni and Devahuti (daughter of Svayambhuva Manu and Shatarupa) who was given in marrriage to Rshi [[Angirasa (अङ्गिरसः)|Angiras]]. It also states that Shraddha and Rshi Angiras had 4 daughters viz. Sinivali, Kuhu, Raka and Anumati and 2 sons viz. Utatthya and Brhaspati.<ref name=":25" /><blockquote>देवहूतिमदात् तात कर्दमायात्मजां मनुः । तत्संबन्धि श्रुतप्रायं भवता गदतो मम ॥ १० ॥ 
  
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.
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याः कर्दमसुताः प्रोक्ता नव ब्रह्मर्षिपत्‍नयः । तासां प्रसूतिप्रसवं प्रोच्यमानं निबोध मे ॥ १२ ॥
  
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.
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श्रद्धा त्वङ्‌गिरसः पत्‍नी चतस्रोऽसूत कन्यकाः । सिनीवाली कुहू राका चतुर्थ्यनुमतिस्तथा ॥ ३४ ॥
  
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.
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तत्पुत्रावपरावास्तां ख्यातौ स्वारोचिषेऽन्तरे । उतथ्यो भगवान् साक्षात् ब्रह्मिष्ठश्च बृहस्पतिः ॥ ३५ ॥<ref name=":13" />
  
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.
+
devahūtimadāt tāta kardamāyātmajāṁ manuḥ । tatsaṁbandhi śrutaprāyaṁ bhavatā gadato mama ॥ 10 ॥
  
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.
+
yāḥ kardamasutāḥ proktā nava brahmarṣipat‍nayaḥ । tāsāṁ prasūtiprasavaṁ procyamānaṁ nibodha me ॥ 12 ॥
  
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>
+
śraddhā tvaṅ‌girasaḥ pat‍nī catasro'sūta kanyakāḥ । sinīvālī kuhū rākā caturthyanumatistathā ॥ 34 ॥
  
== Shraddha as a Deity ==
+
tatputrāvaparāvāstāṁ khyātau svārociṣe'ntare । utathyo bhagavān sākṣāt brahmiṣṭhaśca br̥haspatiḥ ॥ 35 ॥</blockquote>
in RV. x , 151 invoked as a deity
 
  
=== In the Brahmanas ===
+
In the 9th Skandha<ref>A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1977), Srimad Bhagavatam ([http://prabhupadabooks.com/pdf/SB9.1.pdf Ninth Canto-Part 1]), The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.</ref>, while describing the lineage of Vaivasvata Manu, the Bhagavata Purana states that Shraddha was the wife of Shraddhadeva Manu (the son of Vivasvan and Samjna). They had 10 sons viz. Ikshvaku, Nrga, Sharyati, Dishta, Dhrshta, Karushaka, Narishyanta, Prshadhra, Nabhaga and Kavi. There is also mention of birth of a daughter Ila as result of observing Payovrata.<ref>V.R. Ramachandra Dikshitar (1955), The Purana Index ([https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.135249/page/n483/mode/2up?view=theater Vol. 3]), University of Madras.</ref><blockquote>मरीचिः मनसस्तस्य जज्ञे तस्यापि कश्यपः । दाक्षायण्यां ततोऽदित्यां विवस्वान् अभवत् सुतः ॥ १० ॥
in TBr. she is the daughter of प्रजा-पति, and in S3Br. of the Sun ;
 
  
=== In the Itihasa and Puranas ===
+
ततो मनुः श्राद्धदेवः संज्ञायामास भारत । श्रद्धायां जनयामास दश पुत्रान् स आत्मवान् ॥ ११ ॥
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.
+
इक्ष्वाकुनृगशर्याति दिष्टधृष्ट करूषकान् । नरिष्यन्तं पृषध्रं च नभगं च कविं विभुः ॥ १२ ॥<ref name=":14">Bhagavata Purana, Skandha 9, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AF/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7 Adhyaya 1]</ref>
  
Dharmadeva had a son named kāma by śraddhā. (viṣṇu purāṇa, Part 1, Chapter 7).
+
marīciḥ manasastasya jajñe tasyāpi kaśyapaḥ । dākṣāyaṇyāṁ tato'dityāṁ vivasvān abhavat sutaḥ ॥ 10 ॥
  
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).
+
tato manuḥ śrāddhadevaḥ saṁjñāyāmāsa bhārata । śraddhāyāṁ janayāmāsa daśa putrān sa ātmavān ॥ 11 ॥
  
Wisdom library
+
ikṣvākunr̥gaśaryāti diṣṭadhr̥ṣṭa karūṣakān । nariṣyantaṁ pr̥ṣadhraṁ ca nabhagaṁ ca kaviṁ vibhuḥ ॥ 12 </blockquote>
 
 
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.
 
 
 
Mahabharata
 
 
 
अग्रे सर्वेषु यज्ञेषु श्रद्धायज्ञो विधीयते। 12.59.44 (60.40)
 
 
 
दैवतं हि महच्छ्रद्धा पवित्रं यजतां च यत्। 12.59.44 (60.41)
 
 
 
यज्ञो मनीषया तात सर्ववर्णेषु भारत।। 47
 
 
 
नास्य यज्ञकृतो देवा ईहन्ते नेतरे जनाः। ततः सर्वेषु वर्णेषु श्रद्धायज्ञो विधीयते।। 48<ref>Mahabharata, Shanti Parva, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D-12-%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5-059 Adhyaya 59]</ref>
 
 
 
=== 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)
 
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==
 
<references />
 
<references />
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[[Category:Bhagavad Gita]]
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[[Category:Darshanas]]
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[[Category:Devatas]]
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[[Category:Mahabharata]]
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[[Category:Puranas]]
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[[Category:Vedanta]]

Latest revision as of 10:32, 8 April 2023

Shraddha (Samskrit: श्रद्धा) as a concept broadly refers to firm belief towards a deity, person or shastra.[1] As a quality, it is described as the rudimentary stage of Bhakti.[2] Shraddha is also a deity in the Rgveda.[3] And is seen personified across Vedic literature from the Brahmanas to the Itihasas and Puranas.[4] 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[5][1]

Simply put, Shraddha is an emotion one has for a deity, person or shastra (any scriptural text or injunctions that guide human behaviour).[1] It is the ability or quality to believe in what one does not see and its reward is in seeing what was believed in.[6] 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.[1] It reflects the firm conviction of a bhakta that all of one’s obligations will be fulfilled by adhering to the path of bhakti.[7] 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.[8][9]

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.[1]

श्रद्धायाः महत्त्वम् ॥ Greatness of Shraddha

The Samskrit dictionary, Shabdakalpadruma[10], 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 ॥[11]

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.[1]

श्रद्धाप्रकाराः ॥ Types of Shraddha

Shabdakalpadruma[11] quotes the verses 17.2, 17.3 and 17.4 from the Bhagavad Gita and states,

सा (श्रद्धा) त्रिविधा ।[10] 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॥[12] 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.[13] 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[1] that reads as,

ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः । तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ॥१७.१॥[12] 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[1], 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.[13]

सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत । श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः ॥१७.३॥[12]

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.[1] 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.[14] Thus, Shraddha has the ability to shape a person.[1] 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॥[12]

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.[13][1]

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.[1]

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.[1]

यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् । यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ॥१८.५॥[15]

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.[1]

श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ॥१७.१३॥[12] śraddhāvirahitaṁ yajñaṁ tāmasaṁ paricakṣate ॥17.13॥

This verse acts as both, a prohibition against performing a yajna without shraddha and an instruction for performing yajna with shraddha.[1] Similarly, in case of tapa, which is threefold in nature (kayika, vachika and manasika), it is said that tapa practised with shraddha by people who desire no fruit and are devoted is called Sattvika tapa.[16]

श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः । अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ॥१७.१७॥[12]

śraddhayā parayā taptaṁ tapastattrividhaṁ naraiḥ । aphalākāṅkṣibhiryuktaiḥ sāttvikaṁ paricakṣate ॥17.17॥

Infact, the Bhagavad Gita further emphasizes that 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.[1]

अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् । असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह ॥१७.२८॥[12]

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.

Infact, Prof. Dharm Bhawuk in his research explains that dana-tapas, karma-tapas, karma-yajna, dana-yajna and tapas-yajna are pairs of constructs that not only intercorrelate but also share common semantic spaces. And what is central to all the activities is that if yajna, dana, tapas and karma are performed with shraddha, it makes these four activities part of sat or truth. While, its absence makes them go futile as they lose their relationships. Thus, shraddha occupies a central position in the nomological network of yajna, dana, tapas and karma.[1]

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.[1]

यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति । तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम् ॥७.२१॥[17]

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.[1]

स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते । लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान्हि तान् ॥७.२२॥[17]

sa tayā śraddhayā yuktastasyārādhanamīhate । labhate ca tataḥ kāmānmayaiva vihitānhi tān ॥7.22॥

Furthermore, he also states in verse 9.23 that even if shraddha is placed in other deities, and not in Shri Krishna, such shraddha is still placed in him.[1]

येऽप्यन्यदेवताभक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः । तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम् ॥९.२३॥[18]

ye'pyanyadevatābhaktā yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ । te'pi māmeva kaunteya yajantyavidhipūrvakam ॥9.23॥

Meaning: Those devotees who worship other devas with shraddha are still worshipping Shri Krishna, albeit not following proper procedure.

Therefore, shraddha never gets misplaced and always bears fruit. It is something that brings one to Shri Krishna and also continues to bring the blessings of Shri Krishna to the devotees, whoever and however they worship. It is indeed, a gift of the Supreme, a divine grace.[1]

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.[19]

This emphasizes on the importance of cultivating shraddha for a person (Guru) or Shastra.[1]

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.[1] He says,

कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेताः । यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् ॥२.७॥[20]

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.[1]

नष्टो मोहः स्मृतिर्लब्धा त्वत्प्रसादान्मयाच्युत । स्थितोऽस्मि गतसन्देहः करिष्ये वचनं तव ॥१८.७३॥[15]

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.[1]

शास्त्रेषु श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in Shastras

Adhyaya 12 (Bhakti Yoga) 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.[1] The concluding verse of this adhyaya reads as follows:

ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते । श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ॥१२.२०॥[21]

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.[1]

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॥[22]

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.[23] 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.[24]

ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः । श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभिः ॥३.३१॥[22]

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). Building on this, Shri Krishna, in the following verses, also emphasises the merit of studying the Bhagavad Gita and tells Arjuna that those who have shraddha and are also not envious (anasūyaḥ), they definitely become free and go to auspicious places (beyond earth) because of their meritorious karma or actions even by merely listening to the dialogue (in the Bhagavad Gita); thereby, enumerating the fruit of having shraddha for shastra granthas like the Bhagavad Gita.[1]

अध्येष्यते च य इमं धर्म्यं संवादमावयोः । ज्ञानयज्ञेन तेनाहमिष्टः स्यामिति मे मतिः ॥१८.७०॥

श्रद्धावाननसूयश्च शृणुयादपि यो नरः । सोऽपि मुक्तः शुभाँल्लोकान्प्राप्नुयात्पुण्यकर्मणाम् ॥१८.७१॥[15]

adhyeṣyate ca ya imaṁ dharmyaṁ saṁvādamāvayoḥ । jñānayajñena tenāhamiṣṭaḥ syāmiti me matiḥ ॥18.70॥

śraddhāvānanasūyaśca śr̥ṇuyādapi yo naraḥ । so'pi muktaḥ śubhām̐llokānprāpnuyātpuṇyakarmaṇām ॥18.71॥

On the other hand, in verse 9.3, Shri Krishna enumerates the fruit of not fostering shraddha in the teachings of Shri Krishna.[1] He says,

अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप । अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि ॥९.३॥[18]

aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa । aprāpya māṁ nivartante mr̥tyusaṁsāravartmani ॥9.3॥

Meaning: People without shraddha in the teachings of Shri Krishna go through the cycle of life and death without attaining moksha.

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.[1]

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.[1]

श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः । ४.३९ ।[25] 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.[1]

प्रणिपातादिस्तु बाह्योऽनैकान्तिकोऽपि भवति मायावित्वादिसंभवात् न तु तत् श्रद्धावत्त्वादौ...[26] 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.[1] 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॥[27] śraddhāvīryasmr̥tisamādhiprajñāpūrvaka itareṣām ॥20॥

Meaning: To others (this Samadhi) comes through faith, energy, memory, concentration, and discrimination of the real.[28]Infact, Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita eulogises shraddha as the highest virtue and emphasizes that even among yogis (practitioners of yoga) the best is one who chants the name of Shri Krishna surrendering with shraddha.[1]

योगिनामपि सर्वेषां मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना । श्रद्धावान् भजते यो मां स मे युक्ततमो मतः ॥६.४७॥[29]

yogināmapi sarveṣāṁ madgatenāntarātmanā । śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ ॥6.47॥

This clearly lays out the importance of shraddha in the practice of spirituality.[1]

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 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.[14]

  • Character and the Need of Shraddha

The progress of Yoga is explained by Sri Aurobindo as 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 it 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.

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.

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.[14]

  • Importance of Shraddha in the Path of Integral Yoga

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.

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.

Moreover, he emphasizes that 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.[14]

  • Foundation of Divine Strength

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.

According to him, the highest state of 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.

This exposition on Shraddha, especially within the context of integral yoga, also exemplifies why, as agreed by Sri Aurobindo, the English word faith is inadequate to express the connotations of the concept of shraddha.[14]

साधकगुणः ॥ Quality of a Sadhaka

In verse 12.1 of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna asks Shri Krishna as to who is a better spiritual practitioner, one who follows bhaktiyoga (the path of devotion) or one who follows jnanayoga (the path of knowledge).[1]

एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते । ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ॥१२.१॥[21]

evaṁ satatayuktā ye bhaktāstvāṁ paryupāsate । ye cāpyakṣaramavyaktaṁ teṣāṁ ke yogavittamāḥ ॥12.1॥

In response to this, Shri Krishna replies that

मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते । श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ॥१२.२॥[21]

mayyāveśya mano ye māṁ nityayuktā upāsate । śraddhayā parayopetāste me yuktatamā matāḥ ॥12.2॥

Meaning: The best spiritual practitioner is one who fixes his or her mind on Shri Krishna and is always engaged in worshipping Shri Krishna with deep shraddha. In this context, it is noted that an earlier verse of the Bhagavad Gita mentions that only those who have shraddha obtain knowledge.[1]

श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं ... ॥४.३९॥[25] śraddhāvām̐llabhate jñānaṁ ... ॥4.39॥

Thus, shraddha is what describes a spiritual practitioner, both who practices bhaktiyoga (the path of devotion) and jnanayoga (the path of knowledge); thereby, establishing the unequivocal relevance of shraddha to both the paths ie. the path of knowledge and that of devotion. Moreover, in verse 12.2, Shri Krishna firmly states that the path of devotion is superior to the path of knowledge and uses shraddha to define devotion. And emphasizes in the concluding verse of the same adhyaya that enumerates on bhaktiyoga that those endowed with shraddha are dearest to Him.[1]

ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते । श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ॥१२.२०॥[21]

ye tu dharmyāmr̥tamidaṁ yathoktaṁ paryupāsate । śraddadhānā matparamā bhaktāste'tīva me priyāḥ ॥12.20॥

Thus, shraddha is a bhava (emotion) that one has for another person; in this case, Shri Krishna who is none other than the Supreme being personified. And the shraddha of a devotee is considered the highest of virtues.[1]

मोक्षसाधनत्वम् ॥ Shraddha as Moksha Sadhana

In the Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna says,

श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः । ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥४.३९॥[25]

śraddhāvām̐llabhate jñānaṁ tatparaḥ saṁyatendriyaḥ । jñānaṁ labdhvā parāṁ śāntimacireṇādhigacchati ॥4.39॥

Meaning: A person who has shraddha, is eagerly engaged in the spiritual practice that one has chosen and is in control of his or her senses, achieves jnana or knowledge of the self. And having attained knowledge, one immediately achieves unparalleled or supreme peace. Thus, the first line of this verse presents shraddha as antecedent of jnana with tatparaḥ ie. eager engagement in a spiritual practice and saṁyatendriyaḥ ie. practice of self-restraint moderating this relationship between shraddha and Jnana. And the second line points out to the consequence of achieving jnana ie. attaining immediate and unparalleled peace; which is interpreted as moksa by Adi Shankaracharya in his commentary on this verse.[1] He says,

ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परं मोक्षाख्यां शान्तिम् उपरतिम् अचिरेण क्षिप्रमेव अधिगच्छति।[26]

jñānaṁ labdhvā paraṁ mokṣākhyāṁ śāntim uparatim acireṇa kṣiprameva adhigacchati।

In short, shraddha is antecedent of jnana; while jnana (or knowledge) mediates between shraddha (reverence) and moksha. And since moksha is the highest pursuit of life in Bharata, the other three being dharma (duty), artha (wealth) and kama (pleasure), shraddha occupies an important place in the Bharatiya worldview.[1]

कालातीतं फलम् ॥ Everlasting Nature of the Fruit

The preceeding section elaborated on verse 4.39 that presented shraddha as a necessary condition for achieving jnana. Building on this, after the explanation of many other things, Arjuna asks Shri Krishna in verse 6.37[1],

अयतिः श्रद्धयोपेतो योगाच्चलितमानसः । अप्राप्य योगसंसिद्धिं कां गतिं कृष्ण गच्छति ॥६.३७॥[29]

ayatiḥ śraddhayopeto yogāccalitamānasaḥ । aprāpya yogasaṁsiddhiṁ kāṁ gatiṁ kr̥ṣṇa gacchati ॥6.37॥

Meaning: What happens ultimately to the person who has shraddha but fails to make the necessary effort or does not succeed in the path of spirituality because of unsteady manas or mind.

This is one of the many important questions Arjuna asks of Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. And in verses 6.40–6.47, Shri Krishna 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 even while transitioning to a new life. Thus, shraddha always bears fruits that are never lost; they do not diminish in value even with rebirth. It is highest of virtues with everlasting outcomes.[1]

श्रद्धाविहिनत्वम् ॥ Absence of Shraddha

It is already enumerated earlier in verse 4.39 that only those who have shraddha obtain knowledge.[1]

श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं ... ॥४.३९॥[25] śraddhāvām̐llabhate jñānaṁ ... ॥4.39॥

In continuity to this, Shri Krishna in the following verse says,

अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति । नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः ॥४.४०॥[25]

ajñaścāśraddadhānaśca saṁśayātmā vinaśyati । nāyaṁ loko'sti na paro na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ ॥4.40॥

Meaning: Those who are ignorant, without shraddha and sceptical are ruined and completely lose out on achievements both in this world and beyond, and also do not find happiness.

Thus, absence of Shraddha is equated to lack of knowledge, to being sceptical and shraddha itself is presented herein as a precondition of happiness.[1]

परिभाषासंहृतिः ॥ Synopsis of Construct Analysis[1]

The terms shraddha and ashraddha feature across 19 verses in the Bhagavad Gita. An analysis of these occurances brings to fore 9 themes surrounding the concept of shraddha; 8 from the analysis of the term shraddha and 1 from the analysis of ashraddha. These themes in turn help in deriving the definition of the construct of shraddha. A brief understanding of the construct shraddha derived in this way, through the analysis of the Bhagavad Gita verses, is enumerated below:

  1. There are many behavioural outcomes of shraddha such as not finding faults in others.
  2. Shraddha occupies a central place in whatever path of spirituality is followed. In fact, shraddha is considered integral to the procedure that makes efforts bear fruit in the practice of spirituality. Also, the value of an individual’s effort who is on the path of spirituality is not lost. Thus, shraddha always bears fruits.
  3. Shraddha is the antecedent of jnana. And since jnana acts as a mediator between shraddha and moksa, shraddha becomes an instrument for achieving moksa which is highest of the four purusharthas (life pursuits) prescribed for humans in the Bharatiya worldview; thereby emphasizing the importance of shraddha in the Bharatiya worldview.
  4. Shraddha is also used to explicate other constructs like yajna, tapas (austerities), dana (charity) and karma (action); thereby highlighting the importance of this construct in understanding Bharatiya worldview and psychology.
  5. Shraddha can be of several types. While it is noted that people can have shraddha for texts like the Bhagavad Gita, according to the Bhagavad Gita, the shraddha of a devotee following the path of devotion is of the highest type.
  6. Shraddha reflects the basic nature of people and a person may be seen more or less as personification of shraddha that expresses itself in very different kinds of behaviours that people engage in. Infact, it is believed that the basic nature of the optimists or pessimists (as known in the west) reflects shraddha of the person in self, others, society and the Divine. Based on this, Prof. Bhawuk in his research proposes that shraddha may be used as a foundational construct for understanding both positive and negative psychologies.
  7. From interpersonal perspective it is found that shraddha is an emotion that one has for another person. For example, a śraddhāvan student, much like Arjuna did to Shri Krishna, 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. These characteristics of shraddha based exchange between a teacher and a student will also apply to all superior–subordinate pairs 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 also. And as shastras or scriptural texts provide instructions in guiding human behaviour, they too are treated in the same manner by a śraddhāvan individual.
  8. It is also noted that though individual effort moderates the relation between shraddha and moksha, 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.

Such a complex understanding of the construct of shraddha cannot be captured by single word translation in English viz. faith. In fact, 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. Moreover, understanding shraddha is also likely to help us understand other major constructs as well as understand interpersonal relationships, since shraddha itself is the foundation of many relationships.

श्रद्धायज्ञः ॥ Shraddha Yajna

Mahabharata states that everyone was entitled to take the vow of performing Manasika Yajnas (symbolic yajnas) in the depth of their conscious mind. And all the devatas as well as humans desired to be part of such a manasika yajna because these yajnas were endowed with shraddha that made them extremely pure. Therefore, according to the Mahabharata, all varnas were entitled to perform Shraddha based Yajnas.[30]

यज्ञो मनीषया तात सर्ववर्णेषु भारत ॥ ४७ ॥ नास्य यज्ञकृतो देवा ईहन्ते नेतरे जनाः । ततः सर्वेषु वर्णेषु श्रद्धायज्ञो विधीयते ॥ ४८ ॥[31]

yajño manīṣayā tāta sarvavarṇeṣu bhārata ॥ 47 ॥

nāsya yajñakr̥to devā īhante netare janāḥ । tataḥ sarveṣu varṇeṣu śraddhāyajño vidhīyate ॥ 48 ॥

The Mahabharata also emphasizes therein that of all forms of Yajnas, Shraddha Yajna is the foremost as Shraddha is the greatest deity who purifies those performing the Yajnas.[30]

अग्रे सर्वेषु यज्ञेषु श्रद्धायज्ञो विधीयते । दैवतं हि महच्छ्रद्धा पवित्रं यजतां च यत् ॥४४॥[31]

agre sarveṣu yajñeṣu śraddhāyajño vidhīyate । daivataṁ hi mahacchraddhā pavitraṁ yajatāṁ ca yat ॥44॥

देवतास्वरूपम् ॥ Shraddha as a Deity

Shraddha is mentioned as the deity of the Rigvedic Sukta 10.151.[3] In the Devi Bhagavata, shraddha is one of the names attributed to Devi Mahamaya in the verses chanted in her praise by the Vedas in their incarnate form.[32]

वेदा ऊचुः | धीः श्रीः कान्तिः क्षमा शान्तिः श्रद्धा मेधा धृतिः स्मृतिः ॥ ५४ ॥[33]

vedā ūcuḥ | dhīḥ śrīḥ kāntiḥ kṣamā śāntiḥ śraddhā medhā dhr̥tiḥ smr̥tiḥ ॥ 54 ॥

ब्राह्मणेषु श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in the Brahmanas

The Shatapatha Brahmana describes shraddha as daughter of the Sun.

श्रद्धा वै सूर्यस्य दुहिता... ।१२.७.३.११।[34] śraddhā vai sūryasya duhitā... ।12.7.3.11।

This is reiterated in the Shanti parva of the Mahabharata that says,

श्रद्धा वै सात्विकी देवी सूर्यस्य दुहिता द्विज । १२.२७०.८[35] śraddhā vai sātvikī devī sūryasya duhitā dvija । 12.270.8

इतिहासपुराणेषु श्रद्धा ॥ Shraddha in the Itihasa and Puranas

Shraddha is personified at various instances across the Mahabharata and the Puranas. These instances are enumerated in brief below:

  • The Mahabharata, Bhagavata Purana, Vayu Purana, Vishnu Purana, Shiva Purana and Saura Purana describe shraddha as the daughter of Daksha and the wife of Dharma.

According to the Mahabharata, Daksha who was born off the right thumb of Brahma had 50 daughters from his wife. Shraddha was one among the 10 daughters he gave in marriage to Dharma. Others being Kirti, Lakshmi, Dhrti, Medha, Pushti, Kriya, Buddhi, Lajja and Mati. And it is interesting to note here that Brahma declares these 10 to be the doors of Dharma ie. that through which one may be initiated into Dharma.[36]

दक्षस्त्वजायताङ्गुष्ठाद्दक्षिणाद्भगवानृषिः ।... तस्यां पञ्चाशतं कन्याः स एवाजनयन्मुनिः ।। ददौ स दश धर्माय... १.६७.१०-१३

नामतो धर्मपत्न्यस्ताः कीर्त्यमाना निबोध मे। कीर्तिर्लक्ष्मीर्धृतिर्मेधा पुष्टिः श्रद्धा क्रिया तथा।। १.६७.१४

बुद्धिर्लज्जा मतिश्चैव पत्न्यो धर्मस्य ता दश। द्वाराण्येतानि धर्मस्य विहितानि स्वयंभुवा।। १.६७.१५[37]

dakṣastvajāyatāṅguṣṭhāddakṣiṇādbhagavānr̥ṣiḥ ।... tasyāṁ pañcāśataṁ kanyāḥ sa evājanayanmuniḥ ।।

dadau sa daśa dharmāya... 1.67.10-13

nāmato dharmapatnyastāḥ kīrtyamānā nibodha me। kīrtirlakṣmīrdhr̥tirmedhā puṣṭiḥ śraddhā kriyā tathā।। 1.67.14

buddhirlajjā matiścaiva patnyo dharmasya tā daśa। dvārāṇyetāni dharmasya vihitāni svayaṁbhuvā।। 1.67.15

The Bhagavata Purana mentions that Prasuti, daughter of Manu, married Daksha, the son of Brahma. They had 16 daughters. Shraddha was one of their 13 daughters given in marriage to Dharma. The others being Maitri, Daya, Shanti, Tushti, Pushti, Kriya, Unnati, Buddhi, Medha, Titiksha, Hri and Murti.[38]

प्रसूतिं मानवीं दक्ष उपयेमे ह्यजात्मजः । तस्यां ससर्ज दुहितॄः षोडशामललोचनाः ॥ ४७ ॥ त्रयोदशादाद्धर्माय ...

श्रद्धा मैत्री दया शान्तिः तुष्टिः पुष्टिः क्रियोन्नतिः । बुद्धिर्मेधा तितिक्षा ह्रीः मूर्तिर्धर्मस्य पत्‍नयः ॥ ४९ ॥[39]

prasūtiṁ mānavīṁ dakṣa upayeme hyajātmajaḥ । tasyāṁ sasarja duhitr̥̄ḥ ṣoḍaśāmalalocanāḥ ॥ 47 ॥ trayodaśādāddharmāya ...

śraddhā maitrī dayā śāntiḥ tuṣṭiḥ puṣṭiḥ kriyonnatiḥ । buddhirmedhā titikṣā hrīḥ mūrtirdharmasya pat‍nayaḥ ॥ 49 ॥

The Vayu Purana also mentions that Prasuti, daughter of Manu and Shatarupa, was given in marriage to Daksha. They begot 24 daughters who are known as mothers of the universe. 13 of them including Shraddha viz. Lakshmi, Dhrti, Tushti, Pushti, Medha, Kriya, Buddhi, Lajja, Vapu, Shasti, Siddhi and Kirti were given in marriage to Dharma. And as in the Mahabharata, these are stated as doors to Dharma.

... स्वायंभुवः प्रसूतिं तु दक्षाय व्यसृजत्प्रभुः ॥ १७ ॥ ... स्वायंभुवसुतायां तु प्रसूत्यां लोकमातरः ॥ २२ ॥ तस्यां कन्याश्चतुर्विंशद्दक्षस्त्वनयत्प्रभुः । ... २३ ।

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

पत्न्यर्थे प्रतिजाग्रह धर्मो दाक्षायणीः प्रभुः । द्वाराण्येतानि चैवास्य विहितानि स्वयंभुवा ॥ २६ ॥[40]

... svāyaṁbhuvaḥ prasūtiṁ tu dakṣāya vyasr̥jatprabhuḥ ॥ 17 ॥ ... svāyaṁbhuvasutāyāṁ tu prasūtyāṁ lokamātaraḥ ॥ 22 ॥ tasyāṁ kanyāścaturviṁśaddakṣastvanayatprabhuḥ । ... 23 ।

śraddhā lakṣmīrdhr̥tistuṣṭiḥ puṣṭirmedhā kriyā tathā । buddhirlajjā vapuḥśāntiḥ siddhiḥ kīrtistrayodaśī ॥ 25 ॥

patnyarthe pratijāgraha dharmo dākṣāyaṇīḥ prabhuḥ । dvārāṇyetāni caivāsya vihitāni svayaṁbhuvā ॥ 26 ॥

These very details are enumerated also in,

  1. Vishnu Purana (Amsha 1, Adhyaya 7, verses 17-24)[41]
  2. Shiva Purana (Rudra Samhita, Srshti Khanda, Adhyaya 16, Verses 12-20)[42]
  3. Saura Purana[43]
  • Furthermore, the Vayu Purana (Adhyaya 10, verse 34)[40], Vishnu Purana (Amsha 1, Adhyaya 7, verse 28)[41] and Markandeya Purana (Adhyaya 50, verse 25)[44] mention that Shraddha is the mother of Kama. And the Bhagavata Purana (Skandha 4, Adhyaya 1, verse 50)[39] states that Shraddha gave birth to Shubha.
  • There are a couple of more occurances of Shraddha in the Bhagavata Purana as follows:

The Bhagavata Purana (in Skandhas 3[45] and 4[38]) describes Shraddha as one of the nine daughters of Kardama Muni and Devahuti (daughter of Svayambhuva Manu and Shatarupa) who was given in marrriage to Rshi Angiras. It also states that Shraddha and Rshi Angiras had 4 daughters viz. Sinivali, Kuhu, Raka and Anumati and 2 sons viz. Utatthya and Brhaspati.[4]

देवहूतिमदात् तात कर्दमायात्मजां मनुः । तत्संबन्धि श्रुतप्रायं भवता गदतो मम ॥ १० ॥

याः कर्दमसुताः प्रोक्ता नव ब्रह्मर्षिपत्‍नयः । तासां प्रसूतिप्रसवं प्रोच्यमानं निबोध मे ॥ १२ ॥

श्रद्धा त्वङ्‌गिरसः पत्‍नी चतस्रोऽसूत कन्यकाः । सिनीवाली कुहू राका चतुर्थ्यनुमतिस्तथा ॥ ३४ ॥

तत्पुत्रावपरावास्तां ख्यातौ स्वारोचिषेऽन्तरे । उतथ्यो भगवान् साक्षात् ब्रह्मिष्ठश्च बृहस्पतिः ॥ ३५ ॥[39]

devahūtimadāt tāta kardamāyātmajāṁ manuḥ । tatsaṁbandhi śrutaprāyaṁ bhavatā gadato mama ॥ 10 ॥

yāḥ kardamasutāḥ proktā nava brahmarṣipat‍nayaḥ । tāsāṁ prasūtiprasavaṁ procyamānaṁ nibodha me ॥ 12 ॥

śraddhā tvaṅ‌girasaḥ pat‍nī catasro'sūta kanyakāḥ । sinīvālī kuhū rākā caturthyanumatistathā ॥ 34 ॥

tatputrāvaparāvāstāṁ khyātau svārociṣe'ntare । utathyo bhagavān sākṣāt brahmiṣṭhaśca br̥haspatiḥ ॥ 35 ॥

In the 9th Skandha[46], while describing the lineage of Vaivasvata Manu, the Bhagavata Purana states that Shraddha was the wife of Shraddhadeva Manu (the son of Vivasvan and Samjna). They had 10 sons viz. Ikshvaku, Nrga, Sharyati, Dishta, Dhrshta, Karushaka, Narishyanta, Prshadhra, Nabhaga and Kavi. There is also mention of birth of a daughter Ila as result of observing Payovrata.[47]

मरीचिः मनसस्तस्य जज्ञे तस्यापि कश्यपः । दाक्षायण्यां ततोऽदित्यां विवस्वान् अभवत् सुतः ॥ १० ॥

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

इक्ष्वाकुनृगशर्याति दिष्टधृष्ट करूषकान् । नरिष्यन्तं पृषध्रं च नभगं च कविं विभुः ॥ १२ ॥[48]

marīciḥ manasastasya jajñe tasyāpi kaśyapaḥ । dākṣāyaṇyāṁ tato'dityāṁ vivasvān abhavat sutaḥ ॥ 10 ॥

tato manuḥ śrāddhadevaḥ saṁjñāyāmāsa bhārata । śraddhāyāṁ janayāmāsa daśa putrān sa ātmavān ॥ 11 ॥

ikṣvākunr̥gaśaryāti diṣṭadhr̥ṣṭa karūṣakān । nariṣyantaṁ pr̥ṣadhraṁ ca nabhagaṁ ca kaviṁ vibhuḥ ॥ 12 ॥

References

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  3. 3.0 3.1 Rigveda, Mandala 10, Sukta 151
  4. 4.0 4.1 Vettam Mani (1975), Puranic Encyclopaedia, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
  5. Vaman Shivram Apte (1890), The Practical Sanskrit English Dictionary, Poona: Shiralkar & Co., See: Shraddha.
  6. K.V.Anantharaman (2010), Siva Gita A Critical Study. See: Faith (Glossary)
  7. Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja (2010), Sri Brhad Bhagavatamrta, Vrndavana: Gaudiya Vedanta Publications. See: Sraddha (Glossary)
  8. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (2003), Sri Bhajana Rahasya, Vrindavan: Gaudiya Vedanta Publications. See: Sraddha (Glossary)
  9. Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja (2015), Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Vrindavana: Gaudiya Vedanta Publications. See: Sraddha (Glossary)
  10. 10.0 10.1 Shabdakalpadruma, Part 5. See: Shraddha
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  17. 17.0 17.1 Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7 (Jnana Vijnana Yoga)
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  28. Swami Vivekananda, Patanjali Yoga Sutras
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