Sattvika Shraddha

Shraddha is a complex term which signifiesगुरु्दिष्वेिान्वाक्ेषुयवश्वासः, ‘faith in the words of the guru and scriptures’1 and सयभि््ह्ा वस्ू्लभ््े, ‘by which the Truth is comprehended’.2 It is simply translated into English as ‘faith’ for want of a better word.

- SWAMI SATYAPRIYANANDA

The Bhagavad-Gita states that “the faith of each person is according to his constitution. ‘A person is made up of one’s faith: one verily is what one’s faith is.’”3 This faith can be of three types: sattvika, rajasika, and tamasika. Amongst these three types, people with the sattvika faith are the best: 1) they worship gods alone, 2) they take foods that augment life, energy, strength, health, happiness and joy, and which are savoury, oleaginous, nourishing and agreeable, 3) they perform sacrifice according to scriptural injunctions desiring no fruit and fixing their minds on sacrifice for its own sake, 4) they perform physical, mental and verbal austerity with supreme faith and a concentrated mind desiring no fruit, 5) they offer gifts in a fit place and time, and to a worthy person who will do no service in return.

Such a sattvik person feels very irritated in the presence of one who acts without sattivka faith. His shraddha then flares up and he speaks out without any reservation or fear. We see this in the life of Nachiketa as narrated in the Katha Upanishad. Both the father and the son were gifted with this quality of faith and it is no wonder that the father decided to perform the