📿 Shloka Collection

Sattvanurupa Sarvasya

Gita 17.3 Bhagavad Gita
📖 Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 17 — Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga
सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत ।
श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः ॥
Sattvanurupa sarvasya shraddha bhavati bharata,
Shraddhamayo ayam purusho yo yacchraddhah sa eva sah.
सत्त्वानुरूपा
according to one's inner being
सर्वस्य
of everyone
श्रद्धा
faith
भवति
is
भारत
O Arjuna
श्रद्धामयः
made of faith
अयम्
this
पुरुषः
person
यः
who
यच्छ्रद्धः
of whatever faith
सः एव सः
that indeed is what they are

"Yo yacchraddhah sa eva sah" — whatever faith a person holds, that is what they are. This is one of the most quoted lines in the Gita, and for good reason. Krishna is saying something radical: a human being is defined by their faith.

Water takes the shape of whatever vessel holds it. Faith works the same way — it molds itself to a person's inner nature. A sattvic person is drawn to deities and wisdom. A rajasic person reaches for power and pleasure. A tamasic person drifts toward darkness and inertia.

The practical implication is clear. To elevate one's faith, one must refine one's inner nature. Faith does not change from the outside in. It changes from the inside out.

This shloka presents a foundational idea in Indian philosophy: identity is shaped by faith. The phrase "yo yacchraddhah sa eva sah" is among the most well-known in the Gita. The next shloka immediately applies this principle by showing whom the three types of people choose to worship.

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