अर्जुन उवाच | ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः | तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ||
arjuna uvāca ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ teṣāṁ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ
Translation
Arjuna said: What is the state of those who, setting aside the injunctions of scripture, perform sacrifice with faith, O Krishna? Is it sattva, rajas, or tamas?
Interpretation
Arjuna's question picks up from the end of Chapter 16: if scripture is the guide, what of those sincere spiritual seekers who follow their own faith and inner conviction rather than formal scripture? Is their faith valid? This is a remarkably generous question — Arjuna is asking about people who might be considered 'outside the tradition' but who are nonetheless sincere. Krishna's answer in Chapter 17 develops a sophisticated psychology of faith and action rooted in the three gunas, revealing that even outside formal structures, the quality of one's faith and action determines its spiritual merit.