Śraddhā-Trayā-Vibhāga Yoga · Verse 1
अर्जुन उवाच | ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः | तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः
arjuna uvāca | ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ | teṣāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ
Those who, abandoning the precept of scripture, sacrifice with faith — what is their firmness, oh Kṛṣṇa? Is it sattva, or rajas, or tamas?
Arjuna raises a practical question. He knows that scripture should be followed (BG 16.23-24), but many act with śraddhā (faith) yet utsṛjya (abandoning) the regulations.
He asks about their niṣṭhā — firmness, conviction, stable state. Which guṇa predominates? Sattva (luminosity), rajas (activity), or tamas (inertia)? This initiates the analysis of śraddhā (faith) according to the three qualities.