Verse 17.1

अर्जुन उवाचये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयाऽन्विताः।तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः।।17.1।।

arjuna uvācha ye śhāstra-vidhim utsṛijya yajante śhraddhayānvitāḥ teṣhāṁ niṣhṭhā tu kā kṛiṣhṇa sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ

Meaning

Arjuna said, "Yo Krishna, what's the deal with people who, like, totally ignore the rules in the scriptures but still do their sacrifices with faith? Is that Sattva, Rajas, or Tamas?"

Commentary

Okay, so like, this chapter is all about three types of people, each vibing with their own type of faith. It's all about how they live their lives based on their own personal vibes—Sattvic, Rajasic, or Tamasic. Arjuna's like, 'Yo Krishna, the scriptures are, like, *so* hard to understand. Finding a guru who can actually explain them is even harder. Most people don't have the brainpower to really get it. Life's short, the scriptures are endless, and there are a million obstacles on the spiritual path. Plus, learning isn't always easy. And it's not like the scriptures always agree with each other! You said we can't get liberated without knowing the scriptures, but what about people who don't know them but still do good stuff? They do charity, rituals, worship—they're trying their best, copying what they see like a kid tracing letters or a blind person following someone who can see. What's their vibe? Is it Sattvic, Rajasic, or Tamasic? What's their fate?