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TEXT 3 sattvanurupa sarvasya
SYNONYMS  sattva-anurupa--according
to the existence; sarvasya--of everyone; sraddha--faith;
bhavati--becomes; bharata--O son of Bharata; sraddha--faith;
mayah--full; ayam--this; purusah--living entity; yah--anyone;
yat--that; sraddhah--faith; sah--that; eva--certainly;
sah--he.
TRANSLATION According
to one's existence under the various modes of nature, one evolves a particular
kind of faith. The living being is said to be of a particular faith according
to the modes he has acquired.
PURPORT Everyone has
a particular type of faith, regardless of what he is. But his faith is
considered good, passionate or ignorant according to the nature he has
acquired. Thus, according to his particular type of faith, one associates
with certain persons. Now the real fact is that every living being, as
is stated in the Fifteenth Chapter, is originally the fragmental part and
parcel of the Supreme Lord. Therefore one is originally transcendental
to all the modes of material nature. But when one forgets his relationship
with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and comes into contact with the
material nature in conditional life, he generates his own position by association
with the different varieties of material nature. The resultant artificial
faith and existence are only material. Although one may be conducted by
some impression, or some conception of life, still, originally, he is nirguna,
or transcendental. Therefore one has to become cleansed of the material
contamination that he has acquired in order to regain his relationship
with the Supreme Lord. That is the only path back without fear: Krsna consciousness.
If one is situated in Krsna consciousness, then that path is guaranteed
for his elevation to the perfectional stage. If one does not take to this
path of self-realization, then he is surely to be conducted by the influence
of the modes of nature.
The word
sattva, or faith, is very significant in this verse. Sattva
or faith always comes out of the works of goodness. One's faith may be
in a demigod or some created God or some mental concoction. It is supposed
to be one's strong faith in something that is productive of the works of
material goodness. But in material conditional life, no works of material
nature are completely purified. They are mixed. They are not in pure goodness.
Pure goodness is transcendental; in purified goodness one can understand
the real nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As long as one's
faith is not completely in purified goodness, the faith is subject to contamination
by any of the modes of material nature. The contaminated modes of material
nature expand to the heart. Therefore according to the position of the
heart in contact with a particular mode of material nature, one's faith
is established. It should be understood, that if one's heart is in the
mode of goodness, his faith is also in the mode of goodness. If his heart
is in the mode of passion, his faith is also in the mode of passion. And
if his heart is in the mode of darkness, illusion, his faith is also thus
contaminated. Thus we find different types of faith in this world, and
there are different types of religions due to different types of faith.
The real principle of religious faith is situated in the mode of pure goodness,
but because the heart is tainted, we find different types of religious
principles. Thus according to different types of faith, there are different
kinds of worship.
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