Chapter 17 of 18 · 28 verses · 9 min
Bhagavad Gita chapter 17: You are what you trust
“You are what you trust.” Everyday habits — food, effort, giving — sorted by the three moods.
“A person is made of their faith — as their faith is, so are they.” Using the three moods of nature, Krishna sorts everyday habits into clear, light-filled versions and heavy, self-serving ones: the food you eat, the way you work on yourself, the way you give. It's surprisingly practical — honest speech that doesn't wound, generosity that expects nothing back, discipline without self-punishment.
The line to remember · 17.3“A person is made of their faith.”All 28 verses — tap any one to read it
- 17.1Arjuna asks: “What about people with faith who don’t follow the rules?”
- 17.2“Everyone’s faith is shaped by their nature — calm, restless or dull.”
- 17.3“You become what you believe in.” — choose your beliefs with care.
- 17.4“Calm people worship God; restless people worship power; dull people worship fear.”
- 17.5“Some people hurt themselves to look holy.”
- 17.6“That hurts the body — and God within it.”
- 17.7“Food, prayer, discipline and giving each come in three kinds.”
- 17.8“Calm people like fresh, healthy food that gives energy and joy.”
- 17.9“Restless people like very spicy, salty, sour food that upsets the body.”
- 17.10“Dull people like stale, old, spoiled food.”
- 17.11“A gift to God given just because it’s right, with no reward wanted, is pure.”
- 17.12“A gift given to show off is restless.”
- 17.13“A gift given without love or care is dull.”
- 17.14“Respect elders, stay clean, be honest and never hurt anyone — that is caring for your body.”
- 17.15“Speak words that are true, kind and helpful, and never hurtful.” — the golden rule of speaking.
- 17.16“Be calm, gentle, quiet and pure-hearted — that is caring for your mind.”
- 17.17“Done with faith and no wish for reward, this is pure practice.”
- 17.18“Doing good just to be praised doesn’t last.”
- 17.19“Hurting yourself or others is never good practice.”
- 17.20“The best gift is given freely, to someone who can’t pay you back.”
- 17.21“A gift given to get something back is not the best.”
- 17.22“A gift given rudely or to the wrong person does no good.”
- 17.23“‘Om Tat Sat’ are three sacred names of God.”
- 17.24“Good actions begin with ‘Om’.”
- 17.25“‘Tat’ reminds us to give without wanting anything back.”
- 17.26“‘Sat’ means true and good.”
- 17.27“Steady goodness is also called ‘Sat’.”
- 17.28“Good acts done without faith don’t help much.”
Traditional summary
Sraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga: Yoga through Discerning the Three Divisions of Faith
The seventeenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is Sraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga. In this chapter, Krishna describes the three types of faith corresponding to the three modes of the material nature. Lord Krishna further reveals that it is the nature of faith that determines the quality of life and the character of living entities. Those who have faith in passion and ignorance perform actions that yield temporary, material results while those who have faith in goodness perform actions in accordance with scriptural instructions and hence their hearts get further purified.
