Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 17, verse 4 · Krishna
Bhagavad Gita 17.4 · Yajante Sattvika
यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः ।
प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥
yajante sāttvikā devānyakṣarakṣāṃsi rājasāḥ |
pretānbhūtagaṇāṃścānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ ||
Translation
Sattvic people worship the gods; rajasic people worship yakshas and rakshasas (spirits of wealth and power); and the others, the tamasic, worship ghosts and hosts of spirits.
Context
Spoken by Krishna in chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga — “The Three Kinds of Faith”, which has 28 verses.
Frequently asked questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 17.4 mean?
Sattvic people worship the gods; rajasic people worship yakshas and rakshasas (spirits of wealth and power); and the others, the tamasic, worship ghosts and hosts of spirits.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 17.4?
Krishna, speaking to Arjuna, in chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga (The Three Kinds of Faith).
Sanskrit text: traditional, public domain. Translation and explanation are our own.