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CHAPTER XVII, 3.
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ruinous to the self', -lust, anger, and likewise avarice; therefore one should abandon this triad. Released from these three ways to darkness, O son of Kunti! a man works out his own salvation, and then proceeds to the highest goal. He who abandoning scripture ordinances, acts under the impulse of desire, does not attain perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest goal. Therefore in discriminating between what should be done and what should not be done, your authority (must be) scripture. And knowing what is declared by the ordinances of scripture, you should perform action in this world.
CHAPTER XVII.
Arguna said: What is the state of those, O Krishna! who worship with faith, (but) abandoning scripture ordinances-goodness, passion, or darkness ?
The Deity said : Faith is of three kinds in embodied (beings), it is produced from dispositions'. It is of the quality of goodness, of the quality of passion, and of the quality of darkness. Hear about it. The faith of all, O descendant of Bharata ! is conformable to the
' I.e. rendering the self unfit for any of the highest ends of man.
'Here, says Sridhara, it is laid down that the triad is not to love got rid of save by following scripture rules.
"1.c. fitness for the attainment of the summum bonum. As 10 acting from desire, sce also p. 65.
• I.e. the result of the actions in a former birth, cf. p. 56 supra.
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