As a preface to his discourse, the Lord says that ‘faith’ (Shraddhaa) itself is of three kinds: the divine, the undivine, and the diabolic. Shraddhaa determines the texture of our impressions (vasanas) in us, which, in their turn, command our view-of-life. Our desires, thoughts, and actions are charted by our view-of-life. Naturally, an individual’s physical activities, psychological behaviours, and intellectual make-up are all ordered by the type of Shraddhaa he has come to maintain in himself. And, if the Shraddhaa is of the wrong type, the entire expression of his personality, in all walks of life and in every field of endeavour, can only be ugly. As his inner disposition, so will be the man. The more an individual identifies himself with his physical sheath, the more crystallised becomes his ego, under the influence of his inner disposition. The temperaments that rule the behaviours of the human are three in number, the ‘Good’ (Sattwic), the ‘Passionate’ (Rajasic) and the ‘Dull’ (Tamasic).

WHY SHOULD WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THESE TEMPERAMENTS AT ALL, AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE TYPES OF FAITH AND THEIR PLAY IN LIFE? THESE ARE EXPLAINED IN THE FOLLOWING:

Sa, that; sraddha, faith, the state about which you ask; dehinam, of the embodied beings; svabhavaja, born of their own nature-by svabhava (nature) is meant that latent impression of virtuous acts etc. acquired in the past lives, which becomes manifest at the time of death; what arises out of that is svabhavaja-; is trividha, threefold, of three kinds; sattviki, born of sattva, and related to worship of gods, etc.; rajasi, born of rajas, concerning worship of Yaksas (a class of demi-gods, Kubera and others), Raksas (ogres, Nairrti and others); and tamasi, born of tamas, concerning worship of ghosts, goblins and others. Thus it is of three kinds. Srnu, hear; tam, about it, that faith, as it is being stated. That (faith) is threefold as follows: