सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत । श्रद्धामयो ऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धाः स एव सः ॥
sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata | śraddhā-mayo 'yaṃ puruṣo yo yac-chraddhāḥ sa eva saḥ ||
Faith follows one's inner nature. The person IS their śraddhā — whatever one's faith is, that is exactly what one is.
Word by word (3)
- sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata
- — the śraddhā (faith) of each person (sarvasya) arises in accordance with (anurūpā) their sattva (here = inner nature/quality of being), O Bharata — śraddhā mirrors one's inner constitution
- śraddhā-mayo 'yaṃ puruṣaḥ
- — this person (ayam puruṣaḥ) is made of/consists of (mayaḥ = full of/made of) śraddhā — the person is their śraddhā at the core
- yo yac-chraddhāḥ sa eva saḥ
- — whoever (yaḥ) has whatever (yat) śraddhā — he is (sa eva saḥ) exactly that — the complete identity equation: person = faith, faith = person
Each person's faith is in accord with their inner nature, O Arjuna. A person is entirely composed of their faith — whatever one's faith is, that is what one truly is.
A modern analogy
A mirror shows exactly what stands before it — nothing more, nothing less. Śraddhā is the mirror of the inner self. You can observe a person's śraddhā — what they sincerely trust, value, and are willing to act from — and you know exactly who they are. Not what they claim to be, not what their family expects, but what they ARE.
V3 is the philosophical heart of Ch.17: the equation 'yo yat-śraddhāḥ sa eva saḥ' — a person IS their śraddhā. This verse is to Ch.17 what V6 is to Ch.15 (na tad bhāsayate) and V15 is to Ch.15 (hṛdi saṃnivisṭaḥ) — the verse where the chapter's deepest insight crystallizes. After two verses of structural setup (V2: three types; V1: the question), V3 cuts to the ontological core. The chapter then spends V4-28 elaborating what different śraddhās look like in practice.
Śraddhā-maya (made of śraddhā) uses the -maya suffix that normally indicates 'full of' or 'consisting of' — like ānanda-maya (bliss-sheath) in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad. By calling the puruṣa 'śraddhā-maya,' the verse says the deepest layer of a person's identity is their faith-orientation. This is not a psychological observation but an ontological one: at the core, what you truly, unconditionally trust and value IS you. This is why changing one's śraddhā changes the person fundamentally.
Advaita lens
If the puruṣa is śraddhā-maya, and śraddhā is the mirror of ātman, then the work of jñāna-yoga is precisely: shift the śraddhā from the finite (body, ego, sense-objects) to the Infinite (Brahman). When śraddhā rests completely in Brahman, the puruṣa IS Brahman — the person who has placed all trust in the Self becomes the Self. The equation 'yo yat-śraddhāḥ sa eva saḥ' is therefore both a description and a direction.
Bhakti lens
For the bhakta, this verse is immensely liberating: whatever you sincerely trust and love IS what you are. A devotee who places their complete trust in Krishna IS, at the core, that love. The object of śraddhā shapes the śraddhā, which IS the person. This is why bhaktas become God-colored: not metaphorically but in the deepest sense — yo yat-śraddhāḥ sa eva saḥ. The bhakta whose śraddhā is Krishna-śraddhā IS, at the deepest level, Krishna-natured.
Karma-Yoga lens
For the karma-yogin, V3 reveals the foundational importance of intention. Actions are not judged only by their outer form but by the śraddhā-quality from which they arise. A karma-yogin who acts from sāttvikī śraddhā (trust in dharma, in the cosmic order, in the Divine as witness) creates sattvic karma. The same outer action from rājasī śraddhā (trust in personal reward) creates rajasic karma. The inner disposition IS the action's deepest quality.
Public-domain translations (4) compare all →
MISSING — SH Ch.17 V3 not indexed; Ganguli and Telang used as primary. [1]
The Shraddha of each is according to his natural disposition, O descendant of Bharata. The man consists of his Shraddha; he verily is what his Shraddha is. [4]
The faith of every one, O Arjuna, is conformable to his nature. A person here is full of faith; and whatever is one's faith, one is even that. [9]
The faith of one, O Bharata, is conformable to his own nature. A being here is full of faith; and whatever is one's faith, one is even that. [13]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Freedom from karma's bonds does not come from inaction. Perfection does not come from mere renunciation.
Whatever form a devotee seeks to worship with śraddhā — that very faith I make unwavering.
Where yogeśvara Kṛṣṇa is, where archer Pārtha stands — there abide fortune, victory, flourishing, and steadfast dharma.
Practice this teaching with faith and without fault-finding — you are freed from karma. No full understanding required.
The faithful, devoted, sense-controlled person attains jñāna — and quickly reaches supreme peace.
With that faith, the devotee worships that deity and gains the desired objects — these being dispensed by Me alone.