Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17
Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga — శ్రద్ధాత్రయ విభాగ యోగం
28 verses · The Three Types of Faith
Krishna classifies faith (shraddha) according to the three gunas — Sattvic faith (worship of gods, scripture-based), Rajasic faith (worship of yakshas, ego-based), Tamasic faith (worship of ghosts, ignorance-based). He then categorizes food, sacrifice, charity, austerity, and even speech by guna. The famous "Om Tat Sat" formula concludes the chapter — these three syllables are the highest indicators of the Brahman.
Key Verse
ॐ तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः — Om Tat Sat — this is the threefold designation of Brahman.
Oṃ Tat Sad iti nirdeśo Brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ smṛtaḥ
ఓం తత్ సత్ — ఇది బ్రహ్మను సూచించే మూడు అక్షరాలు
Spiritual Lesson
Use "Om Tat Sat" to mark the beginning and end of any spiritual practice — it sanctifies the action as a Brahman-offering.
Where Chapter 17 sits in the Bhagavad Gita
Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga is the 17th of the Bhagavad Gita's eighteen chapters and runs to 28 verses. The longest of the eighteen is Chapter 18 at 78 verses and the shortest are Chapter 12 and Chapter 15 at 20 verses, so this one sits toward the shorter end of that range. Its name is written శ్రద్ధాత్రయ విభాగ యోగం in Telugu, and in English it is given as the Three Types of Faith.
It follows Chapter 16, Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga, the Divine and Demonic Qualities, and runs on into Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, the Yoga of Liberation through Renunciation. The eighteen chapters are one continuous conversation rather than eighteen separate readings, so a chapter read on its own carries the argument of the one before it. All eighteen chapters are listed here.
Questions about Chapter 17
How many verses are in Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17?
Chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga, has 28 verses. Chapter lengths across the Gita are uneven, and this page publishes the count for this chapter alone rather than a running total, because editions differ over how one chapter is numbered.
What does Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga mean?
In English it is given as the Three Types of Faith. The name is written శ్రద్ధాత్రయ విభాగ యోగం in Telugu. Chapter names in the Gita describe what the chapter is about rather than acting as titles a reader has to decode.
Which chapter comes before and after Chapter 17?
Before: Chapter 16, Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga — The Divine and Demonic Qualities. After: Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga — The Yoga of Liberation through Renunciation. The Gita is a single conversation, so the chapters are numbered in the order they are spoken and are meant to be read that way.