Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17, Verse 1

अर्जुन उवाच | ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः | तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ||

arjuna uvāca ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ teṣāṁ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvam aho rajas tamaḥ

Arjuna said: O Krishna, what is the position of those who, abandoning the scriptural injunctions, worship with faith? Is it sattva, rajas, or tamas?

Arjuna asks a crucial question that opens Chapter 17. Some people worship with faith (śraddhayā anvitāḥ) but abandon scriptural injunctions (śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya). They create their own practices, follow personal preferences, or adapt traditions to their convenience. Arjuna wants to know: what kind of faith is this? Is it sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), or tamas (ignorance)? This question reveals a common dilemma: sincere faith versus scriptural authority. Krishna will explain that faith itself is shaped by the gunas—the quality of faith matters more than whether it follows scriptural rules. But faith without understanding leads to practices that reflect one's nature, not necessarily what's spiritually beneficial. This verse sets up the chapter's theme: faith is real, but its quality determines its outcome.