Chapter 9 Shloka 3
अश्रद्धधाना: पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप।
अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि ।।३।।
The Lord now says:
O Parantap Arjuna! Those who lack in faith in this dharma, do not attain Me and wander back into this mortal world.
The Lord clarifies, “He who has no faith in this knowledge and its practical connotation which I am about to impart to you, cannot attain the Supreme state. In fact such beings are caught again in the cycle of birth and death.”
Little one, understand the scope of shraddha or faith once again. It has already been discussed in detail in Chapter 4, shloka 39.
Shraddha (श्रद्धा)
1. A strong belief in that which is subtle and metaphysical;
2. It is faith reposed in certain attributes and principles;
3. An elevated and strong attachment to the divine attributes of the Lord.
With the support of shraddha:
a) a sadhak can withstand the torment of the whole world;
b) the sadhak can face the opposition of the entire world;
c) he can endure all adversity;
d) the sadhak can renounce his proclivity towards self protection;
e) the sadhak can become detached towards his body self;
f) the individual can believe in scriptural knowledge even before experiencing its efficacy in life;
g) the individual can renounce the body idea.
Little one, if you have faith in your goal, you can reach it. The Lord therefore says, “One devoid of faith cannot attain Me – the Atma Self.”
The one without faith does not even believe that he is not the body and is the Atma. The person devoid of faith cannot renounce the body. In fact, he escapes from duty in order to spare his body, using his quest for the Atma as an excuse.
Let the body perform its duty. Give it to others, and remain blissful in your own Atma within your Self. This is your goal. If you desire only mergence with the Atma, keep your mind ever focused on the Atma and give your body to the world. However, if you do not have implicit faith in this knowledge, you will find it impossible to translate it into practice.
The Lord says, if you do not have faith, all the knowledge of the world cannot grant you the Supreme Essence. If you renounce your home and the world in your search for the Atma, you may reap the temporary pleasures of such an escape, but you will return into the cycle of birth and death.
