Śraddhā (श्रद्धा)
Śraddhā is closer to “trust” or “conviction” than to belief in a proposition — the disposition that lets a person commit to a practice before they have its results in hand. The Gita makes it load-bearing. BG 4.39: “one who has śraddhā, is devoted, and has mastered the senses, gains knowledge; having gained it, reaches supreme peace.” Its opposite is treated as fatal — BG 4.40: “the ignorant, the one without faith, the doubting self perishes; neither this world nor the next, nor happiness, is for the doubter.”
Faith as what a person is made of
BG 17.3 states the strongest form: “the śraddhā of each is according to their nature; a person is made of their faith — as their faith, so are they.” Chapter 6 applies it forgivingly to the one who tries and falls short: BG 6.37, the “faithful but unstriving” whose mind has wandered from yoga is not lost. Chapter 9 opens the highest path with it — BG 9.3, those “without faith in this dharma” simply return to the round of death.
Related
- Śraddhā-traya (श्रद्धात्रय) — chapter 17’s threefold sattvic/rajasic/tamasic sorting of faith; this note is the underlying capacity that typology then grades
- Bhakti (भक्ति) — devotion is śraddhā directed at a person; the two travel together through chapters 7–12
- Jñāna (ज्ञान) — chapter 4 makes faith the entry condition for knowledge, and doubt its defeat
Verses that reference this
My heart is weighed down with the vice of faintness; my mind is confused as to duty. I ask thee which may be the better—that tell me decisively. I am thy disciple, suppliant to Thee; teach me.
Who carp at My teaching and act not thereon, senseless, deluded in all knowledge, know thou these mindless ones as fated to be destroyed.
The man who is full of faith obtaineth wisdom, and he also who hath mastery over his senses; and, having obtained wisdom, he goeth swiftly to the supreme Peace.
But the ignorant, faithless, doubting self goeth to destruction; nor this world, nor that beyond, nor happiness, is there for the doubting self.
Men without faith in this knowledge, O Parantapa, not reaching Me, return to the paths of this world of death.
Even the devotees of other Shining Ones, who worship full of faith, they also worship Me, O son of Kuntî, though contrary to the ancient rule.
All this I believe true that Thou sayest to me, O Keshava. Thy manifestation, O Blessed Lord, neither Shining Ones nor Dânavas comprehend.
He who, having cast aside the ordinances of the Scriptures, followeth the promptings of desire, attaineth not to perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest goal.