Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 17, Verse 3

सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत । श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः

sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata | śraddhāmayo'yaṃ puruṣo yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ

Translation

The faith of each is in accordance with his nature, O Bhārata. The man is made up of his faith; as a man's faith is, so is he.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

sattvānurūpā

of the being, following the form

sarvasya

(according to) of all

śraddhā

faith

bhavati

is

bhārata

O Bhārata

śraddhāmayaḥ

faith-formed

ayam

this

puruṣaḥ

man

yaḥ

who

yacchraddhaḥ

whatever, faith, whose, he

saḥ

that

eva

even

saḥ

he

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

"Each": every living being. "Nature" (sattva): the antaḥ-karaṇa with its specific tendencies or saṃskāras. "Man": Jīva, saṃsārin. "So": in accordance with that faith. The Sāttvic faith or the like has to be inferred from its characteristic effects, namely, the worship of the Gods or the like.