9.3 - Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 9, Verse 3

In Bhagavad Gita 9.3, Lord Krishna addresses Arjuna as "Parantapa" (conqueror of enemies) and reveals a crucial spiritual principle regarding faith. The verse states that those who lack faith in the dharma (spiritual path) that Krishna teaches cannot attain Him and instead remain trapped in the cycle of birth and death (samsara).

Having glorified the knowledge He is about to impart in the previous verses, Krishna now emphasizes the consequences of not having faith in this divine wisdom. He explains that without sraddha (faith), even the simplest spiritual practices become ineffective. The Sanskrit phrase "aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā" refers specifically to people who are faithless or who disregard the spiritual process. These individuals, despite having access to spiritual knowledge, cannot experience its transformative benefits.

Faith in this context isn't merely blind belief but rather a deep trust that the process of devotion to Krishna leads to the highest fulfillment. When someone lacks this fundamental faith, they create an internal barrier that prevents them from genuinely engaging with spiritual practices. It's comparable to having a powerful medicine but refusing to take it because you don't believe it will work. No matter how potent the remedy, skepticism renders it ineffective for the doubter.

Krishna explains that the faithless "nivartante" (come back or return repeatedly) to "mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani" – the path of material existence characterized by repeated birth and death. This cycle represents not just physical reincarnation but also the ongoing psychological suffering of material life – the endless pursuit of temporary pleasures, disappointments, and anxieties that characterize worldly existence.

The verse highlights that the journey to Krishna isn't primarily about intellectual understanding or ritualistic perfection but begins with faith. This faith serves as the foundation upon which all spiritual practices can effectively function. Without it, even the most precise execution of spiritual disciplines remains hollow, like performing a dance without feeling the music. The faithless person might go through the motions of spiritual practice but misses its essence.

Interestingly, commentators note that these faithless individuals aren't just atheists or non-believers, but also include those who have "taken recourse to the 'upanisad' of demoniacal people," suggesting those who follow philosophies that consider the body alone as the self and who delight primarily in sense enjoyments. Such materialistic outlooks naturally undermine faith in transcendental knowledge, keeping one bound to physical consciousness.

Krishna's warning carries compassion rather than condemnation. By highlighting the consequence of faithlessness, He emphasizes the importance of nurturing faith through sincere practice and association with devotees. Faith itself grows through experience – as one practices devotion and experiences its positive effects, trust naturally deepens, creating a virtuous cycle that eventually leads to direct realization of Krishna. This verse serves as both a caution about the perils of skepticism and an invitation to embrace the transformative power of faith on the spiritual journey.