As a man thinks, so he becomes.
The quote:
"Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is."
Sanskrit: "मनुष्य: तस्य प्रत्ययेन निर्मित: भवति, यथा स: मन्यते, तथा स: असति।"
is commonly attributed to the Bhagavad Gita, but it is not directly found in the Gita in this exact form.
✅ Origin and Clarification:
This idea closely resembles a verse from the Upanishads, particularly the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad:
"यथाभिमानस्तथाभवति।"
"As a man thinks, so he becomes."
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad – 4.4.5)
This concept is Vedantic in nature, meaning it belongs to the broader body of Indian philosophical thought that the Gita is also rooted in. However, this exact verse does not appear in the Bhagavad Gita’s 700 shlokas.
⚠️ Why the Confusion?
- The Gita does talk extensively about faith (श्रद्धा), thought (चिन्तन), and action (कर्म).
- There is a similar verse in the Gita — Chapter 17, Verse 3 — which is perhaps what leads to the attribution:
"सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत।
श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः॥"
"Every man is made of faith; as is his faith, so is he."
So yes — this Gita verse (17.3) carries the same essence as the quote, though not the exact words.
✅ Summary:
- The concept is definitely present in the Bhagavad Gita (17.3).
- The exact Sanskrit verse shown in the image is not word-for-word from the Gita.
- It is more likely a blended or simplified interpretation combining ideas from the Gita and the Upanishads.
Would you like a deeper explanation of Gita Chapter 17, Verse 3? It's fascinating in how it defines human identity through श्रद्धा (faith/belief).
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