Definition
Śraddhā is faith — not blind belief but a deep, trusting conviction in the truth of the scriptures, the guru, and the spiritual path. It is the foundation of all spiritual practice. The Gita says: "The faithful one attains knowledge" (4.39). Śraddhā is the willingness to engage with the teaching with an open heart and mind, trusting that it will bear fruit. It is not intellectual assent but a wholehearted commitment. Without śraddhā, no practice can succeed. Śraddhā also refers to the funeral rites performed for ancestors (śrāddha), reflecting faith in the continuity of the soul and the efficacy of ritual. In the Katha Upanishad, Nachiketa's śraddhā enables him to receive the highest teaching from Yama. Śraddhā is the seed from which jnana grows.
Etymology
From śrat (श्रत्), "truth, faith" (cognate with the English "heart" and Latin "credere"), and dhā (धा), "to place, put." Śraddhā means "placing one's heart in" — setting the heart upon truth.
Key Texts
Related Verses
श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः
śraddhāvāllabhate jñānaṃ tatparaḥ saṃyatendriyaḥ
The faithful, the devoted, the sense-controlled — such a person attains knowledge, and having attained it, quickly finds supreme peace.
Bhagavad Gita 4.39यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः
yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ
A person is what their faith is — faith shapes character, character shapes destiny.
Bhagavad Gita 17.3श्रद्धया दीयते अन्नम्
śraddhayā dīyate annam
Food is given with faith — all offerings are made fruitful by śraddhā.
Bhagavad Gita 17.20Interpretations Across Traditions
Advaita Vedanta
Śraddhā is the preliminary trust that leads one to seek the Self. It matures into jnana — direct realization. Without śraddhā, the Upanishadic teaching cannot take root.
Bhakti traditions
Śraddhā is the seed of bhakti. It grows into prema (pure love). Faith in God's name, form, and grace is the beginning of the devotional path.
Buddhism
Śraddhā (saddha) is the first of the five spiritual faculties (indriyas): faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, wisdom. It is trust in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.