BhG 17.1

syntax

arjuna (Arjuna) uvāca (he spoke):
he kṛṣṇa (O Kṛṣṇa!),
ye [janāḥ] (these people) śāstra-vidhim (injection of scriptures) utsṛjya (after discarding)
śraddhayā tu (but with faith) anvitāḥ (endowed) yajante (they offer in sacrifice),
teṣām (of them) niṣṭhā (faith) kā (what?)
sattvam (sattva) rajaḥ (rajas) āho tamaḥ (or is it tamas).

grammar

arjunaḥ	–	arjuna 1n.1 m. – white, clear, Arjuna;
uvāca	–	√vac (to speak) Perf. P 1v.1 – he spoke;
ye	–	yat sn. 1n.3 m. – those who;
śāstra-vidhim	–	śāstra-vidhi 2n.1 m.; TP: śāstrāṇāṁ vidhim iti – injuction of scriptures (from: √śās – to teach, śāstra – order, precept, teaching, scripture; vidhi – a rule, formula, injunction);
utsṛjya	–	ut-√sṛj (to let go, to throw off) absol. – after discarding;
yajante	–	√yaj (to consecrate, to sacrifice, to worship) Praes. Ā 1v.3 – they worship, they offer in sacrifice;
śraddhayā	–	śraddhā 3n.1 f. – with faith (from: śrat – in compounds: faith; √dhā – to put [faith]; śraddhā – faith, confidence);
anvitāḥ	–	anvita (anu-√i – to go along) PP 1n.3 m. – who are endowed (with what? – requires instrumental);
teṣām	–	tat sn. 6n.3 m. – of them;
niṣṭhā	–	ni-ṣṭhā 1n.1 f. – state, firmness, devotion, faith, perfection, conclusion, death (from: √sthā – to stay, to exist);
tu	–	av. – but, then, or, and;
kā	–	kim sn. 1n.1 f. – what;
kṛṣṇa	–	kṛṣṇa 8n.1 m. – O dark one, O Kṛṣṇa;
sattvam	–	sattva (√as – to be, PPr sant – being, existing, true, the essence) abst. 1n.1 n. – being, essence, wisdom, spirit, one of the three guṇas;
āho	–	av. – is it so?! (interjection of asking or of doubt);
rajaḥ	–	rajas 1n.1 n. – coloured, dust, passion, one of the three guṇas (from: √rañj – to be dyed, be excited, be delighted);
tamaḥ	–	tamas 1n.1 n. – darkness, gloom, dullness, passivity, one of the three guṇas (from: √tam – to choke, to faint, to perish, to stop);

textual variants

yajante → vartaṃte / yajaṃti (they act / they offer in sacrifices);

The second pada of verse 17.1 is the same as the second pada of verse BhG 9.23;

Śāṃkara

tasmāc chāstraṃ pramāṇaṃ ta [gītā 16.24] iti bhagavad-vākyāl labdha-praśna-bījo’rjuna uvāca—
ye kecid aviśeṣitāḥ śāstra-vidhiṃ śāstra-vidhānaṃ śruti-smṛti-śāstra-codanām utsṛjya parityajya yajante devādīn pūjayanti śraddhayānvitāḥ śraddhayāstikya-buddhyānvitāḥ saṃyuktāḥ santaḥ | śruti-lakṣaṇaṃ smṛti-lakṣaṇaṃ vā kaṃcit śāstra-vidhim apaśyanto vṛddha-vyavahāra-darśanād eva śraddadhānatayā ye devādīn pūjayanti | te iha ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitā ity evaṃ gṛhyante | ye punaḥ kaṃcit śāstra-vidhim upalabhamānaiva tam utsṛjyāyathā-vidhi devādīn pūjayanti | ta iha ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya yajanta iti na parigṛhyante | kasmāt ? śraddhayānvitatva-viśeṣaṇāt | devādi-pūjā-vidhi-paraṃ kiṃcit śāstraṃ paśyanta eva tad utsṛjyāśraddadhānatayā tad-vihitāyāṃ devādi-pūjāyāṃ śraddhayānvitāḥ pravartanta iti na śakyaṃ kalpayituṃ yasmāt, tasmāt pūrvoktaiva ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitā ity atra gṛhyante | teṣām evaṃ-bhūtānāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ, kiṃ sattvaṃ niṣṭhāvasthānam, āho svit rajaḥ, athavā tama iti | etad uktaṃ bhavati—yā teṣāṃ devādi-viṣayā pūjā, sā kiṃ sāttvikī, āho svit rājasī, uta tāmasīti

Rāmānuja

devāsuravibhāgoktimukhena prāpyatattvajñānaṃ tatprāptyupāyajñānaṃ ca vedaikamūlam ityuktam / idānīm aśāstravihitasyāsuratvenāphalatvam, śāstravihitasya ca guṇatas traividhyam, śāstrasiddhasya lakṣaṇaṃ cocyate / tatrāśāstravihitasya niṣphalatvam ajānan aśāstravihite śraddhāsaṃyukte yāgādau sattvādinimittaphalabhedabubhutsayā arjunaḥ pṛcchati
śāstravidhim utsṛjya śraddhayānvitā ye yajante, teṣāṃ niṣṭhā kā ? kiṃ sattvam ? āhosvid rajaḥ ? atha tamaḥ ? niṣṭhā sthitiḥ; sthīyate ‚sminn iti sthitiḥ sattvādir eva niṣṭhety ucyate / teṣāṃ kiṃ sattve sthitiḥ ? kiṃ vā rajasi ? kiṃ vā tamasītyarthaḥ

Śrīdhara

pūrvādhyāyānte yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-cārataḥ | na sa siddhim avāpnoti [Gītā 16.24] ity anena śāstrokta-vidhim utsṛjya kāma-cāreṇa vartamānasya jñāne ‚dhikāro nāstīty uktam | tatra śāstram utsṛjya kāma-cāraṃ vinā śraddayā vartamānānāṃ kim adhikāro ‚sti nāsti veti bubhutsayā ‚rjuna uvāca ya iti | atra ca śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya yajanta ity anena śāstrārthaṃ buddhyā tam ullaṅghya vartamāno na gṛhyate | teṣāṃ śraddhayā yajanānupatteḥ | āstikya-buddhir hi śraddhā | na cāsau śāstra-viruddhe ‚rthe śāstra-jñānavatāṃ sambhavati | tān evādhikṛtya trividhā bhavati śraddheti | yajante sāttvikā devān ity ādy uttarānupapatteś ca | ato nātra śāstrollaṅghino gṛhyante | api tu kleśa-buddhy-ālasyād vā śāstrārtha-jñāne prayatnam akṛtvā kevalam ācāra-paramparā-vaśena śraddhayā kvacid devatārādhanādau pravartamānā gṛhyante | ato ‚yam arthaḥ ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya duḥkha-buddhyālasya-dvārā anādṛtya kevalam ācāra-prāmāṇyena śraddhayā ‚nvitāḥ santo yajante teṣāṃ kā niṣṭhā | kā sthitiḥ | ka āśrayaḥ | tām eva viśeṣeṇa pṛcchati kiṃ sattvam | āho kiṃ vā rajaḥ | athavā tama iti | teṣāṃ tādṛśī deva-pūjādi-pravṛttiḥ kiṃ sattva-saṃśritā | rajaḥ-saṃśritā vā | tamaḥ-saṃśritā vety arthaḥ | śraddhāyāḥ sattva-saṃśritā tarhi teṣām api sāttvikatvād yathoktātma-jñāne ‚dhikāraḥ syāt | anyathā neti praśna-tātparyārthaḥ

Madhusūdana

trividhāḥ karmānuṣṭhātāro bhavanti | kecic chāstra-vidhiṃ jñātvāpy aśraddhayā tam utsṛjya kāma-kāra-mātreṇa yat kiṃcid anutiṣṭhanti te sarva-puruṣārthāyogyatvād asurāḥ | kecit tu śāstra-vidhiṃ jñātvā śraddadhānatayā tad-anusāreṇaiva niṣiddhaṃ varjayanto vihitam anutiṣṭhanti te sarva-puruṣārtha-yogyatvād devā iti pūrvādhyāyānte siddham | ye tu śāstrīyaṃ vidhim ālasyādi-vaśād upekṣya śraddadhānatayaiva vṛddha-vyavahāra-mātreṇa niṣiddhaṃ varjayanto vihitam anutiṣṭhanti | te śāstrīya-vidhy-upekṣā-lakṣaṇenānsura-sādharmyeṇa śraddhā-pūrvakānuṣṭhāna-lakṣaṇena ca deva-sādharmyeṇānvitāḥ kim asureṣv antarbhavanti kiṃ vā deveṣv ity ubhaya-dharma-darśanād eka-koṭi-niścāyakādarśanāc ca sandihāno ‚rjuna uvāca ya iti |
ye pūrvādhyāye ta nirṇītā na devavac chāstrānusāriṇaḥ kintu śāstra-vidhiṃ śruti-smṛti-codanām utsṛjyālasyādi-vaśād anādṛtya nāsuravad aśraddadhānāḥ kiṃ tu vṛddha-vyavahārānusāreṇa śraddhayānvitā yajante deva-pūjādikaṃ kurvanti teṣāṃ tu śāstra-vidhy-upekṣā-śraddhābhyāṃ pūrva-niścita-devāsura-vilakṣaṇānāṃ niṣṭhā kā kīdṛśī teṣāṃ śāstra-vidhy-anapekṣā śraddhā-pūrvikā ca sā yajanādi-kriyā-vyavasthitiḥ | he kṛṣṇa bhaktāvakarṣaṇa ! kiṃ sattvaṃ sāttvikī | tathā sati sāttvikatvāt te devāḥ | āho iti pakṣāntare | kiṃ rajas tamo rājasī tāmsī ca | tathā sati rājasa-tāmasatvād asurās te sattvam ity ekā koṭiḥ | rajas tama ity aparā koṭir iti vibhāga-jñāpanāyāho-śabdaḥ

Viśvanātha

nanv āsura-sargam uktvā tad-upasaṃhāre –
yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāmacārataḥ |
na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṃ na parāṃ gatim ||[Gītā 16.24]
iti tvayoktam | tatrāham idaṃ jijñāsa ity āha ya iti | ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya kāma-cārato vartante kintu kāma-bhoga-rahitā eva śraddhayānvitāḥ santo yajante taop-yajña-jñāna-yajña-japa-yajñādikaṃ kurvanti | teṣāṃ kā niṣṭhā sthitiḥ kim ālambanam ity arthaḥ | tat kiṃ sattvam | āho svit rajaḥ | athavā tamas tad brūhīty arthaḥ

Baladeva

vedam adhītya tad-vidhinā tad-arthānutiṣṭhantaḥ śāstrīya-śraddhā-yuktā devāḥ | vedam avajñāya yathecchā-cāriṇo veda-bāhyās tv āsurā iti pūrvasminn adhyāye tvayoktam | atheyaṃ me jijñāsā ye śāstreti | ye janāḥ pāṭhato ‚rthataś ca durgamaṃ vedaṃ viditvālasyādinā tad-vidhim utsṛjya lokācāra-jātayā śraddhayānvitāḥ santo devādīn yajante, teṣāṃ śāstra-vidhy-upekṣā-śraddhābhyāṃ pūrva-nirṇīta-daivāsura-vilakṣaṇānāṃ kā niṣṭhā | sattvaṃ saṃśrayā teṣāṃ sthitir athavā rajas tamaḥ saṃśrayeti koṭi-dvayāvabodhāyāho-śabdo madhye niveśitaḥ