Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:
Param bhooyah pravakshyaami jnaanaanaam
jnaanamuttamam;
Yajjnaatwaa munayah sarve paraam siddhimito
gataah.(1)
The Blessed Lord said:
I will again declare (to thee)
that supreme knowledge, the best of all knowledge, having known which all the
sages have gone to the supreme perfection after this life.
Idam jnaanam upaashritya mama saadharmyam
aagataah;
Sarge’pi nopajaayante pralaye na vyathanti
cha.(2)
They who, having taken refuge in
this knowledge, attain to unity with Me, are neither born at the time of
creation nor are they disturbed at the time of dissolution.
Mama yonirmahadbrahma tasmin garbham
dadhaamyaham;
Sambhavah sarvabhootaanaam tato bhavati
bhaarata.(3)
My womb is the great Brahma; in
that I place the germ; thence, O Arjuna, is the birth of all beings!
Sarvayonishu kaunteya moortayah sambhavanti
yaah;
Taasaam brahma mahadyonir aham beejapradah
pitaa.(4)
Whatever forms are produced, O
Arjuna, in any womb whatsoever, the great Brahma is their womb and I am the
seed-giving father.
Sattwam rajastama iti gunaah prakriti
sambhavaah;
Nibadhnanti mahaabaaho dehe dehinam
avyayam.(5)
Purity, passion and
inertia—these qualities, O mighty-armed Arjuna, born of Nature, bind fast in
the body, the embodied, the indestructible!
Tatra sattwam nirmalatwaat prakaashakam
anaamayam;
Sukhasangena badhnaati jnaanasangena
chaanagha.(6)
Of these, Sattwa, which from its
stainlessness is luminous and healthy, binds by attachment to knowledge and to
happiness, O sinless one!
Rajo raagaatmakam viddhi
trishnaasangasamudbhavam;
Tannibadhnaati kaunteya karmasangena
dehinam.(7)
Know thou Rajas to be of the
nature of passion, the source of thirst (for sensual enjoyment) and attachment;
it binds fast, O Arjuna, the embodied one by attachment to action!
Tamastwajnaanajam viddhi mohanam
sarvadehinaam;
Pramaadaalasyanidraabhis tannibadhnaati
bhaarata.(8)
But know thou Tamas to be born
of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings; it binds fast,
O Arjuna, by heedlessness, sleep
and indolence!
Sattwam sukhe sanjayati rajah karmani
bhaarata;
Jnaanamaavritya tu tamah pramaade sanjayatyuta.(9)
Sattwa attaches to happiness,
Rajas to action, O Arjuna, while Tamas, shrouding knowledge, attaches to
heedlessness only!
Rajastamashchaabhibhooya sattwam bhavati
bhaarata;
Rajah sattwam tamashchaiva tamah sattwam
rajastathaa.(10)
Now Sattwa prevails, O Arjuna,
having overpowered Rajas and Tamas; now Rajas, having overpowered Sattwa and
Tamas; and now Tamas, having overpowered Sattwa and Rajas!
Sarvadwaareshu dehe’smin prakaasha
upajaayate;
Jnaanam yadaa tadaa vidyaa dvivriddham
sattwamityuta.(11)
When, through every gate (sense)
in this body, the wisdom-light shines, then it may be known that Sattwa is
predominant.
Lobhah pravrittir aarambhah karmanaam
ashamah sprihaa;
Rajasyetaani jaayante vivriddhe
bharatarshabha.(12)
Greed, activity, the undertaking
of actions, restlessness, longing—these arise when Rajas is predominant, O
Arjuna!
Aprakaasho’pravrittishcha pramaado moha eva
cha;
Tamasyetaani jaayante vivriddhe
kurunandana.(13)
Darkness, inertness, heedlessness
and delusion—these arise when Tamas is predominant, O Arjuna!
Yadaa sattwe pravriddhe tu pralayam yaati
dehabhrit;
Tadottamavidaam lokaan amalaan
pratipadyate.(14)
If the embodied one meets with
death when Sattwa has become predominant, then he attains to the spotless
worlds of the knowers of the Highest.
Rajasi pralayam gatwaa karmasangishu
jaayate;
Tathaa praleenastamasi moodhayonishu
jaayate.(15)
Meeting death in Rajas, he is
born among those who are attached to action; and dying in Tamas, he is born in
the womb of the senseless.
Karmanah sukritasyaahuh saattwikam nirmalam
phalam;
Rajasastu phalam duhkham ajnaanam tamasah
phalam.(16)
The fruit of good action, they
say, is Sattwic and pure; the fruit of Rajas is pain, and ignorance is the
fruit of Tamas.
Sattwaat sanjaayate jnaanam rajaso lobha
eva cha;
Pramaadamohau tamaso bhavato’jnaanameva
cha.(17)
From Sattwa arises knowledge,
and greed from Rajas; heedlessness and delusion arise from Tamas, and ignorance
also.
Oordhwam gacchanti sattwasthaa madhye
tishthanti raajasaah;
Jaghanyagunavrittisthaa adho gacchanti
taamasaah.(18)
Those who are seated in Sattwa
proceed upwards; the Rajasic dwell in the middle; and the Tamasic, abiding in
the function of the lowest Guna, go downwards.
Naanyam gunebhyah kartaaram yadaa
drashtaanupashyati;
Gunebhyashcha param vetti madbhaavam
so’dhigacchati.(19)
When the seer beholds no agent
other than the Gunas, knowing that which is higher than them, he attains to My
Being.
Gunaanetaanateetya treen dehee
dehasamudbhavaan;
Janmamrityujaraaduhkhair
vimukto’mritamashnute.(20)
The embodied one, having crossed
beyond these three Gunas out of which the body is evolved, is freed from birth,
death, decay and pain, and attains to immortality.
Arjuna Uvaacha:
Kairlingais treen gunaanetaan ateeto
bhavati prabho;
Kimaachaarah katham chaitaam streen gunaan
ativartate.(21)
Arjuna said:
What are the marks of him who
has crossed over the three qualities, O Lord? What is his conduct and how does
he go beyond these three qualities?
Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:
Prakaasham cha pravrittim cha mohameva cha
paandava;
Na dweshti sampravrittaani na nivrittaani
kaangkshati.(22)
The Blessed Lord said:
Light, activity and
delusion,—when they are present, O Arjuna, he hates not, nor does he long for
them when they are absent!
Udaaseenavadaaseeno gunairyo na
vichaalyate;
Gunaa vartanta ityeva yo’vatishthati
nengate.(23)
He who, seated like one
unconcerned, is not moved by the qualities, and who, knowing that the qualities
are active, is self-centred and moves not,
Samaduhkhasukhah swasthah
samaloshtaashmakaanchanah;
Tulyapriyaapriyo dheeras tulyanindaatma
samstutih.(24)
Alike in pleasure and pain, who
dwells in the Self, to whom a clod of earth, stone and gold are alike, to whom
the dear and the unfriendly are alike, firm, the same in censure and praise,
Maanaapamaanayostulyas tulyo
mitraaripakshayoh;
Sarvaarambhaparityaagee gunaateetah sa
uchyate.(25)
The same in honour and
dishonour, the same to friend and foe, abandoning all undertakings—he is said
to have crossed the qualities.
Maam cha yo’vyabhichaarena bhaktiyogena
sevate;
Sa gunaan samateetyaitaan brahmabhooyaaya
kalpate.(26)
And he who serves Me with
unswerving devotion, he, crossing beyond the qualities, is fit for becoming
Brahman.
Brahmano hi pratishthaa’ham
amritasyaavyayasya cha;
Shaashwatasya cha dharmasya
sukhasyaikaantikasya cha.(27)
For I am the abode of Brahman
the immortal and the immutable of everlasting Dharma and of absolute bliss.
Hari Om Tat Sat
Iti Srimad Bhagavadgeetaasoopanishatsu
Brahmavidyaayaam
Yogashaastre Sri Krishnaarjunasamvaade
Gunatrayavibhaagayogo Naama
Chaturdasho’dhyaayah
Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the
science of the Eternal, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna
and Arjuna, ends the fourteenth discourse entitled:
Knowledge of the three cosmic
qualities or Gunas, namely, Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas is now given through this
discourse. The knowledge of these three Gunas, which hold the entire universe and
all creatures under their sway, is of vital importance to each and everyone for
their progress and happiness in life. Without this knowledge one will be
forever bound by sorrow. In this knowledge we have the secret of success in
worldly life as well as in spiritual life. Therefore, one should acquire this
precious knowledge.
Lord Krishna reveals that these
three qualities compose the Cosmic Nature. This Cosmic Nature is the primal
source and origin of the entire creation and all things in it. Hence all things
created are subject to their influence and irresistible power. The individual
soul also is bound to the body by these three qualities present in Cosmic
Nature. The Supreme Being brings about creation through the help of His
Prakriti (Nature) endowed with these threefold qualities.
The highest of the three
qualities is Sattwa. It is pure. It brings about happiness, wisdom and also
illumination. The second quality of Rajas gives rise to passion manifested by
intense attachment and greed. It causes sorrow and suffering. The third, termed
Tamas, is the worst of all. It arises due to ignorance and results in darkness,
lethargy and delusion.
Krishna asks us to diligently
endeavour to cast out Tamas from our nature. We should control and master
Rajas, and by holding it in check, wisely divert its power towards good kinds
of activities. Sattwa should be carefully cultivated, developed and conserved
in order to enable us to attain immortality. The realised sage, of course, goes
beyond all these qualities, for, although it is Sattwa that enables him to
reach God, even this quality will bind him if he is attached to it.
The aspirant should know the
symptoms and signs of their presence in his personality and acquire knowledge
of their subtle workings. Then only can he maintain an unhampered and smooth
progress in all activities of his life, both secular as well as spiritual. Lord
Krishna teaches us this important subject in this discourse from the ninth to
the eighteenth verse. He declares that one who rises beyond all the three Gunas
through spiritual practices, becomes free from birth, death, old age and
sorrow, and enjoys immortality. In reply to a question from Arjuna, the blessed
Lord describes the marks of one who has risen above the three Gunas. He states
that if one constantly worships Him with exclusive devotion one will attain the
highest divine experience and supreme peace and blessedness.
