Chapter 14 · 27 verses

The Three Qualities of Nature (Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga) गुणत्रयविभागयोग

Sattva, rajas and tamas — the three qualities that bind a person. Their signs, their results, and the marks of one who has risen above them.

This English meaning is newly written by Bhajan Dhun and is still being reviewed by scholars.

1. 14.1

   श्री भगवानुवाच

   परं भूयः प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानानां ज्ञानमुत्तमम् ।
   यज्ज्ञात्वा मुनयः सर्वे परां सिद्धिमितो गताः ॥१४.१॥

   The Lord said: I will again declare the supreme knowledge, the best of all knowledge, knowing which all the sages passed from this world to the highest perfection.

2. 14.2

   इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः ।
   सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च ॥१४.२॥

   Those who take refuge in this knowledge and attain my nature are not born at the time of creation, nor are they troubled at the time of dissolution.

3. 14.3

   मम योनिर्महद्ब्रह्म तस्मिन् गर्भं दधाम्यहम् ।
   संभवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत ॥१४.३॥

   Great nature (prakriti) is my womb, O Bharata; in it I place the seed of consciousness. From that, all beings are born.

4. 14.4

   सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः ।
   तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रदः पिता ॥१४.४॥

   O son of Kunti, of all the forms born in any womb, great nature is the womb and I am the seed-giving father.

5. 14.5

   सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसंभवाः ।
   निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ॥१४.५॥

   Sattva, rajas and tamas — these qualities born of nature bind the imperishable soul to the body, O mighty-armed.

6. 14.6

   तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम् ।
   सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ ॥१४.६॥

   Of these, sattva, being pure, is illuminating and free from affliction. It binds, O sinless one, through attachment to happiness and to knowledge.

7. 14.7

   रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् ।
   तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् ॥१४.७॥

   Know rajas to be passion, born of craving and attachment. It binds the soul, O son of Kunti, through attachment to action.

8. 14.8

   तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् ।
   प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत ॥१४.८॥

   Know tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings. It binds, O Bharata, through carelessness, laziness and sleep.

9. 14.9

   सत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रजः कर्मणि भारत ।
   ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तमः प्रमादे सञ्जयत्युत ॥१४.९॥

   Sattva attaches one to happiness, rajas to action, O Bharata, while tamas, veiling knowledge, attaches one to carelessness.

10. 14.10

    रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत ।
    रजः सत्त्वं तमश्चैव तमः सत्त्वं रजस्तथा ॥१४.१०॥

    Sattva prevails by overpowering rajas and tamas, O Bharata; rajas by overpowering sattva and tamas; and tamas by overpowering sattva and rajas.

11. 14.11

    सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते ।
    ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत ॥१४.११॥

    When the light of knowledge shines through all the gates of the body, know that sattva is predominant.

12. 14.12

    लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा ।
    रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ ॥१४.१२॥

    When rajas grows, O best of the Bharatas, greed, restless activity, the urge to start new ventures, unrest and craving arise.

13. 14.13

    अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च ।
    तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन ॥१४.१३॥

    When tamas grows, O joy of the Kurus, darkness, inertia, carelessness and delusion arise.

14. 14.14

    यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत् ।
    तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते ॥१४.१४॥

    If an embodied being dies when sattva is predominant, they reach the pure worlds of those who know the highest.

15. 14.15

    रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते ।
    तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते ॥१४.१५॥

    Dying in rajas, one is born among those attached to action; dying in tamas, one is born in deluded forms of life.

16. 14.16

    कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम् ।
    रजसस्तु फलं दुःखमज्ञानं तमसः फलम् ॥१४.१६॥

    The fruit of good action is said to be sattvic and pure; the fruit of rajas is pain; the fruit of tamas is ignorance.

17. 14.17

    सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च ।
    प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च ॥१४.१७॥

    From sattva arises knowledge, from rajas greed, and from tamas carelessness, delusion and ignorance.

18. 14.18

    ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः ।
    जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः ॥१४.१८॥

    Those established in sattva rise upward, the rajasic stay in the middle, and the tamasic, abiding in the lowest quality, go downward.

19. 14.19

    नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति ।
    गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छति ॥१४.१९॥

    When the seer perceives no doer other than the qualities and knows what is beyond the qualities, they attain my nature.

20. 14.20

    गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान् ।
    जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते ॥१४.२०॥

    Going beyond these three qualities, which give rise to the body, the embodied soul is freed from birth, death, old age and sorrow, and attains immortality.

21. 14.21

    अर्जुन उवाच

    कैर्लिंगैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो ।
    किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते ॥१४.२१॥

    Arjuna said: O Lord, by what signs is one known who has gone beyond these three qualities? How do they behave, and how do they transcend the three qualities?

22. 14.22

    श्री भगवानुवाच

    प्रकाशं च प्रवृत्तिं च मोहमेव च पाण्डव ।
    न द्वेष्टि सम्प्रवृत्तानि न निवृत्तानि काङ्क्षति ॥१४.२२॥

    The Lord said: O son of Pandu, such a person does not resent illumination, activity or delusion when they arise, nor long for them when they cease.

23. 14.23

    उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते ।
    गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येव योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते ॥१४.२३॥

    Sitting like one unconcerned, undisturbed by the qualities, knowing that "only the qualities are acting," they remain steady and do not waver.

24. 14.24

    समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः ।
    तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः ॥१४.२४॥

    They are the same in pain and pleasure, centred in the Self, regarding a clod, a stone and gold alike, the same towards the pleasant and unpleasant, steadfast, the same in blame and praise of themselves,

25. 14.25

    मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः ।
    सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यते ॥१४.२५॥

    the same in honour and dishonour, the same towards friend and foe, having given up all selfish undertakings — such a person is said to have transcended the qualities.

26. 14.26

    मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते ।
    स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान् ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ॥१४.२६॥

    One who serves me with unwavering devotion goes beyond these qualities and becomes fit to realise Brahman.

27. 14.27

    ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाऽहममृतस्याव्ययस्य च ।
    शाश्वतस्य च धर्मस्य सुखस्यैकान्तिकस्य च ॥१४.२७॥

    For I am the foundation of Brahman, the immortal and imperishable, of eternal dharma and of absolute bliss.