Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga

श्रीभगवानुवाच । परं भूयः प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानानां ज्ञानमुत्तमम् यज्ज्ञात्वा मुनयः सर्वे परां सिद्धिम...

The blessed Lord spoke: Now Arjuna, I shall expose to you the most supreme and highest of all the wisdom in this universe by which all the great sages in this universe have achieved the highest perfection.

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

By fully learning, understanding and practising this wisdom, these sages have become a part of Me. As a result, they are not born at the time of creation nor do they pass away at the time of destruction of the universe.

मम योनिर्महद्ब्रह्म तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम् । संभवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत ॥ १४.३ ॥

O Arjuna, you must realize that it is from Me that all creation steam. The great Brahma, The Lord of all creation acts as My womb when I plant the seed of creation from which all beings evolve.

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

The blessed Lord said:Dear Arjuna, know that whenever and wherever a being is born, I am his parents, that is, both his mother and father, who gave him life in this world.

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

Arjuna, that NATURE is made of three parts, namely: SATTVA (the light representing goodness); RAJAS (fire representing passion), and TAMAS (darkness representing evil). These bind down and limit the human mortal bodies from reaching true perfection and achieving the state of infinite Spirit and immortality.

तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम् । सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ ॥ १४.६ ॥

Arjuna, understand these three natural elements: SATTVA, because it represents light and purity is a sign of good health, but binds the various beings in this world to worldly material happiness. This attachment also leads to lower knowledge, my friend.

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

RAJAS, dear Arjuna, is that natural element representing passion which leads to material and worldly attachment. Rajas is known to bind the Soul of mortal men to action.

तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् । प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत ॥ १४.८ ॥

But you should also know O Arjuna, that darkness and evil born out of the TAMAS GUNA, exists mainly because of the ignorance of man in this world. TAMAS creates laziness and dullness. One loses the value of time and no longer desires to work or to take part in constuctive action.

सत्त्वं सुखे संजयति रजः कर्मणि भारत । ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तमः प्रमादे संजयत्युत ॥ १४.९ ॥

In reality O son of Kunti, SATTVA (or Goodness) binds one to happiness; RAJAS leads to attachment to action; and TAMAS (evil) leads one to be lazy, dull, unproductive and cause negligence due to one’s ignorance.

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

At times O Arjuna, the first element of nature, SATTVA, rules over the other two GUNAS (powers of nature) known as RAJAS and TAMAS. However, at times the RAJAS part of human nature takes over and rules the SATTVA and TAMAS elements and similarly the TAMAS mode of nature may overpower the SATTVA and RAJAS modes of nature.

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

When the light of true knowledge and wisdom sorrounds and comes forth from one’s body, it is a sign that the SATTVA state of nature has occupied the body and taken over the person’s body, evidenced by his good actions (therefore he is known as a SATTVIC person).

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

When the RAJAS GUNA has taken over a being, then it can be seen through a person’s excessive greed, lust, unrest, activity and other similar action (therefore the person is known to be RAJAS).

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

Dullness, inactivity, laziness, negligence, ignorance, and sheer delusion about the world are all signs that the TAMAS elements have taken control of the person’s actions, behaviour, and thinking.

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

If a being is SATTVIC at the time that his soul departs from his body, his soul goes to the purest regions of the universe where truth and goodness prevail. He is therefore reborn at these same, pure regions of the earth O Arjuna.

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

Should a person be in the RAJAS state at the time of death, he is reborn in the places of the world where he is restless and constantly active. Similarly if a person is TAMASIC at the time of his death, he is reborn into a family of irrational behaviour, laziness and dullness.

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

The purity of SATTVA is characterized by the rewards that come out of good actions. However, the fruits of work that is done in the RAJAS state brings nothing but pain to a person; and work that is done in the TAMAS state, bears fruits of dullness and ignorance.

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

From the SATTVIC state of human nature one receives wisdom, from the RAJAS state arises greed, and form TAMAS evolves dullness and ignorance.

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

Those who are in the SATTVA state always follow the highest path or level of wisdom and intelligence; those who are in the RAJAS state always follow the middle level of intelligence and wisdom; and those who are under the influence of TAMAS from of human nature, always stoop to the lowest level of wisdom and knowledge and continually sink downwards along this path of ignorance.

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

When a true wiseman and seer fully understands that these three parts of nature are virtually the three main stages of life in this vast universe, he begins to also realize that which lies beyond these three conditions of nature, that is Myself. Thus once this is realized by any being they become an eternal part of Me the SUPREME LORD.

गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान् । जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते ॥ १४.२० ॥

A person whose soul has risen above these three conditions of nature that actually lie within the mortal body, he becomes free from the cycle of birth and death as well as from sorrow and temporary happiness. He then enters into Me and thus becomes immortal.

अर्जुन उवाच । कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते ॥...

Arjuna then asked the Almighty Lord: How can one know if a particular being has gone beyond or has transcended the three powers of nature O Krishna? What is his way of life and how does he manage to reach beyond the SATTVA, RAJAS, and TAMAS modes of nature?

श्रीभगवानुवाच । प्रकाशं च प्रवृत्तिं च मोहमेव च पाण्डव न द्वेष्टि संप्रवृत्तानि न निवृत्तानि काङ्क...

My dear Pandava (Arjuna), he who does not hate nor has any desire for light, (representing results which are born out of SATTVIC deeds), busy activity, and all that represents darkness whether they are near to him or far from him…

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

The Lord further explained:…He who sits apart undisturbed and unaffected by varying conditions of the environment and observes the world around him knowing and fully understanding that it is the power of nature that acts on all beings in this world…

समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः । तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः ॥ १४.२४ ॥

जो निरन्तर आत्म भाव में स्थित, दुःख-सुख को समान समझने वाला, मिट्टी, पत्थर और स्वर्ण में समान भाव वाला, ज्ञानी, प्रिय तथा अप्रिय को एक सा मानने वाला और अपनी निन्दा स्तुति में भी समान भाव वाला है ।

मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः । सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यते ॥ १४.२५ ॥

He who behaves the same in times of honour or in times of disgrace; who behaves the same with enemies and friends; and who has surrendered all desires for action as well as lust for rewards resulting from those actions.

मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते । स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान्ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ॥ १४.२६ ॥

And he who serves Me with an unfailing devotion, he is fit for becoming Brahman because he is gone beyond all the qualities (Gunas).

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

I am the abode of Brahman, the immortal, the immutable, the eternal (ever-lasting) dharma and absolute bliss.