Shrimad Bhagavad Gita l English l Chapter 14

 

 

 

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita 


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Chapter 14 - The Yoga of the Division Of the Three Gunas


1. Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:
Param bhooyah pravakshyaami jnaanaanaam jnaanamuttamam;
Yajjnaatwaa munayah sarve paraam siddhimito gataah.

The Blessed Lord said:
 I will again declare (to thee) that supreme knowledge, the best of all knowledge, havingknown which all the sages have gone to the supreme perfection after this life. 

2. Idam jnaanam upaashritya mama saadharmyam aagataah;
Sarge’pi nopajaayante pralaye na vyathanti cha.

 They who, having taken refuge in this knowledge, attain to unity with Me, are neitherborn at the time of creation nor are they disturbed at the time of dissolution.COMMENTARY: In this verse it is knowledge of the Supreme Self that is eulogised bythe Lord.

3. Mama yonirmahadbrahma tasmin garbham dadhaamyaham;
Sambhavah sarvabhootaanaam tato bhavati bhaarata.

 My womb is the great Brahma;
 in that I place the germ;
 thence, O Arjuna, is the birth of allbeings!

4. Sarvayonishu kaunteya moortayah sambhavanti yaah;
Taasaam brahma mahadyonir aham beejapradah pitaa.

 Whatever forms are produced, O Arjuna, in any womb whatsoever, the great Brahma istheir womb and I am the seed-giving father.

5. Sattwam rajastama iti gunaah prakriti sambhavaah;
Nibadhnanti mahaabaaho dehe dehinam avyayam.

 Purity, passion and inertia—these qualities, O mighty-armed Arjuna, born of Nature,bind fast in the body, the embodied, the indestructible!COMMENTARY: The three Gunas are present in all human beings. None is free from theoperation of any one of the three qualities. They are not constant. Sometimes Sattwa predominatesand at other times Rajas or Tamas predominates. One should analyse and stand as a witness of thesethree qualities.

6. Tatra sattwam nirmalatwaat prakaashakam anaamayam;
Sukhasangena badhnaati jnaanasangena chaanagha.

 Of these, Sattwa, which from its stainlessness is luminous and healthy, binds byattachment to knowledge and to happiness, O sinless one!

7. Rajo raagaatmakam viddhi trishnaasangasamudbhavam;
Tannibadhnaati kaunteya karmasangena dehinam.

 Know thou Rajas to be of the nature of passion, the source of thirst (for sensualenjoyment) and attachment;
 it binds fast, O Arjuna, the embodied one by attachment to action!

8. Tamastwajnaanajam viddhi mohanam sarvadehinaam;
Pramaadaalasyanidraabhis tannibadhnaati bhaarata.

 But know thou Tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings;
 it binds fast,O Arjuna, by heedlessness, sleep and indolence!

9. Sattwam sukhe sanjayati rajah karmani bhaarata;
Jnaanamaavritya tu tamah pramaade sanjayatyuta.

 Sattwa attaches to happiness, Rajas to action, O Arjuna, while Tamas, shroudingknowledge, attaches to heedlessness only!

10. Rajastamashchaabhibhooya sattwam bhavati bhaarata;
Rajah sattwam tamashchaiva tamah sattwam rajastathaa.

 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!

11. Sarvadwaareshu dehe’smin prakaasha upajaayate;
Jnaanam yadaa tadaa vidyaa dvivriddham sattwamityuta.

 When, through every gate (sense) in this body, the wisdom-light shines, then it may beknown that Sattwa is predominant.

12. Lobhah pravrittir aarambhah karmanaam ashamah sprihaa;
Rajasyetaani jaayante vivriddhe bharatarshabha.

 Greed, activity, the undertaking of actions, restlessness, longing—these arise whenRajas is predominant, O Arjuna!

13. Aprakaasho’pravrittishcha pramaado moha eva cha;
Tamasyetaani jaayante vivriddhe kurunandana.

 Darkness, inertness, heedlessness and delusion—these arise when Tamas ispredominant, O Arjuna!

14. Yadaa sattwe pravriddhe tu pralayam yaati dehabhrit;
Tadottamavidaam lokaan amalaan pratipadyate.

 If the embodied one meets with death when Sattwa has become predominant, then heattains to the spotless worlds of the knowers of the Highest.

15. Rajasi pralayam gatwaa karmasangishu jaayate;
Tathaa praleenastamasi moodhayonishu jaayate.

 Meeting death in Rajas, he is born among those who are attached to action;
 and dying inTamas, he is born in the womb of the senseless.

16. Karmanah sukritasyaahuh saattwikam nirmalam phalam;
Rajasastu phalam duhkham ajnaanam tamasah phalam.

 The fruit of good action, they say, is Sattwic and pure;
 the fruit of Rajas is pain, andignorance is the fruit of Tamas.

17. Sattwaat sanjaayate jnaanam rajaso lobha eva cha;
Pramaadamohau tamaso bhavato’jnaanameva cha.

 From Sattwa arises knowledge, and greed from Rajas;
 heedlessness and delusion arisefrom Tamas, and ignorance also.

18. Oordhwam gacchanti sattwasthaa madhye tishthanti raajasaah;
Jaghanyagunavrittisthaa adho gacchanti taamasaah.

 Those who are seated in Sattwa proceed upwards;
 the Rajasic dwell in the middle;
 andthe Tamasic, abiding in the function of the lowest Guna, go downwards.

19. Naanyam gunebhyah kartaaram yadaa drashtaanupashyati;
Gunebhyashcha param vetti madbhaavam so’dhigacchati.

 When the seer beholds no agent other than the Gunas, knowing that which is higher thanthem, he attains to My Being.COMMENTARY: The seer knows that the Gunas alone are responsible for all actions andHe is distinct from them.

20. Gunaanetaanateetya treen dehee dehasamudbhavaan;
Janmamrityujaraaduhkhair vimukto’mritamashnute.

 The embodied one, having crossed beyond these three Gunas out of which the body isevolved, is freed from birth, death, decay and pain, and attains to immortality.

21. Arjuna Uvaacha:
Kairlingais treen gunaanetaan ateeto bhavati prabho;
Kimaachaarah katham chaitaam streen gunaan ativartate.

Arjuna said:
 What are the marks of him who has crossed over the three qualities, O Lord? What is hisconduct and how does he go beyond these three qualities?

22. Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha: Prakaasham cha pravrittim cha mohameva cha paandava;
Na dweshti sampravrittaani na nivrittaani kaangkshati.

The Blessed Lord said:
 Light, activity and delusion,—when they are present, O Arjuna, he hates not, nor doeshe long for them when they are absent! 

23. Udaaseenavadaaseeno gunairyo na vichaalyate;
Gunaa vartanta ityeva yo’vatishthati nengate.

 He who, seated like one unconcerned, is not moved by the qualities, and who, knowingthat the qualities are active, is self-centred and moves not,

24. Samaduhkhasukhah swasthah samaloshtaashmakaanchanah;
Tulyapriyaapriyo dheeras tulyanindaatma samstutih.

 Alike in pleasure and pain, who dwells in the Self, to whom a clod of earth, stone andgold are alike, to whom the dear and the unfriendly are alike, firm, the same in censure and praise,

25. Maanaapamaanayostulyas tulyo mitraaripakshayoh;
Sarvaarambhaparityaagee gunaateetah sa uchyate.

 The same in honour and dishonour, the same to friend and foe, abandoning allundertakings—he is said to have crossed the qualities.

26. Maam cha yo’vyabhichaarena bhaktiyogena sevate;
Sa gunaan samateetyaitaan brahmabhooyaaya kalpate.

 And he who serves Me with unswerving devotion, he, crossing beyond the qualities, isfit for becoming Brahman.

27. Brahmano hi pratishthaa’ham amritasyaavyayasya cha;
Shaashwatasya cha dharmasya sukhasyaikaantikasya cha.

 For I am the abode of Brahman, the immortal and the immutable, of everlasting Dharmaand of absolute bliss.

Hari Om Tat SatIti Srimad Bhagavadgeetaasoopanishatsu BrahmavidyaayaamYogashaastre Sri KrishnaarjunasamvaadeGunatrayavibhaagayogo Naama Chaturdasho’dhyaayah

Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal, thescripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the fourteenth discourseentitled:“The Yoga of the Division Of the Three Gunas” 



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