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The Yoga of the Division of the Three Gunas

(Chapter 14)

गुणत्रयविभागयोगः

Chapter Quiz

Verse 14-1

śrībhagavānuvāca . paraṃ bhūyaḥ pravakṣyāmi jñānānāṃ jñānamuttamam . yajjñātvā munayaḥ sarve parāṃ siddhimito gatāḥ ..14-1..

AI Translation

The Blessed Lord said: 1. I will again declare (to you) that Supreme Knowledge, the best of all knowledges, having known which, all the sages have attained Supreme Perfection after this life.

Verse 14-2

idaṃ jñānamupāśritya mama sādharmyamāgatāḥ . sarge.api nopajāyante pralaye na vyathanti ca ..14-2..

AI Translation

2. They who, having refuge in this "Knowledge, " have attained to My Being, are neither born at the time of Creation, nor are they disturbed at the time of dissolution.

Verse 14-3

mama yonirmahad brahma tasmingarbhaṃ dadhāmyaham . sambhavaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ tato bhavati bhārata ..14-3..

AI Translation

3. My womb is the great BRAHMAN (MULA PRAKRITI) ; in that I place the germ; from which, O Bharata, is the birth of all beings.

Verse 14-4

sarvayoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ . tāsāṃ brahma mahadyonirahaṃ bījapradaḥ pitā ..14-4..

AI Translation

4. Whatever forms are produced, O Kaunteya, in all the wombs whatsoever, the great BRAHMA is their womb, and I the seed-giving Father.

Verse 14-5

sattvaṃ rajastama iti guṇāḥ prakṛtisambhavāḥ . nibadhnanti mahābāho dehe dehinamavyayam ..14-5..

AI Translation

5. Purity, passion, and inertia --- these qualities (GUNAS) , O! mighty-armed, born of "PRAKRITI" bind, the Indestructible, Embodied one, fast in the body.

Verse 14-6

tatra sattvaṃ nirmalatvātprakāśakamanāmayam . sukhasaṅgena badhnāti jñānasaṅgena cānagha ..14-6..

AI Translation

6. Of these, "SATTWA" which because of its stainlessness, is luminous and healthy, (unobstructive) . It binds by (creating) attachment to 'happiness' and attachment to 'knowledge, ' O sinless one.

Verse 14-7

rajo rāgātmakaṃ viddhi tṛṣṇāsaṅgasamudbhavam . tannibadhnāti kaunteya karmasaṅgena dehinam ..14-7..

AI Translation

7. Know thou "RAJAS" (to be) of the nature of passion, the source of thirst and attachment; it binds fast, O Kaunteya, the embodied one, by attachment to action.

Verse 14-8

tamastvajñānajaṃ viddhi mohanaṃ sarvadehinām . pramādālasyanidrābhistannibadhnāti bhārata ..14-8..

AI Translation

8. But, know thou TAMAS is born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings, it binds fast, O Bharata, by heedless-ness, indolence and sleep.

Verse 14-9

sattvaṃ sukhe sañjayati rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata . jñānamāvṛtya tu tamaḥ pramāde sañjayatyuta ..14-9..

AI Translation

9. SATTWA attaches to happiness, RAJAS to action, O Bharata, while TAMAS, verily, shrouding knowledge, attaches to heedlessness.

Verse 14-10

rajastamaścābhibhūya sattvaṃ bhavati bhārata . rajaḥ sattvaṃ tamaścaiva tamaḥ sattvaṃ rajastathā ..14-10..

AI Translation

10. Now SATTWA rises (prevails) , O Bharata, having over-powered RAJAS and inertia (TAMAS) ; now RAJAS, having over-powered SATTWA and inertia; and inertia (TAMAS) , having over-powered SATTWA and RAJAS.

Verse 14-11

sarvadvāreṣu dehe.asminprakāśa upajāyate . jñānaṃ yadā tadā vidyādvivṛddhaṃ sattvamityuta ..14-11..

AI Translation

11. When, through every gate (sense) in this body, the light-of-intelligence shines, then it may be known that 'SATTWA' is predominant.

Verse 14-12

lobhaḥ pravṛttirārambhaḥ karmaṇāmaśamaḥ spṛhā . rajasyetāni jāyante vivṛddhe bharatarṣabha ..14-12..

AI Translation

12. Greed, activity, undertaking of actions, restless-ness longing --- these arise when RAJAS is predominant, O best in the Bharata family.

Verse 14-13

aprakāśo.apravṛttiśca pramādo moha eva ca . tamasyetāni jāyante vivṛddhe kurunandana ..14-13..

AI Translation

13. Darkness, inertness, heedlessness and delusion --- these arise when 'TAMAS' is predominant, O descendant-of-Kuru.

Verse 14-14

yadā sattve pravṛddhe tu pralayaṃ yāti dehabhṛt . tadottamavidāṃ lokānamalānpratipadyate ..14-14..

AI Translation

14. If the embodied one meets with death when SATTWA is predominant, then he attains to the spotless worlds of the "Knowers of the Highest. "

Verse 14-15

rajasi pralayaṃ gatvā karmasaṅgiṣu jāyate . tathā pralīnastamasi mūḍhayoniṣu jāyate ..14-15..

AI Translation

15. Meeting death in RAJAS, he is born among those attached to action; and dying in TAMAS, he is born in the womb of the senseless.

Verse 14-16

karmaṇaḥ sukṛtasyāhuḥ sāttvikaṃ nirmalaṃ phalam . rajasastu phalaṃ duḥkhamajñānaṃ tamasaḥ phalam ..14-16..

AI Translation

16. The fruit of good action, they say, is SATTWIC and pure; verily, the fruit of RAJAS is pain, and the fruit of TAMAS is ignorance.

Verse 14-17

sattvātsañjāyate jñānaṃ rajaso lobha eva ca . pramādamohau tamaso bhavato.ajñānameva ca ..14-17..

AI Translation

17. Knowledge arises from SATTWA, greed from RAJAS, heedlessness, delusion and also ignorance arise from TAMAS.

Verse 14-18

ūrdhvaṃ gacchanti sattvasthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ . jaghanyaguṇavṛttisthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ ..14-18..

AI Translation

18. Those who are abiding in SATTWA go upwards; the RAJASIC dwell in the middle; and the TAMASIC, abiding in the function of the lowest GUNA, go downwards.

Verse 14-19

nānyaṃ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraṃ yadā draṣṭānupaśyati . guṇebhyaśca paraṃ vetti madbhāvaṃ so.adhigacchati ..14-19..

AI Translation

19. When the Seer beholds no agent other than the GUNAS and knows him who is higher than the GUNAS, he attains to My Being.

Verse 14-20

guṇānetānatītya trīndehī dehasamudbhavān . janmamṛtyujarāduḥkhairvimukto.amṛtamaśnute ..14-20..

AI Translation

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.