Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Guṇatraya-vibhāga-yoga
The Three Divisions of Material Nature
śrī-bhagavān uvācha
paraṁ bhūyaḥ pravakṣyāmi, jñānānāṁ jṅānam uttamam
yaj jñātvā munayaḥ sarve, parāṁ siddhim ito gatāḥ [1]
śrī-bhagavān uvācha–The Supreme Lord said: bhūyaḥ–Again; {aham} pravakṣyāmi– I shall speak; param–the supreme; jṅānam–knowledge, teaching; uttamam–the highest; jñānānām–of all fields of knowledge; jñātvā–knowing; yat–which; sarve–all; munayaḥ– the sages; gatāḥ–attained; parām–ultimate; siddhim–perfection; itaḥ–beyond this mundane plane.
1 The Supreme Lord said: Again, I shall describe to you the supreme teaching, the highest of all fields of knowledge, knowing which the sages attained the ultimate perfection beyond this mundane plane.
~~~
idaṁ jṅānam upāśritya, mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ
sarge ’pi nopajāyante, pralaye na vyathanti cha [2]
upāśritya–Taking refuge in; idam–this; jṅānam–knowledge; {jīvaḥ}–the living being; āgatāḥ {santaḥ}–attaining; sādharmyam–the same {spiritual} nature; mama–as Mine; na upajāyante–is neither born; sarge api–in the universal manifestation; na vyathanti– nor suffers; pralaye cha–in the universal dissolution.
2 By taking refuge in this knowledge, the soul attains to My nature. Then he is neither born in the cosmic manifestation, nor does he suffer {death} in the cosmic dissolution.
~~~
mama yonir mahad-brahma, tasmin garbhaṁ dadhāmy aham
sambhavaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ, tato bhavati bhārata [3]
{he} bhārata–O Arjuna; mahat-brahma–primordial matter; mama yoniḥ–is My place of impregnation; tasmin–into which; aham–I; dadhāmi–cast; garbham–the seed. tataḥ–From there; sambhavaḥ–the birth; sarva-bhūtānām–of all living beings; bhavati–occurs.
3 O Bhārata, I place the seed within My womb of primordial matter from which all living beings take birth.
~~~
sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya, mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [4]
{he} kaunteya–O son of Kuntī; yāḥ mūrtayaḥ–of all forms which; sambhavanti– are born; sarva-yoniṣu–of the wombs of all species; tāsām–their; yoniḥ–womb; mahat brahma–is primordial matter; aham–and I; bīja-pradaḥ–the seed-giving; pitā–father.
4 O Kaunteya, primordial matter is the original womb of all life-forms that are born of the wombs of all species, and I am the seed-giving father.
~~~
sattvaṁ rajas tama iti, guṇāḥ prakṛti-sambhavāḥ
nibadhnanti mahā-bāho, dehe dehinam avyayam [5]
{he} mahā-bāho–O mighty hero; guṇāḥ–the qualities; sattvam rajaḥ tamaḥ iti– known as goodness, passion, and ignorance; prakṛti-sambhavāḥ–manifest from material nature; nibadhnanti–bind; avyayam–the immutable; dehinam–resident of the body; dehe–within the body.
5 O mighty hero, Arjuna, the three modes of goodness, passion, and ignorance, born of material nature, bind the immutable spirit soul within the body.
~~~
tatra sattvaṁ nirmalatvāt, prakāśakam anāmayam
sukha-saṅgena badhnāti, jṅāna-saṅgena chānagha [6]
{he} anagha–O sinless one; tatra–among these three; nirmalatvāt–due to purity; sattvam–the mode of goodness; prakāśakam–illuminating; anāmayam–and wholesome; badhnāti–binds; {dehinam}–the embodied living being; sukha-saṅgena–with happiness; jṅāna-saṅgena cha–and knowledge.
6 O sinless one, of these three modes, due its purity, the mode of goodness is illuminating and wholesome, conditioning one to happiness and knowledge.
~~~
rajo rāgātmakaṁ viddhi, tṛṣṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam
tan nibadhnāti kaunteya, karma-saṅgena dehinam [7]
{he} kaunteya–O son of Kuntī; viddhi–know; rajaḥ–the mode of passion; rāgaātmakam– as the embodiment of desire; tṛṣṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam–born of hankering and attachment. tat–That rajo-guna mode of passion; nibadhnāti–binds; dehinam– the embodied; karma-saṅgena–by action.
7 O son of Kuntī, know the mode of passion to be the embodiment of desire. Born of hankering and attachment, it conditions one to action.
~~~
tamas tv ajṅāna-jaṁ viddhi, mohanaṁ sarva-dehinām
pramādālasya-nidrābhis, tan nibadhnāti bhārata [8]
{he} bhārata–O Arjuna; viddhi tu–and know; tamaḥ–the mode of ignorance; ajṅānajam– born of darkness; mohanam–the delusion; sarva-dehinām–of all the embodied beings; tat–that; nibadhnāti–binds; {dehinam}–the living being; pramāda-ālasyanidrābhiḥ– with delusion, laziness and sleep.
8 And, O Bhārata, know the mode of ignorance, born of darkness, to be the ignorance of all the embodied beings, conditioning them to delusion, laziness and slumber.
~~~
sattvaṁ sukhe sañjayati, rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata
jṅānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ, pramāde sañjayaty uta [9]
{he} bhārata–O Arjuna; sattvam–the mode of goodness; sañjayati–dominates; {dehinam}–the embodied living being; sukhe–with happiness; rajaḥ–and the mode of passion; karmaṇi–with action; tu–but; tamaḥ–the mode of ignorance; āvṛtya–covering; jṅānam–knowledge; sañjayati uta–binds one; pramāde–with illusion.
9 O Arjuna, the mode of goodness conditions the embodied being to happiness, and the mode of passion conditions him to action. But the mode of ignorance covers his knowledge and traps him in illusion.
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rajas tamaś chābhibhūya, sattvaṁ bhavati bhārata
rajaḥ sattvaṁ tamaś chaiva, tamaḥ sattvaṁ rajas tathā [10]
{he} bhārata–O Arjuna; sattvam–the mode of goodness; bhavati–appears; abhibhū ya–defeating; rajaḥ tamaḥ cha–the modes of passion and ignorance. rajaḥ–The mode of passion; {bhavati}–appears; {abhibhūya}–defeating; sattvam tamaḥ eva cha– goodness and ignorance too. tathā–Similarly; tamaḥ–ignorance; {abhibhūya bhavati}– defeats; sattvam rajaḥ–goodness and passion.
10 O Bhārata, goodness overcomes passion and ignorance, passion overcomes goodness and ignorance, and ignorance overcomes goodness and passion. Each mode in turn defeats the others in an unending battle for supremacy.
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sarva-dvāreṣu dehe ’smin, prakāśa upajāyate
jṅānaṁ yadā tadā vidyād, vivṛddhaṁ sattvam ity uta [11]
yadā–When; prakāśaḥ–illumination; jṅānam–of knowledge; upajāyate–appears; sarva-dvāreṣu–in the gateways {the senses}; asmin dehe–of this body; tadā–then; vidyāt iti uta–know by that symptom; sattvam–the mode of goodness; vivṛddham– has increased.
11 When the gateways of the body are illuminated with knowledge, know this to be the manifestation of the mode of goodness.
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lobhaḥ pravṛttir ārambhaḥ, karmaṇāṁ aśamaḥ spṛhā
rajasy etāni jāyante, vivṛddhe bharatarṣabha [12]
{he} bharatarṣabha–O most noble of the Bharata dynasty; rajasi vivṛddhe–with a predominance of the mode of passion; etāni–all these symptoms; jāyante–are manifest: lobhaḥ–greed; pravṛttiḥ–exertion; ārambhaḥ–undertaking; karmaṇām–of activities; aśamaḥ–unrest; spṛhā–and hankering.
12 O Arjuna, most noble of the Bharata dynasty, know that when the mode of passion predominates in a person, greed, exertion, undertaking of activities, unrest and hankering become manifest.
~~~
aprakāśo ’pravṛttiś cha, pramādo moha eva cha
tamasy etāni jāyante, vivṛddhe kuru-nandana [13]
{he} kuru-nandana–O descendant of Kuru; tamasi vivṛddhe–by the force of the mode of ignorance; etāni–all these symptoms; jāyante–are manifest: aprakāśaḥ–dullness; apravṛttiḥ cha–inactivity; pramādaḥ–delusion; mohaḥ eva cha–and bewilderment.
13 O Kurunandana, by the influence of the mode of ignorance, all the symptoms of dullness, inactivity, delusion and bewilderment become manifest.
~~~
yadā sattve pravṛddhe tu, pralayaṁ yāti deha-bhṛt
tadottama-vidāṁ lokān, amalān pratipadyate [14]
yadā–When; deha-bhṛt–the embodied; pravṛddhe {sati}–having developed; sattve– goodness; yāti–reaches; pralayam–death; tadā tu–then; amalān–the pure; lokān–planes; uttama-vidām–of persons of higher knowledge {worshippers of Hiraṇyagarbha [Brahmā], etc.}; pratipadyate–are attained.
14 If a person dies in a state of the mode of goodness, he goes to the pure planes where those who have higher knowledge reside.
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rajasi pralayaṁ gatvā, karma-saṅgiṣu jāyate
tathā pralīnas tamasi, mūḍha-yoniṣu jāyate [15]
{jīvaḥ} pralayam gatvā–When a person dies; rajasi {pravṛddhe}–with a predominance of the mode of passion; jāyate–he is born; karma-saṅgiṣu–as a human attached to action. tathā–Similarly; pralīnaḥ {san}–dying; tamasi {vivṛddhe}–when the mode of ignorance predominates; jāyate–one takes birth; mūḍha-yoniṣu–in the lower species.
15 When a person dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth as a human attached to worldly activity. If one dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the lower species.
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karmaṇaḥ sukṛtasyāhuḥ, sāttvikaṁ nirmalaṁ phalam
rajasas tu phalaṁ duḥkham, ajṅānaṁ tamasaḥ phalam [16]
{paṇḍitāḥ}–The learned; āhuḥ–proclaim; phalam–the fruit; sukṛtasya karmaṇaḥ– of good works; nirmalam–is pure; sāttvikam–and of the nature of goodness; tu phalam–and the fruit; rajasaḥ–of passionate action; duḥkham–is sorrow; phalam {cha}– and the fruit; tamasaḥ–of ignorant action; ajṅānam–is ignorance.
16 It is said by the learned that good actions result in purity, passionate actions result in sorrow, and ignorant actions lead to darkness.
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sattvāt sañjāyate jṅānaṁ, rajaso lobha eva cha
pramāda-mohau tamaso bhavato ’jṅānam eva cha [17]
sattvāt–From goodness; jṅānam–knowledge; cha eva–and; rajasaḥ–from passion; lobhaḥ–greed; sañjayate–is born; tamasaḥ {cha}–and from ignorance; pramādamohau– delusion and bewilderment; bhavataḥ–arise; ajṅānam eva cha–and a lack of knowledge; {bhavati}–ensues.
17 From the mode of goodness, knowledge arises; from the mode of passion, greed; and from the mode of ignorance, delusion, bewilderment and a lack of knowledge ensue.
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ūrdhvaṁ gachchhanti sattva-sthā, madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ
jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā, adho gachchhanti tāmasāḥ [18]
sattva-sthāḥ–Persons situated in the mode of goodness; gachchhanti–go; ūrdhvam– up {to Satyaloka}. rājasāḥ–Those in the mode of passion; tiṣṭhanti–remain; madhye–in the middle {as humans}. tāmasāḥ–Persons in the mode of ignorance; jaghanya-guṇavṛ tti-sthāḥ–tending to lower qualities; gachchhanti–go; adhaḥ–down {suffer}.
18 Persons in goodness ascend {up to Satyaloka}, those in passion remain in the middle {as humans}, and the unfortunate, ignorant persons fall to the lower planes {of suffering}.
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nānyaṁ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraṁ, yadā draṣṭānupaśyati
guṇebhyaś cha paraṁ vetti, mad-bhāvaṁ so ’dhigachchhati [19]
yadā–When; draṣṭā–the living being, the witness; anupaśyati–sees; na anyam–nothing else; guṇebhyaḥ–but the three modes of nature; kartāram–as the doer; cha–and; vetti– is able to know; param–the Lord, transcendental; guṇebhyaḥ–to the modes; {tadā}–then; saḥ–he; adhigachchhati–attains; mat-bhāvam–My nature {My bhāva-bhakti}.
19 When a person sees the three modes to be the only impetus of this world, and knows the Supreme Lord, transcendental to the modes, then he comes to love Me with devotion.
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guṇān etān atītya trīn, dehī deha-samudbhavān
janma-mṛtyu-jarā-duḥkhair, vimukto ’mṛtam aśnute [20]
dehī–The embodied living being; atītya–transcending; etān trīn guṇān–these three modes of nature; deha-samudbhavān–that appear in the body; vimuktaḥ {san}–being liberated; janma-mṛtyu-jarā-duḥkhaiḥ–from the miseries of birth, death and old age; aśnute–knows the joy of; amṛtam–immortality, love transcendental {nirguṇa-prema}.
20 Transcending these modes manifest in the body, he is liberated from the miseries of birth, death and old age, and knows the joy of immortality.
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arjuna uvācha
kair liṅgais trīn guṇān etān, atīto bhavati prabho
kim āchāraḥ kathaṁ chaitāṁs, trīn guṇān ativartate [21]
arjunaḥ uvācha–Arjuna said: {he} prabho–O Lord; kaiḥ liṅgaiḥ–by what symptoms; bhavati {jñeyaḥ}–can be known; atītaḥ–a person who has transcended; etān– these; trīn–three; guṇān–modes? kim āchāraḥ–How does he behave? katham cha– and how; ativartate–does he transcend; etān–these; trīn guṇān–three modes?
21 Arjuna said: O Lord, what are the symptoms of a person transcendental to these three modes of material nature? How does he behave, and how does he transcend the modes?
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śrī-bhagavān uvācha
prakāśaṁ cha pravṛttiṁ cha, moham eva cha pāṇḍava
na dveṣṭi sampravṛttāni, na nivṛttāni kāṅkṣati [22]
udāsīnavad āsīno, guṇair yo na vichālyate
guṇā vartanta ity evaṁ, yo ’vatiṣṭhati neṅgate [23]
sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ svasthaḥ, sama-loṣṭrāśma-kāñchanaḥ
tulya-priyāpriyo dhīras, tulya-nindātma-saṁstutiḥ [24]
mānāpamānayos tulyas, tulyo mitrāri-pakṣayoḥ
sarvārambha-parityāgī, guṇātītaḥ sa uchyate [25]
śrī-bhagavān uvācha–The Supreme Lord replied: {he} pāṇḍava–O son of Pāṇḍu; yaḥ–one who; na dveṣṭi–neither resents; prakāśaṁ cha–illumination {the effect of goodness}; pravṛttim cha–activation {the effect of passion}; moham eva cha–and delusion {the effect of ignorance}; sampravṛttāni–when they appear; na kāṅkṣati–nor hankers for them; nivṛttāni–when they disappear; yaḥ–one who; āsīnaḥ {san}–remaining; udāsīna-vat–as unconcerned; na vichālyate–is not perturbed; gunaiḥ–by the modes; avatiṣṭhati–remains poised; na iṅgate–without wavering; iti evam {jñātvā}–knowing that; guṇāḥ–the modes; vartate–are engaged in their functions; {yaḥ}–one who; samaduḥ kha-sukhaḥ–is equipoised in happiness and unhappiness; sva-sthaḥ–is situated within the self; sama-loṣṭra-aśma-kāñchanaḥ–with the vision of equality towards earth, stone, or gold; tulya-priya-apriyaḥ–equipoised in desirable and undesirable circumstances; dhīraḥ–wise; tulya-nindā-ātma-saṁstutiḥ–balanced with regard to abuse and praise; tulyaḥ māna-apamānayoḥ–balanced in honour and dishonour; tulyaḥ–balanced; mitra-ari-pakṣayoḥ–toward friend and foe; sarva-ārambha-parityāgī–and is a renouncer of all mundane endeavours; saḥ–that person; uchyate–is described; guṇaatī taḥ–as transcendental to the modes of material nature.
22 – 25 The Supreme Lord replied: O Pāṇḍava, it is said that a person who has transcended the three modes of material nature neither resents illumination, activation, and delusion when they appear, nor does he hanker for them when they withdraw. Poised in the knowledge that the modes are engaging, he is not distracted by them; he remains unperturbed, unconcerned. Remaining self- satisfied, he sees joy and sorrow equally; he sees earth, rock or gold with the vision of equality; he is wise, equipoised in desirable and undesirable circumstances, abuse and praise, honour and dishonour; he behaves fairly with friend and foe alike, and he renounces all mundane endeavours.
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māṁ cha yo ’vyabhichāreṇa, bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [26]
yaḥ–One who; bhakti-yogena–by the yoga of devotion; avyabhichāreṇa–without deviation; sevate–renders service; mām cha–unto Me {the Supreme Lord Śyāmasundara}; saḥ–that person; samatītya–transcending; etān–these; guṇān–modes; kalpate–becomes qualified; brahma-bhūyāya–to know his internal divine identity {chit-svarūpa-siddhi}.
26 A person who, without deviation, serves Me with devotion, transcends the three modes of material nature and becomes qualified to know his internal divine identity.
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brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham, amṛtasyāvyayasya cha
śāśvatasya cha dharmasya, sukhasyaikāntikasya cha [27]
hi–For; aham pratiṣṭhā–I am the basis; brahmaṇaḥ–of the Absolute Truth; avyayasya cha–and of the inexhaustible; amṛtasya–nectar; śāśvatasya cha–and of the eternal; dharmasya–divine pastimes; aikāntikasya sukhasya cha–and of the ultimate ecstasy of divine love.
27 I am the basis of the Absolute Truth, the inexhaustible nectar, the eternal pastimes and the ultimate ecstasy of divine love.
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iti śrī-mahābhārate śata-sāhasryāṁ saṁhitāyāṁ vaiyāsikyāṁ
bhīṣma-parvaṇi śrīmad-bhagavad-gītāsūpaniṣatsu brahmavidyāyāṁ
yoga-śāstre śrī-kṛṣṇārjuna-saṁvāde guṇatrayavibhāga-
yogo nāma chaturdaśo ’dhyāyaḥ [14]
End of Chapter Fourteen
The Three Divisions of Material Nature
from the conversation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna in Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā Upaniṣad, the Yoga Scripture of Transcendental Knowledge in Bhīṣma Parva of Śrī Mahābhārata, the Holy Scripture revealed by Śrīla Vyāsadeva in a hundred thousand verses.
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