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Chapter 14: Guṇa Traya Vibhāga Yoga
![[The Bhagavad Gita]](images/gita(1x).jpg)
— begin anuṣṭubh meter (4x8) —
Śloka 14.1
श्रीभगवानुवाच
śrībhagavānuvāca
परं भूयः प्रवक्ष्यामि
paraṃ bhūyaḥ pravakṣyāmi
ज्ञानानां ज्ञानमुत्तमम् ।
jñānānāṃ jñānamuttamam |
यज्ज्ञात्वा मुनयः सर्वे
yajjñātvā munayaḥ sarve
परां सिद्धिमितो गताः ॥ १ ॥
parāṃ siddhimito gatāḥ ‖ 1 ‖
~~~
śrī-bhagavān-uvāca: The Blessed + Lord + he said; param: supreme; bhūyaḥ: once again; pravakṣyāmi: I will speak; jñānānām: of knowledge; jñānam-uttamam: knowledge + best; yat-jñātvā: which + having known; munayaḥ: sages; sarve: all; parām: supreme; siddhim-itaḥ: perfection + after this life; gatāḥ: attained
The Blessed Lord said: “I will speak to you once again of this supreme knowledge, the best of all knowledge, having known which, all the sages attained supreme perfection after this life.”
Śloka 14.2
इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य
idaṃ jñānamupāśritya
मम साधर्म्यमागताः ।
mama sādharmyamāgatāḥ |
सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते
sarge’pi nopajāyante
प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च ॥ २ ॥
pralaye na vyathanti ca ‖ 2 ‖
~~~
idam: this; jñānam-upāśritya: knowledge + having taken refuge in; mama: my; sādharmyam-āgatāḥ: same state + entered; sarge-api: at the time of creation + even; na-upajāyante: neither + they are reborn; pralaye: at the time of dissolution; na: nor; vyathanti: they suffer; ca: and
“Having taken refuge in this knowledge, they entered my same state. They are neither reborn at the time of creation nor suffer at the time of dissolution.”
Śloka 14.3
मम योनिर्महद्ब्रह्म
mama yonirmahadbrahma
तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम् ।
tasmingarbhaṃ dadhāmyaham |
सम्भवः सर्वभूतानां
sambhavaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ
ततो भवति भारत ॥ ३ ॥
tato bhavati bhārata ‖ 3 ‖
~~~
mama: my; yoniḥ-mahat-brahma: womb + great + nature; tasmin-garbham: there + seed; dadhāmi-aham: I place + I; sambhavaḥ: birth; sarvabhūtānām: of all living beings; tataḥ: thus; bhavati: it comes; bhārata: O Descendant of Bharata
“Nature is my great womb, O Descendant of Bharata. There, I place my seed. From that union, comes the birth of all living beings.”
Śloka 14.4
सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय
sarvayoniṣu kaunteya
मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः ।
mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ |
तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिर्-
tāsāṃ brahma mahadyonir-
अहं बीजप्रदः पिता ॥ ४ ॥
ahaṃ bījapradaḥ pitā ‖ 4 ‖
~~~
sarva-yoniṣu: in all + wombs; kaunteya: O Son of Kuntī; mūrtayaḥ: forms; sambhavanti: they are born; yāḥ: whatever; tāsām: for them; brahma: nature; mahat-yoniḥ-aham: great + womb + I; bījapradaḥ: seed-giving; pitā: father
“For all beings, born of whatever womb, nature is their great womb, O Son of Kuntī, and I am their seed-giving father.”
Śloka 14.5
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति
sattvaṃ rajastama iti
गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः ।
guṇāḥ prakṛtisambhavāḥ |
निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो
nibadhnanti mahābāho
देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ॥ ५ ॥
dehe dehinamavyayam ‖ 5 ‖
~~~
sattvam: mind; rajaḥ-tamaḥ: emotion + physics; iti: thus; guṇāḥ: qualities; prakṛti-sambhavāḥ: nature + born of; nibadhnanti: they bind; mahābāho: O Mighty-Armed; dehe: in the body; dehinam-avyayam: soul + eternal
“Mind, emotion, and physics are the qualities born of nature, O Mighty-Armed. They bind the eternal soul to the body.”
Śloka 14.6
तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्-
tatra sattvaṃ nirmalatvāt-
प्रकाशकमनामयम् ।
prakāśakamanāmayam |
सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति
sukhasaṅgena badhnāti
ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ ॥ ६ ॥
jñānasaṅgena cānagha ‖ 6 ‖
~~~
tatra: of these; sattvam: mind; nirmalatvāt-prakāśakam-anāmayam: due to purity + illuminating + healthy; sukha-saṅgena: happiness + by attachment; badhnāti: it binds; jñāna-saṅgena: knowledge + through attachment; ca-anagha: and + O Sinless
“Of these qualities, mind is illuminating and healthy due to its purity, O Sinless. It binds though attachment to happiness and knowledge.”
Śloka 14.7
रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि
rajo rāgātmakaṃ viddhi
तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् ।
tṛṣṇāsaṅgasamudbhavam |
तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय
tannibadhnāti kaunteya
कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् ॥ ७ ॥
karmasaṅgena dehinam ‖ 7 ‖
~~~
rajaḥ: emotion; rāgātmakam: characterized by passion; viddhi: you should know; tṛṣṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam: desire + attachment + origin; tat-nibadhnāti: that + it binds; kaunteya: O Son of Kuntī; karmasaṅgena: through attachment to action; dehinam: soul
“Know emotion to be characterized by passion, and the origin of desire and attachment, O Son of Kuntī. It binds the soul through attachment to action.”
Śloka 14.8
तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि
tamastvajñānajaṃ viddhi
मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् ।
mohanaṃ sarvadehinām |
प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्-
pramādālasyanidrābhis-
तन्निबध्नाति भारत ॥ ८ ॥
tannibadhnāti bhārata ‖ 8 ‖
~~~
tamaḥ-tu-ajñāna-jam: physics + but + ignorance + born of; viddhi: you should know; mohanam: delusion; sarva-dehinām: all + embodied souls; pramāda-ālasya-nidrābhiḥ-tat-nibadhnāti: through error + idleness + sleep + that + it binds; bhārata: O Descendant of Bharata
“But know physics to be born of ignorance, the delusion of all embodied souls, O Descendant of Bharata. It binds through error, idleness, and sleep.”
Śloka 14.9
सत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति
sattvaṃ sukhe sañjayati
रजः कर्मणि भारत ।
rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata |
ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तमः
jñānamāvṛtya tu tamaḥ
प्रमादे सञ्जयत्युत ॥ ९ ॥
pramāde sañjayatyuta ‖ 9 ‖
~~~
sattvam: mind; sukhe: to happiness; sañjayati: it binds; rajaḥ: emotion; karmaṇi: actions; bhārata: O Descendant of Bharata; jñānam-āvṛtya: knowledge + having covered; tu: but; tamaḥ: physics; pramāde: to error; sañjayati-uta: it binds + and
“Mind binds one to happiness, emotion binds one to actions, and physics, having covered knowledge, O Descendant of Bharata, binds one to error.”
Śloka 14.10
रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय
rajastamaścābhibhūya
सत्त्वं भवति भारत ।
sattvaṃ bhavati bhārata |
रजः सत्त्वं तमश्चैव
rajaḥ sattvaṃ tamaścaiva
तमः सत्त्वं रजस्तथा ॥ १० ॥
tamaḥ sattvaṃ rajastathā ‖ 10 ‖
~~~
rajaḥ-tamaḥ-ca-abhibhūya: emotion + physics + and + having overcome; sattvam: mind; bhavati: it predominates; bhārata: O Descendant of Bharata; rajaḥ: emotion; sattvam: mind; tamaḥ-ca-eva: physics + and + thus; tamaḥ: physics; sattvam: mind; rajaḥ-tathā: emotion + in like manner
“Having overcome emotion and physics, mind predominates. Having overcome mind and physics, emotion predominates. Having overcome mind and emotion, physics predominates, O Descendant of Bharata.”
Śloka 14.11
सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्-
sarvadvāreṣu dehe’smin-
प्रकाश उपजायते ।
prakāśa upajāyate |
ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्-
jñānaṃ yadā tadā vidyād-
विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत ॥ ११ ॥
vivṛddhaṃ sattvamityuta ‖ 11 ‖
~~~
sarva-dvāreṣu: in all + gates; dehe-asmin-prakāśa: in the body + in this + illumination; upajāyate: it occurs; jñānam: knowledge; yadā: when; tadā: then; vidyāt-vivṛddham: he should know + predominant; sattvam-iti-uta: mind + thus + and
“One should know that when mind predominates, then knowledge illuminates all the gates in the body.”
Śloka 14.12
लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः
lobhaḥ pravṛttirārambhaḥ
कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा ।
karmaṇāmaśamaḥ spṛhā |
रजस्येतानि जायन्ते
rajasyetāni jāyante
विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ ॥ १२ ॥
vivṛddhe bharatarṣabha ‖ 12 ‖
~~~
lobhaḥ: greed; pravṛttiḥ-ārambhaḥ: activity + [selfish] undertakings; karmaṇām-aśamaḥ: for actions + restless; spṛhā: desire; rajasi-etāni: when emotion + these; jāyante: they develop; vivṛddhe: when predominant; bharatarṣabha: O Best of the Bhāratas
“When emotion predominates, O Best of the Bhāratas, then greed, activity, [selfish] undertakings, and restless desire for action develop.”
Śloka 14.13
अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च
aprakāśo’pravṛttiśca
प्रमादो मोह एव च ।
pramādo moha eva ca |
तमस्येतानि जायन्ते
tamasyetāni jāyante
विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन ॥ १३ ॥
vivṛddhe kurunandana ‖ 13 ‖
~~~
aprakāśaḥ-apravṛttiḥ-ca: darkness + inactivity + and; pramādaḥ: error; mohaḥ: delusion; eva: certainly; ca: and; tamasi-etāni: when physics + these; jāyante: they develop; vivṛddhe: when predominant; kurunandana: O Descendant of Kuru
“When physics predominates, O Descendant of Kuru, then darkness, inactivity, error, and delusion develop.”
Śloka 14.14
यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु
yadā sattve pravṛddhe tu
प्रलयं याति देहभृत् ।
pralayaṃ yāti dehabhṛt |
तदोत्तमविदां लोकान्-
tadottamavidāṃ lokān-
अमलान्प्रतिपद्यते ॥ १४ ॥
amalānpratipadyate ‖ 14 ‖
~~~
yadā: when; sattve: when mind; pravṛddhe: when predominant; tu: but; pralayam: death; yāti: when departing; dehabhṛt: embodied; tadā-uttama-vidām: then + highest + knowers; lokān-amalān-pratipadyate: worlds + pure + he attains
“Dying when mind predominates, then one attains the pure worlds of the highest knowers.”
Śloka 14.15
रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा
rajasi pralayaṃ gatvā
कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते ।
karmasaṅgiṣu jāyate |
तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि
tathā pralīnastamasi
मूढयोनिषु जायते ॥ १५ ॥
mūḍhayoniṣu jāyate ‖ 15 ‖
~~~
rajasi: in emotion; pralayam: death; gatvā: having gone to; karma-saṅgiṣu: to action + attached; jāyate: he is reborn; tathā: in like manner; pralīnaḥ-tamasi: died + in physics; mūḍha-yoniṣu: in a deluded + womb; jāyate: he is reborn
“Having died in emotion, then one is reborn among those attached to action. Having died in physics, it is reborn in a deluded womb.”
Śloka 14.16
कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः
karmaṇaḥ sukṛtasyāhuḥ
सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम् ।
sāttvikaṃ nirmalaṃ phalam |
रजसस्तु फलं दुःखम्-
rajasastu phalaṃ duḥkham-
अज्ञानं तमसः फलम् ॥ १६ ॥
ajñānaṃ tamasaḥ phalam ‖ 16 ‖
~~~
karmaṇaḥ: of action; sukṛtasya-āhuḥ: of pious + it is said; sāttvikam: mental; nirmalam: sinless; phalam: fruit; rajasaḥ-tu: emotional + but; phalam: fruit; duḥkham-ajñānam: suffering + ignorance; tamasaḥ: physical; phalam: fruit
“It is said that the fruit of pious, mental action is sinless. But the fruit of emotional action is pain, and the fruit of physical action is ignorance.”
Śloka 14.17
सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं
sattvātsañjāyate jñānaṃ
रजसो लोभ एव च ।
rajaso lobha eva ca |
प्रमादमोहौ तमसो
pramādamohau tamaso
भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च ॥ १७ ॥
bhavato’jñānameva ca ‖ 17 ‖
~~~
sattvāt-sañjāyate: from mind + it arises; jñānam: knowledge; rajasaḥ: from emotion; lobhaḥ: greed; eva: certainly; ca: and; pramāda-mohau: error + delusion; tamasaḥ: from physics; bhavataḥ-ajñānam-eva: they arise + ignorance + certainly; ca: and
“From mind arises knowledge, from emotion arises greed, and from physics arises error, delusion, and ignorance.”
Śloka 14.18
ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था
ūrdhvaṃ gacchanti sattvasthā
मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः ।
madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ |
जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था
jaghanyaguṇavṛttisthā
अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः ॥ १८ ॥
adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ ‖ 18 ‖
~~~
ūrdhvam: upward; gacchanti: they go; sattva-sthāḥ: mind + situated in; madhye: in the middle; tiṣṭhanti: they remain; rājasāḥ: in emotion; jaghanya-guṇa-vṛttisthāḥ: lowest + quality + situated in; adhaḥ: downward; gacchanti: they go; tāmasāḥ: in physics
“Those situated in mind go upward, those situated in emotion remain in the middle, and those situated in the lowest quality of physics go downward.”
Śloka 14.19
नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं
nānyaṃ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraṃ
यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति ।
yadā draṣṭānupaśyati |
गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति
guṇebhyaśca paraṃ vetti
मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छति ॥ १९ ॥
madbhāvaṃ so’dhigacchati ‖ 19 ‖
~~~
na-anyam: not + other; guṇebhyaḥ: than the qualities; kartāram: actor; yadā: when; draṣṭā-anupaśyati: the seer + he sees; guṇebhyaḥ-ca: than the qualities + and; param: beyond; vetti: he knows; madbhāvam: my [Supreme] State; saḥ-adhigacchati: he + he attains
“When the seer sees there is no actor other than the qualities, and knows what is beyond them, they attain my [Supreme] State.”
Śloka 14.20
गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्-
guṇānetānatītya trīn-
देही देहसमुद्भवान् ।
dehī dehasamudbhavān |
जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्-
janmamṛtyujarāduḥkhair-
विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते ॥ २० ॥
vimukto’mṛtamaśnute ‖ 20 ‖
~~~
guṇān-etān-atītya: qualities + these + having gone beyond; trīn-dehī: three + soul; deha-samudbhavān: body + produced; janma-mṛtyu-jarā-duḥkhaiḥ-vimuktaḥ-amṛtam-aśnute: birth + death + old age + freed from + by (from) suffering + immortality + it attains
“Having gone beyond these three qualities which produced the body, a soul is freed from the suffering of birth, death, and old age, and attains immortality.”
Śloka 14.21
अर्जुन उवाच
arjuna uvāca
कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतान्-
kairliṅgaistrīnguṇānetān-
अतीतो भवति प्रभो ।
atīto bhavati prabho |
किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्-
kimācāraḥ kathaṃ caitāṃs-
त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते ॥ २१ ॥
trīnguṇānativartate ‖ 21 ‖
~~~
arjuna: Arjuna; uvāca: he said; kaiḥ-liṅgaiḥ-trīn-guṇān-etān-atītaḥ: by which + by signs + three + qualities + these + gone beyond; bhavati: he becomes; prabho: O Lord; kim-ācāraḥ: what + conduct; katham: how; ca-etāṃs-trīn-guṇān-ativartate: and + these + three + qualities + he goes beyond
Arjuna said: “What are the signs of one who has gone beyond these three qualities, O Lord? What is their conduct? How do they go beyond these three qualities?”
Śloka 14.22
श्रीभगवानुवाच
śrībhagavānuvāca
प्रकाशं च प्रवृत्तिं च
prakāśaṃ ca pravṛttiṃ ca
मोहमेव च पाण्डव ।
mohameva ca pāṇḍava |
न द्वेष्टि सम्प्रवृत्तानि
na dveṣṭi sampravṛttāni
न निवृत्तानि काङ्क्षति ॥ २२ ॥
na nivṛttāni kāṅkṣati ‖ 22 ‖
~~~
śrī-bhagavān-uvāca: The Blessed + Lord + he said; prakāśam: illumination; ca: and; pravṛttim: activity; ca: and; moham-eva: delusion + certainly; ca: and; pāṇḍava: O Son of Pāṇḍu; na: neither; dveṣṭi: he hates; sampravṛttāni: they arise; na: nor; nivṛttāni: they subside; kāṅkṣati: he desires
The Blessed Lord said: “One who neither hates illumination, activity, or delusion when they arise, O Son of Pāṇḍu, nor longs for them when they subside…”
Śloka 14.23
उदासीनवदासीनो
udāsīnavadāsīno
गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते ।
guṇairyo na vicālyate |
गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येवं
guṇā vartanta ityevaṃ
योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते ॥ २३ ॥
yo’vatiṣṭhati neṅgate ‖ 23 ‖
~~~
udāsīnavat-āsīnaḥ: apart + sitting; guṇaiḥ-yaḥ: by the qualities + he who; na: not; vicālyate: he is disturbed; guṇāḥ: qualities; vartante: they act; iti-evam: thus + alone; yaḥ-avatiṣṭhati: he who + he remains; na-iṅgate: not + he is moved
“…who sitting apart, remains undisturbed and unmoved by the qualities, knowing, ‘The qualities alone act…’”
Śloka 14.24
समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः
samaduḥkhasukhaḥ svasthaḥ
समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः ।
samaloṣṭāśmakāñcanaḥ |
तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्-
tulyapriyāpriyo dhīras-
तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः ॥ २४ ॥
tulyanindātmasaṃstutiḥ ‖ 24 ‖
~~~
samaduḥkhasukhaḥ: same in suffering and happiness; svasthaḥ: stands in their nature; sama-loṣṭa-aśma-kāñcanaḥ: same + lump of clay + stone + gold; tulya-priya-apriyaḥ: equally + pleasant + unpleasant; dhīraḥ-tulya-nindā-ātma-saṃstutiḥ: steady + equally + blame + himself + praise
“…who is the same in happiness or suffering, who stands in their true nature, who views a lump of clay, a stone, and gold the same, who is equal to the pleasant and the unpleasant, who is equally steady in blame or praise of themselves…”
Śloka 14.25
मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्-
mānāpamānayostulyas-
तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः ।
tulyo mitrāripakṣayoḥ |
सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी
sarvārambhaparityāgī
गुणातीतः स उच्यते ॥ २५ ॥
guṇātītaḥ sa ucyate ‖ 25 ‖
~~~
māna-apamānayoḥ-tulyaḥ-tulyaḥ: honor + dishonor + equal + equal; mitra-ari-pakṣayoḥ: among friends + enemies + groups; sarva-ārambha-parityāgī: all + [selfish] undertakings + renouncer; guṇātītaḥ: gone beyond the qualities; saḥ: he; ucyate: he is said
“…who is equal in honor and dishonor, who is equal among groups of friends and enemies, and who renounces all [selfish] undertakings, is said to have gone beyond the qualities.”
Śloka 14.26
मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण
māṃ ca yo’vyabhicāreṇa
भक्तियोगेन सेवते ।
bhaktiyogena sevate |
स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान्-
sa guṇānsamatītyaitān-
ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ॥ २६ ॥
brahmabhūyāya kalpate ‖ 26 ‖
~~~
mām: me; ca: and; yaḥ-avyabhicāreṇa: he who + through unwavering; bhaktiyogena: through bhaktiyoga; sevate: he worships; saḥ: he; guṇān-samatītya-etān-brahmabhūyāya: qualities + having gone beyond + these + for becoming Brahman; kalpate: he is fit
“One who worships me through unwavering bhaktiyoga has gone beyond these qualities and is fit for becoming Brahman.”
Śloka 14.27
ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहम्-
brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham-
अमृतस्याव्ययस्य च ।
amṛtasyāvyayasya ca |
शाश्वतस्य च धर्मस्य
śāśvatasya ca dharmasya
सुखस्यैकान्तिकस्य च ॥ २७ ॥
sukhasyaikāntikasya ca ‖ 27 ‖
~~~
brahmaṇaḥ: of nature; hi: for; pratiṣṭhā-aham-amṛtasya-avyayasya: basis + I + of the immortal + of the imperishable; ca: and; śāśvatasya: of the eternal; ca: and; dharmasya: of the religion; sukhasya-aikāntikasya: of happiness + of absolute; ca: and
“For I am the basis of nature, the imperishable, the immortal, the eternal religion, and absolute happiness.”