Chapter
14 - The Yoga of the division of the
three Gunas (Modes)
The
Blessed Sri Krsn said:
I
shall again declare that supreme wisdom
(knowledge), the best of all wisdom: by
knowing which all sages have attained the
highest perfection, being liberated from
this mundane existence. (14.01)
Those,
who having acquired this wisdom, have
entered into My Being, are not born again
at the time of creation, nor are they
tormented at the time of dissolution.
(14.02)
My
primordial Matter (Prakriti) known as the
great Brahma, is the womb of all
creatures; in that womb I place the seed
of life. The birth of all beings follows
from this combination of Matter and
Spirit. (14.03)
Of
all the bodies that take birth from
different wombs, this Primordial Matter
(Brahma or Prakriti) is the Mother, while
I am the seed-giving Father. (14.04)
Sattva,
Raja and Tama - these Gunas, born of
Prakriti, bind the imperishable spirit to
the body, O mighty-armed. (14.05)
Of
these, Sattva, being stainless is
illuminating and flawless. It binds, O
sinless one, by creating attachment to
happiness and to knowledge. (14.06)
Know
Rajas to be the nature of passion, the
source of thirst and attachment. It binds
the spirit through attachment to actions,
O son of Kunti. (14.07)
But
know Tamas (mode of Darkness or Ignorance)
to be born of ignorance, deluding all
embodied beings. It binds the spirit, O
Bharat, through heedlessness, indolence
and sleep. (14.08)
The
mode of Goodness drives (attaches) one to
happiness, passion to action, O Bharat,
while igorance, veiling knowledge,
attaches one to heedlessness. (14.09)
Goodness
prevails, overpowering passion and
ignorance, O Bharat. Passion prevails,
overpowering goodness and ignorance and
even so ignorance prevails, overpowering
goodness and passion. (14.10)
When
the gates of the body (senses and mind)
are illumined by knowledge, then it may be
known that sattva (Goodness) is
predominant. (14.11)
Greed,
activity, undertaking of actions, unrest
and craving these spring up of Best of the
Bharatas, when there is an increase in the
mode of passion. (14.12)
O
son of Kuru, when there is an increase in
the mode of ignorance, unillumination,
inactivity, headlessness (negligence) and
delusion are manifested. (14.13)
When
a man dies during the predominance of
Sattva (Goodness), he attains to the pure
worlds of those who know the Highest.
(14.14)
When
one dies in the mode of passion, he is
born among those attached to action; and
when he dies in the mode of ignorance, he
is born in the wombs of the deluded.
(14.15)
The
fruit of good actions is said to be
Sattvik and pure, the fruit of Rajas is
pain while the fruit of Tamas is
ignorance. (14.16)
From
Sattva (the mode of goodness) arises
knowledge, from Rajas (the mode of
passion) arises greed; and from Tamas (the
mode of ignorance) arise heedlessness,
delusion and ignorance. (14.17)
Those
who are established in the mode of
goodness rise upwards (heaven), those in
the mode of passion remain in the middle
(regions); and those in the mode of
ignorance sink downwards. (14.18)
When
the seer beholds no agent other than the
modes and knows the self beyond the modes,
he attains to My Being. (14.19)
When
the embodied soul rises above these three
gunas (modes) out of which the body is
evolved, it is freed from birth, death,
old aga and pain and attains to
immortality. (14.20)
Arjun
said:
What
are the marks of him who has transcended
the three Gunas (modes) O Lord Krsn? What
is his conduct? How does he transcend the
three modes? (14.21)
The
Blessed Sri Krsn said:
O
Pandava, he does not hate illumination,
activity and delusion when they are
present nor does he long for them when
they are absent. (14.22)
He
seated like one unconcerned, is not moved
by the modes of nature and he stands apart
without wavering, knowing that it is only
the modes that act. (14.23)
He
regards pain and pleasure alike, dwells in
his own self, views a clod of earth, a
stone and gold alike, remains the same
amidst the pleasant and the unpleasant, is
firm and views blame and praise alike. He
is the same in honor and dishonor and the
same to friends and foes, he has abandoned
all undertakings - such a man is said to
have risen above the modes of nature.
(14.24 - 25)
He
who serves Me with exclusive devotion,
rises above the three modes and become
eligible for attaining Brahman. (14.26)
For
I am the abode of Brahman, the Immortal
and the Imperishable, of eternal Dharma
(Law or Virtue) and of absolute Bliss.
(14.27)
Thus
with the utterance of Om, Tat, Sat, the
names of the Lord, in the Upanisad of the
Bhagawad Gita, the knowledge of Brahman,
the Supreme, the Science of yoga and the
dialogue between Sri Krsn and Arjun, this
is the fourteenth discourse designated:
"The Yoga of the Division of the
Three Gunas (Modes)"
Swami Veet Chintan T'Zorba-Krsna
Jyotish
Shastracharya
& Vedic Astrologer of India
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