Chapter 14 · Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga

ಶ್ರೀ ಭಗವಾನುವಾಚಪರಂ ಭೂಯಃ ಪ್ರವಕ್ಷ್ಯಾಮಿ ಜ್ಞಾನಾನಾಂ ಜ್ಞಾನಮುತ್ತಮಮ್। ಯಜ್ಜ್ಞಾತ್ವಾ ಮುನಯಃ ಸರ್ವೇ ಪರಾಂ ಸಿದ್ಧಿಮಿತೋ ಗತಾಃ

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha paraṁ bhūyaḥ pravakṣhyāmi jñānānāṁ jñānam uttamam yaj jñātvā munayaḥ sarve parāṁ siddhim ito gatāḥ

📖 Meaning

The Blessed Lord said, "I will again declare to thee that supreme knowledge, the best of all knowledge, having known which all the sages have gone to supreme perfection after this life."

ಇದಂ ಜ್ಞಾನಮುಪಾಶ್ರಿತ್ಯ ಮಮ ಸಾಧರ್ಮ್ಯಮಾಗತಾಃ। ಸರ್ಗೇಽಪಿ ನೋಪಜಾಯನ್ತೇ ಪ್ರಲಯೇ ನ ವ್ಯಥನ್ತಿ ಚ

idaṁ jñānam upāśhritya mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ sarge ’pi nopajāyante pralaye na vyathanti cha

📖 Meaning

Those who, having taken refuge in this knowledge, have attained unity with Me, are neither born at the time of creation nor disturbed at the time of dissolution.

ಮಮ ಯೋನಿರ್ಮಹದ್ಬ್ರಹ್ಮ ತಸ್ಮಿನ್ ಗರ್ಭಂ ದಧಾಮ್ಯಹಮ್। ಸಂಭವಃ ಸರ್ವಭೂತಾನಾಂ ತತೋ ಭವತಿ ಭಾರತ

mama yonir mahad brahma tasmin garbhaṁ dadhāmy aham sambhavaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ tato bhavati bhārata

📖 Meaning

My womb is the great Brahma; in it I place the germ; thence, O Arjuna, is the birth of all beings.

ಸರ್ವಯೋನಿಷು ಕೌನ್ತೇಯ ಮೂರ್ತಯಃ ಸಮ್ಭವನ್ತಿ ಯಾಃ। ತಾಸಾಂ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮ ಮಹದ್ಯೋನಿರಹಂ ಬೀಜಪ್ರದಃ ಪಿತಾ

sarva-yoniṣhu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

📖 Meaning

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

ಸತ್ತ್ವಂ ರಜಸ್ತಮ ಇತಿ ಗುಣಾಃ ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಸಂಭವಾಃ। ನಿಬಧ್ನನ್ತಿ ಮಹಾಬಾಹೋ ದೇಹೇ ದೇಹಿನಮವ್ಯಯಮ್

sattvaṁ rajas tama iti guṇāḥ prakṛiti-sambhavāḥ nibadhnanti mahā-bāho dehe dehinam avyayam

📖 Meaning

These qualities, O Arjuna, born of Nature, bind fast in the body of the embodied, the indestructible: purity, passion, and inertia.

ತತ್ರ ಸತ್ತ್ವಂ ನಿರ್ಮಲತ್ವಾತ್ಪ್ರಕಾಶಕಮನಾಮಯಮ್। ಸುಖಸಙ್ಗೇನ ಬಧ್ನಾತಿ ಜ್ಞಾನಸಙ್ಗೇನ ಚಾನಘ

tatra sattvaṁ nirmalatvāt prakāśhakam anāmayam sukha-saṅgena badhnāti jñāna-saṅgena chānagha

📖 Meaning

Of these, sattva, which is luminous and healthy due to its stainlessness, binds one by attachment to happiness and knowledge, O sinless one.

ರಜೋ ರಾಗಾತ್ಮಕಂ ವಿದ್ಧಿ ತೃಷ್ಣಾಸಙ್ಗಸಮುದ್ಭವಮ್। ತನ್ನಿಬಧ್ನಾತಿ ಕೌನ್ತೇಯ ಕರ್ಮಸಙ್ಗೇನ ದೇಹಿನಮ್

rajo rāgātmakaṁ viddhi tṛiṣhṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam tan nibadhnāti kaunteya karma-saṅgena dehinam

📖 Meaning

Know, O Arjuna, that Rajas is of the nature of passion, the source of thirst and attachment; it binds fast the embodied one by attachment to action.

ತಮಸ್ತ್ವಜ್ಞಾನಜಂ ವಿದ್ಧಿ ಮೋಹನಂ ಸರ್ವದೇಹಿನಾಮ್। ಪ್ರಮಾದಾಲಸ್ಯನಿದ್ರಾಭಿಸ್ತನ್ನಿಬಧ್ನಾತಿ ಭಾರತ

tamas tv ajñāna-jaṁ viddhi mohanaṁ sarva-dehinām pramādālasya-nidrābhis tan nibadhnāti bhārata

📖 Meaning

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

ಸತ್ತ್ವಂ ಸುಖೇ ಸಞ್ಜಯತಿ ರಜಃ ಕರ್ಮಣಿ ಭಾರತ। ಜ್ಞಾನಮಾವೃತ್ಯ ತು ತಮಃ ಪ್ರಮಾದೇ ಸಞ್ಜಯತ್ಯುತ

sattvaṁ sukhe sañjayati rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata jñānam āvṛitya tu tamaḥ pramāde sañjayaty uta

📖 Meaning

Sattva attaches to happiness, Rajas to action, O Arjuna, while Tamas, verily shrouding knowledge, attaches to heedlessness.

ರಜಸ್ತಮಶ್ಚಾಭಿಭೂಯ ಸತ್ತ್ವಂ ಭವತಿ ಭಾರತ। ರಜಃ ಸತ್ತ್ವಂ ತಮಶ್ಚೈವ ತಮಃ ಸತ್ತ್ವಂ ರಜಸ್ತಥಾ

rajas tamaśh chābhibhūya sattvaṁ bhavati bhārata rajaḥ sattvaṁ tamaśh chaiva tamaḥ sattvaṁ rajas tathā

📖 Meaning

Now, O Arjuna, Sattva prevails, having overpowered Rajas and Tamas; then Rajas, having overpowered Sattva and Tamas; and then Tamas, having overpowered Sattva and Rajas.

ಸರ್ವದ್ವಾರೇಷು ದೇಹೇಽಸ್ಮಿನ್ಪ್ರಕಾಶ ಉಪಜಾಯತೇ। ಜ್ಞಾನಂ ಯದಾ ತದಾ ವಿದ್ಯಾದ್ವಿವೃದ್ಧಂ ಸತ್ತ್ವಮಿತ್ಯುತ

sarva-dvāreṣhu dehe ’smin prakāśha upajāyate jñānaṁ yadā tadā vidyād vivṛiddhaṁ sattvam ity uta

📖 Meaning

When the wisdom-light shines through every gate of this body, then it may be known that Sattva is predominant.

ಲೋಭಃ ಪ್ರವೃತ್ತಿರಾರಮ್ಭಃ ಕರ್ಮಣಾಮಶಮಃ ಸ್ಪೃಹಾ। ರಜಸ್ಯೇತಾನಿ ಜಾಯನ್ತೇ ವಿವೃದ್ಧೇ ಭರತರ್ಷಭ

lobhaḥ pravṛittir ārambhaḥ karmaṇām aśhamaḥ spṛihā rajasy etāni jāyante vivṛiddhe bharatarṣhabha

📖 Meaning

Greed, activity, the undertaking of actions, restlessness, and longing—these arise when Rajas is predominant, O Arjuna.

ಅಪ್ರಕಾಶೋಽಪ್ರವೃತ್ತಿಶ್ಚ ಪ್ರಮಾದೋ ಮೋಹ ಏವ ಚ। ತಮಸ್ಯೇತಾನಿ ಜಾಯನ್ತೇ ವಿವೃದ್ಧೇ ಕುರುನನ್ದನ

aprakāśho ’pravṛittiśh cha pramādo moha eva cha tamasy etāni jāyante vivṛiddhe kuru-nandana

📖 Meaning

Darkness, inertia, carelessness, and delusion—these arise when Tamas is predominant, O Arjuna.

ಯದಾ ಸತ್ತ್ವೇ ಪ್ರವೃದ್ಧೇ ತು ಪ್ರಲಯಂ ಯಾತಿ ದೇಹಭೃತ್। ತದೋತ್ತಮವಿದಾಂ ಲೋಕಾನಮಲಾನ್ಪ್ರತಿಪದ್ಯತೇ

yadā sattve pravṛiddhe tu pralayaṁ yāti deha-bhṛit tadottama-vidāṁ lokān amalān pratipadyate

📖 Meaning

If the embodied one meets death when Sattva is predominant, then they attain the spotless worlds of the knowers of the Highest.

ರಜಸಿ ಪ್ರಲಯಂ ಗತ್ವಾ ಕರ್ಮಸಙ್ಗಿಷು ಜಾಯತೇ। ತಥಾ ಪ್ರಲೀನಸ್ತಮಸಿ ಮೂಢಯೋನಿಷು ಜಾಯತೇ

rajasi pralayaṁ gatvā karma-saṅgiṣhu jāyate tathā pralīnas tamasi mūḍha-yoniṣhu jāyate

📖 Meaning

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

ಕರ್ಮಣಃ ಸುಕೃತಸ್ಯಾಹುಃ ಸಾತ್ತ್ವಿಕಂ ನಿರ್ಮಲಂ ಫಲಮ್। ರಜಸಸ್ತು ಫಲಂ ದುಃಖಮಜ್ಞಾನಂ ತಮಸಃ ಫಲಮ್

karmaṇaḥ sukṛitasyāhuḥ sāttvikaṁ nirmalaṁ phalam rajasas tu phalaṁ duḥkham ajñānaṁ tamasaḥ phalam

📖 Meaning

They say that the fruit of good action is Sattvic and pure; indeed, the fruit of Rajas is pain, and the fruit of Tamas is ignorance.

ಸತ್ತ್ವಾತ್ಸಞ್ಜಾಯತೇ ಜ್ಞಾನಂ ರಜಸೋ ಲೋಭ ಏವ ಚ। ಪ್ರಮಾದಮೋಹೌ ತಮಸೋ ಭವತೋಽಜ್ಞಾನಮೇವ ಚ

sattvāt sañjāyate jñānaṁ rajaso lobha eva cha pramāda-mohau tamaso bhavato ’jñānam eva cha

📖 Meaning

From Sattva arises knowledge, and greed from Rajas; heedlessness and delusion arise from Tamas, and also ignorance.

ಊರ್ಧ್ವಂ ಗಚ್ಛನ್ತಿ ಸತ್ತ್ವಸ್ಥಾ ಮಧ್ಯೇ ತಿಷ್ಠನ್ತಿ ರಾಜಸಾಃ। ಜಘನ್ಯಗುಣವೃತ್ತಿಸ್ಥಾ ಅಧೋ ಗಚ್ಛನ್ತಿ ತಾಮಸಾಃ

ūrdhvaṁ gachchhanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣhṭhanti rājasāḥ jaghanya-guṇa-vṛitti-sthā adho gachchhanti tāmasāḥ

📖 Meaning

Those seated in Sattva ascend; those of Rajasic nature dwell in the middle; and those of Tamasic nature, abiding in the function of the lowest Guna, descend.

ನಾನ್ಯಂ ಗುಣೇಭ್ಯಃ ಕರ್ತಾರಂ ಯದಾ ದ್ರಷ್ಟಾನುಪಶ್ಯತಿ। ಗುಣೇಭ್ಯಶ್ಚ ಪರಂ ವೇತ್ತಿ ಮದ್ಭಾವಂ ಸೋಽಧಿಗಚ್ಛತಿ

nānyaṁ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraṁ yadā draṣhṭānupaśhyati guṇebhyaśh cha paraṁ vetti mad-bhāvaṁ so ’dhigachchhati

📖 Meaning

When the seer beholds no agent other than the Gunas and knows that which is higher than them, he attains to My Being.

ಗುಣಾನೇತಾನತೀತ್ಯ ತ್ರೀನ್ದೇಹೀ ದೇಹಸಮುದ್ಭವಾನ್। ಜನ್ಮಮೃತ್ಯುಜರಾದುಃಖೈರ್ವಿಮುಕ್ತೋಽಮೃತಮಶ್ನುತೇ

guṇān etān atītya trīn dehī deha-samudbhavān janma-mṛityu-jarā-duḥkhair vimukto ’mṛitam aśhnute

📖 Meaning

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

ಅರ್ಜುನ ಉವಾಚ ಕೈರ್ಲಿಂಗೈಸ್ತ್ರೀನ್ಗುಣಾನೇತಾನತೀತೋ ಭವತಿ ಪ್ರಭೋ। ಕಿಮಾಚಾರಃ ಕಥಂ ಚೈತಾಂಸ್ತ್ರೀನ್ಗುಣಾನತಿವರ್ತತೇ

arjuna uvācha kair liṅgais trīn guṇān etān atīto bhavati prabho kim āchāraḥ kathaṁ chaitāns trīn guṇān ativartate

📖 Meaning

Arjuna said, "What are the marks of one who has transcended the three qualities, O Lord? What is their conduct, and how do they go beyond these three qualities?"

ಶ್ರೀ ಭಗವಾನುವಾಚಪ್ರಕಾಶಂ ಚ ಪ್ರವೃತ್ತಿಂ ಚ ಮೋಹಮೇವ ಚ ಪಾಣ್ಡವ। ನ ದ್ವೇಷ್ಟಿ ಸಮ್ಪ್ರವೃತ್ತಾನಿ ನ ನಿವೃತ್ತಾನಿ ಕಾಙ್ಕ್ಷತಿ

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha prakāśhaṁ cha pravṛittiṁ cha moham eva cha pāṇḍava na dveṣhṭi sampravṛittāni na nivṛittāni kāṅkṣhati

📖 Meaning

The Blessed Lord said, "When light, activity, and delusion are present, he does not hate them, nor does he long for them when they are absent.

ಉದಾಸೀನವದಾಸೀನೋ ಗುಣೈರ್ಯೋ ನ ವಿಚಾಲ್ಯತೇ। ಗುಣಾ ವರ್ತನ್ತ ಇತ್ಯೇವ ಯೋಽವತಿಷ್ಠತಿ ನೇಙ್ಗತೇ

udāsīna-vad āsīno guṇair yo na vichālyate guṇā vartanta ity evaṁ yo ’vatiṣhṭhati neṅgate

📖 Meaning

He who, seated like one unconcerned, is not moved by the dualities, and who, knowing that the dualities are active, is self-centered and does not move.

ಸಮದುಃಖಸುಖಃ ಸ್ವಸ್ಥಃ ಸಮಲೋಷ್ಟಾಶ್ಮಕಾಞ್ಚನಃ। ತುಲ್ಯಪ್ರಿಯಾಪ್ರಿಯೋ ಧೀರಸ್ತುಲ್ಯನಿನ್ದಾತ್ಮಸಂಸ್ತುತಿಃ

sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ sva-sthaḥ sama-loṣhṭāśhma-kāñchanaḥ tulya-priyāpriyo dhīras tulya-nindātma-sanstutiḥ

📖 Meaning

Who is the same in pleasure and pain, who dwells in the Self, to whom a clod of earth, a stone, and gold are all alike, who is the same to the dear and the unfriendly, who is firm, and to whom censure and praise are one and the same.

ಮಾನಾಪಮಾನಯೋಸ್ತುಲ್ಯಸ್ತುಲ್ಯೋ ಮಿತ್ರಾರಿಪಕ್ಷಯೋಃ। ಸರ್ವಾರಮ್ಭಪರಿತ್ಯಾಗೀ ಗುಣಾತೀತಃ ಸ ಉಚ್ಯತೇ

mānāpamānayos tulyas tulyo mitrāri-pakṣhayoḥ sarvārambha-parityāgī guṇātītaḥ sa uchyate

📖 Meaning

Who is the same in honor and dishonor, the same to friend and foe, abandoning all undertakings, he is said to have transcended the dualities.

ಮಾಂ ಚ ಯೋಽವ್ಯಭಿಚಾರೇಣ ಭಕ್ಿತಯೋಗೇನ ಸೇವತೇ। ಸ ಗುಣಾನ್ಸಮತೀತ್ಯೈತಾನ್ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಭೂಯಾಯ ಕಲ್ಪತೇ

māṁ cha yo ’vyabhichāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

📖 Meaning

And he who serves Me with unwavering devotion, he, crossing beyond the dualities, is fit for becoming Brahman.

ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಣೋ ಹಿ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾಽಹಮಮೃತಸ್ಯಾವ್ಯಯಸ್ಯ ಚ। ಶಾಶ್ವತಸ್ಯ ಚ ಧರ್ಮಸ್ಯ ಸುಖಸ್ಯೈಕಾನ್ತಿಕಸ್ಯ ಚ

brahmaṇo hi pratiṣhṭhāham amṛitasyāvyayasya cha śhāśhvatasya cha dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya cha

📖 Meaning

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