Chapter 14
Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga
गुणत्रयविभागयोग
The Yoga of the Three Gunas · 27 verses
Summary · Path of Knowledge
The three gunas — sattva, rajas, tamas — bind the unchanging Self to a body: sattva by attachment to joy and knowledge, rajas by craving, tamas by heedlessness. The one who transcends the gunas stands like a light that neither flares nor flickers, equanimous in pleasure and pain alike — the mark of the liberated soul.
three gunastranscendenceequanimity
1 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga श्रीभगवानुवाच |
परं भूयः प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानानां ज्ञानमुत्तमम् |
यज्ज्ञात्वा मुनयः सर्वे परां सिद्धिमितो गताः ||१४-१|| 14.1 The Lord said I shall declare again another kind of knowledge: It is the best of all forms of knowledge, by knowing which all the sages have attained the state of perfection beyond this world. ›2 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः |
सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च ||१४-२|| 14.2 Resorting to this knowledge, partaking of My Nature, they are not born at the time of creation, nor do they suffer at the time of dissolution. ›3 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga मम योनिर्महद् ब्रह्म तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम् |
सम्भवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत ||१४-३|| 14.3 My womb is the great brahman (i.e. Prakrti). In that I lay the germ. From that, O Arjuna, is the birth of all beings. ›4 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः |
तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रदः पिता ||१४-४|| 14.4 Whatever forms are produced in any womb, O Arjuna, the Prakrti is their great womb and I am the sowing father. ›5 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः |
निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ||१४-५|| 14.5 Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are the Gunas that arise from the Prakrti. They bind the immutable self in the body, O Arjuna. ›6 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम् |
सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ ||१४-६|| 14.6 Of these, Sattva, being without impurity, is luminous and free from morbidity. It binds, O Arjuna, by attachment to pleasure and to knowledge. ›7 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् |
तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् ||१४-७|| 14.7 Know, O Arjuna, that Rajas is of the nature of passion springing from thirst and atttachment. It binds the embodied self with attachment to work. ›8 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् |
प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत ||१४-८|| 14.8 Know that Tamas is born of false knowledge and deludes all embodied selves. It binds, O Arjuna, with negligence, indolence and sleep. ›9 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga सत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रजः कर्मणि भारत |
ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तमः प्रमादे सञ्जयत्युत ||१४-९|| 14.9 Sattva generates attachment to pleasure, Rajas to action, O Arjuna. But Tamas, veiling knowledge, generates attachment to negligence. ›10 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत |
रजः सत्त्वं तमश्चैव तमः सत्त्वं रजस्तथा ||१४-१०|| 14.10 Prevailing over Rajas and Tamas, Sattva preponderates, O Arjuna. Prevailing over Tamas and Sattva, Rajas preponderates. Prevailing over Rajas and Sattva, Tamas preponderates. ›11 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते |
ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत ||१४-११|| 14.11 When knowledge as light illumines from all gateways (i.e., the senses), then, one should know that Sattva prevails. ›12 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा |
रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ ||१४-१२|| 14.12 Greed, activity, undertaking of work, unrest and longing - these arise, O Arjuna, when Rajas prevails. ›13 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च |
तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन ||१४-१३|| 14.13 Non-illumination, inactivity, negligence and even delusion - these arise, O Arjuna, when Tamas prevails. ›14 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत् |
तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते ||१४-१४|| 14.14 If the embodied self meets with dissoution when Sattva prevails, then It proceeds to the pure worlds of those who know the highest. ›15 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते |
तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते ||१४-१५|| 14.15 (a) Meeting with dissolution when Rajas is prevalent, one is born among those attached to work৷৷.
(b) Similarly, one who has met with dissolution when Tamas prevails, is born in the womb of beings lacking in intelligence. ›16 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम् |
रजसस्तु फलं दुःखमज्ञानं तमसः फलम् ||१४-१६|| 14.16 The fruits of a good deed, they say, is pure and is of the nature of Sattva. But the fruit of Rajas is pain; and the fruit of Tamas is ignorance. ›17 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च |
प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च ||१४-१७|| 14.17 From the Sattva arises knowledge, and from Rajas greed, from Tamas arise negligence and delusion, and, indeed ignorance. ›18 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः |
जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः ||१४-१८|| 14.18 Those who rest in Sattva rise upwards; those who abide in Rajas remain in the middle; and those, abiding in the tendencies of Tamas go downwards. ›19 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति |
गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छति ||१४-१९|| 14.19 When the seer beholds no agent of action other than the Gunas, and knows what transcends the Gunas, he attains to My state. ›20 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान् |
जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते ||१४-२०|| 14.20 The embodied self, crossing beyond these three Gunas which arise in the body, and freed from birth, death, age and pain, attains immortality. ›21 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga अर्जुन उवाच |
कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो |
किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते ||१४-२१|| 14.21 Arjuna said What are the marks of a man who has crossed beyond the three Gunas? What is his behaviour? And how does he cross beyond the three Gunas? ›22 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga श्रीभगवानुवाच |
प्रकाशं च प्रवृत्तिं च मोहमेव च पाण्डव |
न द्वेष्टि सम्प्रवृत्तानि न निवृत्तानि काङ्क्षति ||१४-२२|| 14.22 The Lord said He hates not illumination, nor activity nor even delusion, O Arjuna, while these prevail, nor longs for them when they cease. ›23 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते |
गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येवं योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते ||१४-२३|| 14.23 He who sits like one unconcerned, undisturbed by the Gunas; who knows, 'It is the Gunas that move,' and so rests unshaken; ›24 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः |
तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः ||१४-२४|| 14.24 He who is alike in pleasure and pain, who dwells in his self, who looks upon a clod, a stone and piece of gold as of eal value, who remains the same towards things dear and hateful and who is intelligent, who regards both blame and praise of himself as eal; ›25 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः |
सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यते ||१४-२५|| 14.25 He who is the same in honour and dishonour, and the same to friend and foe, and how has abandoned all enterprises - he is said to have risen above the Gunas. ›26 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते |
स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान्ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ||१४-२६|| 14.26 And he who, with unswerving Bhakti Yoga, serves Me, he, crossing beyond the Gunas, becomes fit for the state of Brahman. ›27 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहममृतस्याव्ययस्य च |
शाश्वतस्य च धर्मस्य सुखस्यैकान्तिकस्य च ||१४-२७|| 14.27 For I am the ground of Brahman, the immortal and immutable, of eternal Dharma and of perfect bliss. ›