Gita Chapter 14 – Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga: The Three Modes of Material Nature. This chapter discusses the Triguna—Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. Every soul is imprisoned within a body under the control of these three modes: goodness (Sattva), passion (Rajas), and ignorance (Tamas). Sri Krishna explains the meaning of these qualities, how they influence us, how to transcend them, and the characteristics of those who have attained spiritual liberation.
14:1
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
paraṁ bhūyaḥ pravakṣyāmi jñānānāṁ jñānam uttamam
yaj jñātvā munayaḥ sarve parāṁ siddhim ito gatāḥ
The Blessed Lord (Krishna) said:
“Once again, I shall explain this supreme knowledge, the foremost of all wisdom, by attaining which all sages have been liberated from the material world and reached absolute perfection.”
14:2
idaṁ jñanam upāśritya mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ
sarge’pi nopajāyante pralaye na vyathanti ca
“Those who establish themselves in this true knowledge attain oneness with My own nature; thus, they are not born again at the time of universal creation, nor are they distressed at the time of dissolution.”
14:3
mama yonir mahad brahma tasmin garbhaṁ dadhāmy aham
saṁbhavaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ tato bhavati bhārata
“O Arjuna, Nature is the Mahā Brahmā, the Great Womb in which I place the Seed of Life. Thus, the union between Material Nature and the Soul brings forth the manifestation of all beings.”
14:4
sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ saṁbhavanti yāḥ
tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā
“O Arjuna, in the manifestation of every creature of any kind, material nature or Prakṛti acts as the Great Womb that conceives. And I am the Father who provides the seed.”
14:5
sattvaṁ rajas tama iti guṇāḥ prakṛti-sambhavāḥ
nibadhnanti mahā-bāho dehe dehinam avyayam
“Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas—these three modes born of material nature (Prakṛti) bind the individual Soul, which is truly imperishable, to the physical body (which is in a state of decay).”
14:6
tatra sattvaṁ nirmalatvāt prakāśakam anāmayam
sukha-saṅgena badhnāti jñāna-saṅgena cānagha
“O Arjuna, among these, Sattva is pure, illuminating, and free from suffering. Nevertheless, it still fetters the Soul through attachment to ‘happiness’ and knowledge.”
14:7
rajo rāgātmakaṁ viddhi tṛṣṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam
tan nibadhnati kaunteya karma-saṅgena dehinam
“O Arjuna, know that the mode of Rajas, aggressive and full of passion, arises from desire and attachment. It fetters the Soul by binding it to action and the fruits of action.”
14:8
tamas tv ajñāna-jaṁ viddhi mohanaṁ sarva-dehinām
pramādālasya-nidrābhis tan nibadhnāti bhārata
“Know, Arjuna, that the mode of Tamas arises from ignorance and deludes every embodied Soul (by creating the illusion that the body is its true self). It fetters the Soul through attachment to confusion, laziness, and sleep.”
14:9
sattvaṁ sukhe sañjayati rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata
jñānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ pramāde sañjayaty uta
“O Arjuna, Sattva creates attachment to ‘happiness’; Rajas to excessive activity; and Tamas obscures knowledge, creating attachment to delusion.”
14:10
rajas tamaś cābhibhūya sattvaṁ bhavati bhārata
rajaḥ sattvaṁ tamaś caiva tamaḥ sattvaṁ rajas tathā
“O Arjuna, Sattva prevails by conquering Rajas and Tamas. Rajas prevails by conquering Sattva and Tamas; and Tamas prevails by conquering Sattva and Rajas.”
14:11
sarva-dvāreṣu dehes’min prakāśa upajāyate
jñānaṁ yadā tadā vidyād vivṛddhaṁ sattvam ity uta
“When the Light of True Knowledge illuminates every sense (including the mind and feelings), then know that Sattva is dominant at that moment.”
14:12
lobhaḥ pravṛttir ārambhaḥ karmaṇām aśamaḥ spṛhā
rajasy etāni jāyante vivṛddhe bharatarṣabha
“O Arjuna, when the mode of Rajas prevails, one becomes greedy; and all activities are aimed only at attaining worldly pleasures. Therefore, one becomes restless when those desires are not fulfilled.”
14:13
aprakāśo’pravṛttiś ca pramādo moha eva ca
tamasy etāni jāyante vivṛddhe kuru-nandana
“O Arjuna, when Tamas prevails, there arises laziness, indifference, and a darkness of mind that causes confusion.”
14:14
yadā sattve pravṛddhe tu pralayaṁ yāti deha-bhṛt
tadottama-vidāṁ lokān amalān pratipadyate
“If one dies when Sattva prevails, then they enter the heavenly realms or similar planes attained only by those who have acted nobly throughout their lives.”
14:15
rajasi pralayaṁ gatvā karma-saṅgiṣu jāyate
tathā pralīnas tamasi mūḍhayoniṣu jāyate
“Dying when Rajas prevails, the Soul undergoes rebirth in a family that is similarly attached to activity and aggressiveness. Likewise, one who dies when Tamas prevails undergoes rebirth through the womb of an equally ignorant mother.”
14:16
karmaṇaḥ sukṛtasyāhuḥ sāttvikaṁ nirmalaṁ phalam
rajasas tu phalaṁ duḥkham ajñānaṁ tamasaḥ phalam
“The result of Sāttvika action is noble, stainless, and faultless; the result of Rājasika action is sorrow; and ignorance is the result of Tāmasika action.”
14:17
sattvāt sañjāyate jñānaṁ rajaso lobha eva ca
pramāda-mohau tamaso bhavato’jñānam eva ca
“Wisdom is the result of Sattva; greed is surely the result of Rajas; while indifference, attachment, and ignorance are the results of Tamas.”
14:18
ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ
jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchhanti tāmasāḥ
“Those who are steadfast in the noble mode of Sattva experience a rise in consciousness; those of a Rajas nature remain static in the middle; and those of a Tamas nature undergo a decline.”
14:19
nānyaṁ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraṁ yadā draṣṭānupaśyati
guṇebhyaś ca paraṁ vetti mad-bhāvaṁ so’dhigacchhati
“When one has the ability to discern and see these three modes as the ‘doers’, while simultaneously realizing My Essence as the Supreme Soul that transcends all three, they attain oneness with Me.”
14:20
guṇān etān atītya trīn dehī deha-samudbhavān
janma-mṛtyu-jarā-duḥkhair vimukto’mṛtam aśnute
“By transcending the three modes that cause the existence of the body, the Soul is liberated from birth, death, old age, and all kinds of sorrow, attaining eternal perfection.”
14:21
arjuna uvāca
kair liṅgais trīn guṇān etān atīto bhavati prabho
kim ācāraḥ kathaṁ caitāṁs trīn guṇān ativartate
Arjuna asked:
“What are the clear signs of one who has transcended these three modes, O Kṛṣṇa? How do they act? By what means do they transcend these three qualities?”
14:22
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
prakāśaṁ ca pravṛttiṁ ca moham eva ca pāṇḍava
ta dveṣṭi sampravṛttāni na nivṛttāni kāṅkṣati
The Blessed Lord (Krishna) answered:
“O Arjuna, such a person does not reject the light of wisdom when Sattva is dominant; nor the urge for activity when Rajas is dominant; nor attachment when Tamas is dominant. Furthermore, they do not crave any of these when those modes are no longer dominant.”
14:23
udāsīna-vad āsīno guṇair yo na vicālyate
guṇā vartanta ity evam yo’vatiṣṭhati neṅgate
“As a witness, they are undisturbed by whatever happens through the functions of those modes. They remain unwavering in their role as a witness, for they have realized their true nature.”
14:24
sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ sva-sthaḥ sama-loṣṭāśma-kāñcanaḥ
tulya-priyāpriyo dhīras tulya-nindātma-saṁstutiḥ
“A Soul-conscious person regards pain and pleasure as the same; they value a lump of earth, a stone, and precious metal equally; they are undisturbed by what is pleasant or unpleasant, and they view praise and blame as the same.”
14:25
mānāpamānayos tulyas tulyo mitrāri-pakṣayoḥ
sarvārambha-parityāgī guṇātītaḥ sa ucyate
“One who is unwavering by honor or dishonor; who treats friend and foe alike; and who, even when active, does not consider themselves as the doer—is said to be one who has transcended the three modes.”
14:26
māṁ ca yo’vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
“One who constantly worships Me with full devotion (practicing Bhakti Yoga), likewise transcends these three modes and finally attains the worthiness to unite with the Supreme Brahman.”
14:27
brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham amṛtasyāvyayasya ca
śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya ca
“For I am the Abode of the Supreme Brahman, the Immortal and Imperishable; I am also the Essence of Eternal Virtue and Absolute Happiness.”
Thus ends the Fourteenth Discourse of the Gita, Chapter 14.
“May all beings be well, may all beings be at peace, may all beings attain perfection, and may all beings experience divine glory.”
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