Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

The Supreme Lord said: Again I shall declare to you the supreme knowledge, the best of all knowledge, knowing which all the sages have attained the highest perfection.

इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः |

By taking shelter of this knowledge and becoming established in My divine nature, one is neither born at the time of creation nor disturbed at the time of dissolution.

मम योनिर्महद्ब्रह्म तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम् |

O son of Bharata! The total material substance, called Brahman, is the womb, and I impregnate it with the seeds of all living beings. Thus the birth of all living entities becomes possible.

सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः |

O son of Kunti! Whatever forms are produced in all the wombs of this material world, the great material nature (Brahman) is their mother and I am the seed-giving father.

सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः |

Material nature consists of three modes — goodness (sattva), passion (rajas), and ignorance (tamas). O mighty-armed Arjuna! When the eternal living entity comes in contact with material nature, he becomes bound by these modes.

तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम् |

O sinless one! The mode of goodness, being purer than the other modes, is illuminating and frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode become conditioned by a sense of happiness and knowledge.

रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् |

O son of Kunti! Know that the mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings. It binds the embodied soul through attachment to fruitive activities.

तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् |

O son of Bharata! Know that the mode of ignorance (tamas) is born of darkness and is the delusion of all embodied beings. It binds through madness, laziness, and excessive sleep.

सत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रजः कर्मणि भारत |

O son of Bharata! The mode of goodness binds one to happiness, the mode of passion binds one to fruitive action, and the mode of ignorance, covering one's knowledge, binds one to madness.

रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत |

O son of Bharata! Sometimes the mode of goodness prevails, defeating passion and ignorance. Sometimes passion prevails, defeating goodness and ignorance. And sometimes ignorance prevails, defeating goodness and passion.

सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते |

When the light of knowledge shines through all the gates of the body, then it should be known that the mode of goodness has increased.

लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा |

O best of the Bharatas! When the mode of passion increases, the signs of greed, excessive activity, undertaking of ambitious projects, uncontrollable desire, and intense hankering become manifest.

अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च |

O son of the Kurus! When the mode of ignorance increases, darkness, inactivity, madness, and delusion become manifest.

यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत् |

When one dies in the mode of goodness, one attains the pure higher planets of the great sages.

रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते |

When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those attached to fruitive activities; and when one dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in animal species.

कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम् |

The result of pious action performed in the mode of goodness is pure and is called sattvic. But action performed in the mode of passion results in misery, and action in the mode of ignorance results in foolishness.

सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च |

From the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops; from the mode of passion, greed develops; and from the mode of ignorance develop madness, delusion, and ignorance.

ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः |

Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion remain on this earthly plane; and those in the abominable mode of ignorance go down to the lower worlds.

नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति |

When one properly sees that in all activities no performer is at work other than the three modes of material nature, and when one knows the Supreme Lord who is transcendental to these modes, that person attains My divine nature.

गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान् |

When the embodied soul is able to transcend these three modes associated with the material body, he can become free from birth, death, old age, and the distresses arising from them, and can enjoy nectar even in this very life.

अर्जुन उवाच |

Arjuna inquired: O my Lord, by what symptoms is one known who has transcended the three modes? What is his behavior? And how does he transcend the modes of nature?

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

The Supreme Lord said: O son of Pandu, he who does not hate illumination, attachment, and delusion when they are present, nor longs for them when they disappear —

उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते |

He who is seated as if neutral, who is undisturbed by the modes, who knows that only the modes are active, who remains firmly situated — such a person never wavers.

समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः |

He who is equal in pleasure and pain, who is self-composed, who regards a lump of earth, a stone, and gold as equal, who is equal toward the desirable and undesirable, who is steady, and who is equal in blame and praise of himself —

मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः |

He who is equal in honor and dishonor, equal to friend and enemy, who has renounced all material undertakings — such a person is said to have transcended the modes of nature.

मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते |

One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.

ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहममृतस्याव्ययस्य च |

And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable, eternal, and is the natural position of ultimate happiness.