टीका

Commentary

This is one of the most important verses in the Bhagavad Gita, as it introduces the central subject of Chapter 14: the three modes (gunas) of material nature. Krishna identifies them by name — sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance) — and explains their fundamental function: they bind the eternal living entity to the material body.

The word avyayam (imperishable) applied to the living entity is significant. The soul is eternal and indestructible by nature. It is not material. Yet when this imperishable soul comes into contact with material nature, it becomes conditioned by these three modes. The binding is not physical but psychological — through identification with the body and attachment to the qualities that the modes produce.

The living entity is transcendental by constitution. It belongs to the superior spiritual energy of the Lord. But due to contact with material nature — which began since time immemorial — the soul has been acting under the influence of these three modes. The modes determine everything about a person’s conditioned experience: their thoughts, desires, habits, preferences, and even their spiritual inclinations.

Understanding these three modes is the key to freedom. Just as a doctor must diagnose the specific disease before prescribing treatment, a spiritual aspirant must understand which mode is predominant in their life before they can take steps to transcend all three. The subsequent verses will describe each mode in detail, giving practical knowledge for self-diagnosis and spiritual progress.