BG 14: The Three Modes of Material Nature

BG 14: The Three Modes of Material Nature

1

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

paraḿ bhūyaḥ pravakṣyāmi

jñānānāḿ jñānam uttamam

yaj jñātvā munayaḥ sarve

parāḿ siddhim ito gatāḥ

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Again I shall declare to you this supreme wisdom, the best of all knowledge, knowing which all the sages have attained the supreme perfection.

2

idaḿ jñānam upāśritya

mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ

sarge 'pi nopajāyante

pralaye na vyathanti ca

TRANSLATION
By becoming fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental nature like My own. Thus established, one is not born at the time of creation or disturbed at the time of dissolution.

3

mama yonir mahad brahma

tasmin garbhaḿ dadhāmy aham

sambhavaḥ sarva-bhūtānāḿ

tato bhavati bhārata

TRANSLATION
The total material substance, called Brahman, is the source of birth, and it is that Brahman that I impregnate, making possible the births of all living beings, O son of Bharata.

4

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ

tāsāḿ brahma mahad yonir

ahaḿ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

TRANSLATION
It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed- giving father.

5

sattvaḿ rajas tama iti

guṇāḥ prakṛti-sambhavāḥ

nibadhnanti mahā-bāho

dehe dehinam avyayam

TRANSLATION
Material nature consists of three modes — goodness, passion and ignorance. When the eternal living entity comes in contact with nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, he becomes conditioned by these modes.

6

tatra sattvaḿ nirmalatvāt

prakāśakam anāmayam

sukha-sańgena badhnāti

jñāna-sańgena cānagha

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

7

rajo rāgātmakaḿ viddhi

tṛṣṇā-sańga-samudbhavam

tan nibadhnāti kaunteya

karma-sańgena dehinam

TRANSLATION
The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kuntī, and because of this the embodied living entity is bound to material fruitive actions.

8

tamas tv ajñāna-jaḿ viddhi

mohanaḿ sarva-dehinām

pramādālasya-nidrābhis

tan nibadhnāti bhārata

TRANSLATION
O son of Bharata, know that the mode of darkness, born of ignorance, is the delusion of all embodied living entities. The results of this mode are madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned soul.

9

sattvaḿ sukhe sañjayati

rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata

jñānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ

pramāde sañjayaty uta

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

10

rajas tamaś cābhibhūya

sattvaḿ bhavati bhārata

rajaḥ sattvaḿ tamaś caiva

tamaḥ sattvaḿ rajas tathā

TRANSLATION
Sometimes the mode of goodness becomes prominent, defeating the modes of passion and ignorance, O son of Bharata. Sometimes the mode of passion defeats goodness and ignorance, and at other times ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way there is always competition for supremacy.

11

sarva-dvāreṣu dehe 'smin

prakāśa upajāyate

jñānaḿ yadā tadā vidyād

vivṛddhaḿ sattvam ity uta

TRANSLATION
The manifestations of the mode of goodness can be experienced when all the gates of the body are illuminated by knowledge.

12

lobhaḥ pravṛttir ārambhaḥ

karmaṇām aśamaḥ spṛhā

rajasy etāni jāyante

vivṛddhe bharatarṣabha

TRANSLATION
O chief of the Bhāratas, when there is an increase in the mode of passion the symptoms of great attachment, fruitive activity, intense endeavor, and uncontrollable desire and hankering develop.

13

aprakāśo 'pravṛttiś ca

pramādo moha eva ca

tamasy etāni jāyante

vivṛddhe kuru-nandana

TRANSLATION
When there is an increase in the mode of ignorance, O son of Kuru, darkness, inertia, madness and illusion are manifested.

14

yadā sattve pravṛddhe tu

pralayaḿ yāti deha-bhṛt

tadottama-vidāḿ lokān

amalān pratipadyate

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

15

rajasi pralayaḿ gatvā

karma-sańgiṣu jāyate

tathā pralīnas tamasi

mūḍha-yoniṣu jāyate

TRANSLATION
When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities; and when one dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom.

16

karmaṇaḥ sukṛtasyāhuḥ

sāttvikaḿ nirmalaḿ phalam

rajasas tu phalaḿ duḥkham

ajñānaḿ tamasaḥ phalam

TRANSLATION
The result of pious action is pure and is said to be in the mode of goodness. But action done in the mode of passion results in misery, and action performed in the mode of ignorance results in foolishness.

17

sattvāt sañjāyate jñānaḿ

rajaso lobha eva ca

pramāda-mohau tamaso

bhavato 'jñānam eva ca

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

18

ūrdhvaḿ gacchanti sattva-sthā

madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ

jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā

adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ

TRANSLATION
Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the abominable mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.

19

nānyaḿ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraḿ

yadā draṣṭānupaśyati

guṇebhyaś ca paraḿ vetti

mad-bhāvaḿ so 'dhigacchati

TRANSLATION
When one properly sees that in all activities no other performer is at work than these modes of nature and he knows the Supreme Lord, who is transcendental to all these modes, he attains My spiritual nature.

20

guṇān etān atītya trīn

dehī deha-samudbhavān

janma-mṛtyu-jarā-duḥkhair

vimukto 'mṛtam aśnute

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

21

arjuna uvāca

kair lińgais trīn guṇān etān

atīto bhavati prabho

kim ācāraḥ kathaḿ caitāḿs

trīn guṇān ativartate

TRANSLATION
Arjuna inquired: O my dear Lord, by which symptoms is one known who is transcendental to these three modes? What is his behavior? And how does he transcend the modes of nature?

22-25

śrī-bhagavān uvāca prakāśaḿ ca pravṛttiḿ

ca moham eva ca pāṇḍava

na dveṣṭi sampravṛttāni na nivṛttāni

kāńkṣati udāsīna-vad āsīno guṇair yo

na vicālyate guṇā vartanta ity

evaḿ yo 'vatiṣṭhati neńgate sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ

sva-sthaḥ sama-loṣṭāśma-kāñcanaḥ tulya-priyāpriyo dhīras tulya-nindātma-saḿstutiḥ

mānāpamānayos tulyas tulyo mitrāri-pakṣayoḥ sarvārambha-parityāgī

guṇātītaḥ sa ucyate

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O son of Pāṇḍu, he who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present or long for them when they disappear; who is unwavering and undisturbed through all these reactions of the material qualities, remaining neutral and transcendental, knowing that the modes alone are active; who is situated in the self and regards alike happiness and distress; who looks upon a lump of earth, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye; who is equal toward the desirable and the undesirable; who is steady, situated equally well in praise and blame, honor and dishonor; who treats alike both friend and enemy; and who has renounced all material activities — such a person is said to have transcended the modes of nature.

26

māḿ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

TRANSLATION
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.

27

brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham

amṛtasyāvyayasya ca

śāśvatasya ca dharmasya

sukhasyaikāntikasya ca

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