Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

The Supreme Lord said: I shall once again declare to you that supreme knowledge, the best of all knowledge, knowing which all the sages have attained the highest perfection after departing from this life.

इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः |

Having taken refuge in this knowledge, they attain a nature similar to Mine. They are not born at the time of cosmic creation, nor are they disturbed at the time of cosmic dissolution.

मम योनिर्महद् ब्रह्म तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम् |

My womb is the great primordial nature (Mahad Brahma); in that I place the seed of consciousness. From that, O Bharata, comes the birth of all living beings.

सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः |

Whatever forms are generated in all the wombs, O son of Kunti, the great nature (Prakriti) is their womb, and I am the seed-giving Father.

सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः |

Sattva (goodness), Rajas (passion), and Tamas (ignorance)—these three qualities, born of material nature, bind the imperishable soul within the physical body, O mighty-armed Arjuna.

तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम् |

Among these, Sattva (goodness), being pure, is luminous and healthy. It binds the soul, O sinless one, through attachment to happiness and attachment to knowledge.

रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् |

Know Rajas (passion) to be of the nature of intense desire, born of longing and attachment. It binds the embodied soul, O son of Kunti, by attachment to action.

तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् |

But know Tamas (darkness/inertia) to be born of ignorance, which deludes all embodied souls. It binds them, O Bharata, through negligence, laziness, and excessive sleep.

सत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रजः कर्मणि भारत |

Sattva binds one to happiness, Rajas binds one to action, O Bharata; while Tamas, shrouding knowledge, binds one to negligence.

रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत |

Sometimes Sattva prevails, O Bharata, by dominating Rajas and Tamas. Sometimes Rajas prevails by dominating Sattva and Tamas. And sometimes Tamas prevails by dominating Sattva and Rajas.

सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते |

When the light of knowledge shines through all the gates (senses) of this body, then it should be known that Sattva is predominant.

लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा |

Greed, restlessness, activity, the undertaking of selfish works, and insatiable longing—these qualities arise when Rajas is predominant, O best of the Bharatas.

अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च |

Darkness, inactivity, negligence, and complete delusion—these qualities arise when Tamas is predominant, O joy of the Kuru dynasty.

यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत् |

If the embodied soul meets death when Sattva is predominant, it goes to the pure, spotless worlds of the worshippers of the Highest.

रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते |

Meeting death when Rajas is predominant, one is born among those attached to action. Similarly, dying in Tamas, one is born in the wombs of the senseless (ignorant or animal species).

कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम् |

The fruit of good action is said to be pure and in the mode of goodness (Sattva). But the fruit of passion (Rajas) is misery, and the fruit of ignorance (Tamas) is darkness.

सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च |

From goodness (Sattva) arises knowledge; from passion (Rajas) arises greed; and from ignorance (Tamas) arise negligence, delusion, and ignorance.

ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः |

Those who are established in goodness rise upward; those in passion remain in the middle; and those in ignorance, clinging to the lowest qualities, sink downward.

नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति |

When the seer beholds no agent of action other than the modes, and knows that which is beyond the modes, he attains My divine nature.

गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान् |

Having transcended these three modes associated with the physical body, the embodied soul is freed from the cycle of birth, death, old age, and pain, and attains immortality.

अर्जुन उवाच |

Arjuna said: By what marks is he recognized who has transcended these three modes, O Lord? What is his conduct, and how does he go beyond these three modes?

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

The Supreme Lord said: He who does not hate illumination, activity, and delusion when they arise, O Pandava, nor longs for them when they cease.

उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते |

He who sits as if unconcerned, undisturbed by the modes, who remains steady and wavers not, knowing that 'it is only the modes that are active.'

समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः |

He who is equal in pleasure and pain, who is established in the Self, to whom a clod of earth, a stone, and gold are of equal value, who is identical toward the pleasant and the unpleasant, who is firm, and who is the same in praise and blame.

मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः |

He who is the same in honor and dishonor, the same toward friends and enemies, and who has renounced all selfish undertakings—he is said to have transcended the modes.

मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते |

And he who serves Me with unswerving devotional service (Bhakti Yoga) transcends these three modes and becomes fit to realize the state of Brahman.

ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहममृतस्याव्ययस्य च |

For I am the foundation of Brahman, of the immortal and the imperishable, of the eternal dharma, and of absolute bliss.