The Three Qualities
27 versesश्रीभगवानुवाच। परं भूयः प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानानां ज्ञानमुत्तमम्। यज्ज्ञात्वा मुनयः सर्वे परां सिद्धिमितो गताः ॥
śrībhagavānuvāca paraṃ bhūyaḥ pravakṣyāmi jñānānāṃ jñānamuttamam yajjñātvā munayaḥ sarve parāṃ siddhimito gatāḥ
Again I will declare (to you) the highest knowledge the best of (all sorts of) knowledge
Open passageइदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः। सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च ॥
idaṃ jñānamupāśritya mama sādharmyamāgatāḥ sarge.api nopajāyante pralaye na vyathanti ca
having learnt which all sages have reached perfection beyond (the bonds of) this (body). Those who, resorting to this knowledge, reach assimilation with my essence, are not born at the creation, and are not afflicted at the destruction (of the universe).
Open passageमम योनिर्महद् ब्रह्म तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम्। सम्भवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत ॥
mama yonirmahad brahma tasmingarbhaṃ dadhāmyaham sambhavaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ tato bhavati bhārata
The great Brahman is a womb for me in which I cast the seed. From that O descendant of Bharata! is the birth of all things. Of the bodies O son of Kuntī ! which are born from all wombs the (main) womb is the great Brahman
Open passageसर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः। तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रदः पिता ॥
sarvayoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ tāsāṃ brahma mahadyonirahaṃ bījapradaḥ pitā
and I (am) the father
Open passageसत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः। निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ॥
sattvaṃ rajastama iti guṇāḥ prakṛtisambhavāḥ nibadhnanti mahābāho dehe dehinamavyayam
the giver of the seed. Goodness passion darkness these qualities born from nature O you of mighty arms! bind down the inexhaustible soul in the body. Of these
Open passageतत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम्। सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ ॥
tatra sattvaṃ nirmalatvātprakāśakamanāmayam sukhasaṅgena badhnāti jñānasaṅgena cānagha
goodness which in consequence of being untainted is enlightening and free from (all) misery binds the soul O sinless one! with the bond of pleasure and the bond of knowledge.
Open passageरजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम्। तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् ॥
rajo rāgātmakaṃ viddhi tṛṣṇāsaṅgasamudbhavam tannibadhnāti kaunteya karmasaṅgena dehinam
Know that passion consists in being enamoured and is produced from craving and attachment. That O son of Kuntī! binds down the embodied (self) with the bond of action.
Open passageतमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम्। प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत ॥
tamastvajñānajaṃ viddhi mohanaṃ sarvadehinām pramādālasyanidrābhistannibadhnāti bhārata
Darkness (you must) know to be born of ignorance it deludes all embodied (selfs). And that O descendant of Bharata! binds down (the self) with heedlessness indolence and sleep.
Open passageसत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रजः कर्मणि भारत। ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तमः प्रमादे सञ्जयत्युत ॥
sattvaṃ sukhe sañjayati rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata jñānamāvṛtya tu tamaḥ pramāde sañjayatyuta
Goodness unites (the self) with pleasure passion, O descendant of Bharata! with action and darkness with heedlessness, after shrouding up knowledge.
Open passageरजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत। रजः सत्त्वं तमश्चैव तमः सत्त्वं रजस्तथा ॥
rajastamaścābhibhūya sattvaṃ bhavati bhārata rajaḥ sattvaṃ tamaścaiva tamaḥ sattvaṃ rajastathā
Passion and darkness being repressed, goodness stands, O descendant of Bharata! Passion and goodness (being repressed), darkness and likewise darkness and goodness (being repressed) passion. When in this body at all portals light (that is to say) knowledge prevails then should one know goodness to be developed. Avarice, activity, performance of actions, want of tranquillity, desire, these are produced, O chief of the descendants of Bharata! when passion is developed.
Open passageसर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते। ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत ॥
sarvadvāreṣu dehe.asminprakāśa upajāyate jñānaṃ yadā tadā vidyādvivṛddhaṃ sattvamityuta
Want of light
Open passageलोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा। रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ ॥
lobhaḥ pravṛttirārambhaḥ karmaṇāmaśamaḥ spṛhā rajasyetāni jāyante vivṛddhe bharatarṣabha
want of activity
Open passageअप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च। तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन ॥
aprakāśo.apravṛttiśca pramādo moha eva ca tamasyetāni jāyante vivṛddhe kurunandana
heedlessness and delusion
Open passageयदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत्। तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते ॥
yadā sattve pravṛddhe tu pralayaṃ yāti dehabhṛt tadottamavidāṃ lokānamalānpratipadyate
these are produced O descendant of Kuru ! when darkness is developed. When an embodied (self) encounters death while goodness is developed then he reaches the untainted worlds of those who know the highest.
Open passageरजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते। तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते ॥
rajasi pralayaṃ gatvā karmasaṅgiṣu jāyate tathā pralīnastamasi mūḍhayoniṣu jāyate
Encountering death during (the prevalence of) passion, he is born among those attached to action. Likewise, dying during (the prevalence of) darkness, he is born in the wombs of the ignorant.
Open passageकर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम्। रजसस्तु फलं दुःखमज्ञानं तमसः फलम् ॥
karmaṇaḥ sukṛtasyāhuḥ sāttvikaṃ nirmalaṃ phalam rajasastu phalaṃ duḥkhamajñānaṃ tamasaḥ phalam
The fruit of meritorious action is said to be good, untainted
Open passageसत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च। प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च ॥
sattvātsañjāyate jñānaṃ rajaso lobha eva ca pramādamohau tamaso bhavato.ajñānameva ca
while the fruit of passion is misery and the fruit of darkness ignorance. From goodness is produced knowledge, from passion avarice, and from darkness heedlessness and delusion and ignorance also.
Open passageऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः। जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः ॥
ūrdhvaṃ gacchanti sattvasthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ jaghanyaguṇavṛttisthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ
Those who adhere to (the ways of) goodness go up the passionate remain in the middle while those of the qualities of darkness adhering to the ways of the lowest quality
Open passageनान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति। गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छति ॥
nānyaṃ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraṃ yadā draṣṭānupaśyati guṇebhyaśca paraṃ vetti madbhāvaṃ so.adhigacchati
go down. When a right-seeing person sees none but the qualities (to be) the doers (of all action) and knows what is above the qualities
Open passageगुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान्। जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते ॥
guṇānetānatītya trīndehī dehasamudbhavān janmamṛtyujarāduḥkhairvimukto.amṛtamaśnute
he enters into my essence. The embodied (self), who transcends these three qualities, from which bodies are produced, attains immortality, being freed from birth and death and old age and misery.
Open passageअर्जुन उवाच। कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो। किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते ॥
arjuna uvāca kairliṅgaistrīnguṇānetānatīto bhavati prabho kimācāraḥ kathaṃ caitāṃstrīnguṇānativartate
What are the characteristics, O lord! of one who has transcended these three qualities? What is his conduct, and how does he transcend these three qualities? He is said to have transcended the qualities
Open passageश्रीभगवानुवाच। प्रकाशं च प्रवृत्तिं च मोहमेव च पाण्डव। न द्वेष्टि सम्प्रवृत्तानि न निवृत्तानि काङ्क्षति ॥
śrībhagavānuvāca prakāśaṃ ca pravṛttiṃ ca mohameva ca pāṇḍava na dveṣṭi sampravṛttāni na nivṛttāni kāṅkṣati
O son of Pāndu! who is not averse to light and activity and delusion (when they) prevail and who does not desire (them when they) cease
Open passageउदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते। गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येवं योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते ॥
udāsīnavadāsīno guṇairyo na vicālyate guṇā vartanta ityevaṃ yo.avatiṣṭhati neṅgate
who sitting like one unconcerned is never perturbed by the qualities who remains steady and moves not, (thinking) merely that the qualities exist who is self-contained
Open passageसमदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः। तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः ॥
samaduḥkhasukhaḥ svasthaḥ samaloṣṭāśmakāñcanaḥ tulyapriyāpriyo dhīrastulyanindātmasaṃstutiḥ
to whom pain and pleasure are alike to whom a sod and a stone and gold are alike to whom what is agreeable and what is disagreeable are alike who has discernment to whom censure and praise of himself are alike
Open passageमानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः। सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यते ॥
mānāpamānayostulyastulyo mitrāripakṣayoḥ sarvārambhaparityāgī guṇātītaḥ sa ucyate
who is alike in honour and dishonour who is alike towards the sides of friends and foes and who abandons all action. And he who worships me with an unswerving devotion transcends these qualities
Open passageमां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते। स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान्ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ॥
māṃ ca yo.avyabhicāreṇa bhaktiyogena sevate sa guṇānsamatītyaitānbrahmabhūyāya kalpate
and becomes fit for (entrance into) the essence of the Brahman. For I am the embodiment of the Brahman
Open passageब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहममृतस्याव्ययस्य च। शाश्वतस्य च धर्मस्य सुखस्यैकान्तिकस्य च ॥
brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāhamamṛtasyāvyayasya ca śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya ca
of indefeasible immortality of eternal piety and of unbroken happiness.
Open passage