14.1. The Bhagavat said Further, once again I shall explain the supreme knowledge, the best among the knowledges, by knowing which all the seers have gone from here to the Supreme Success.
इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः।
सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च ॥
Translation · English
14.2. Holding on to this knowledge, they have attained the state of having attributes common with Me; [and] they are neither born even at the time of creation [of the world], nor do they come to grief at the time of dissolution [of it].
14.5. The Strands, viz. the Sattva, the Rajas and the Tamas, born from the Prime Cause (the said Mother), bind the changeless Embodied (Soul) to the body, O mighty-armed One !
14.6. Among them (the Strands) the Sattva-because it is dirtless-is illuminating and healthy; and it binds [the Embodied] by attachment to happiness and also by attachment to knowledge, O sinless one !
14.7. You should know that the Rajas is of the nature of desire and is a source of craving-attachment; and it binds the embodied by the attachment to action, O son of Kunti !
तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम्।
प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत ॥
Translation · English
14.8. But, you should [also] know that the Tamas is born of ignorance and is a deluder of all the Embodied; it binds [them] by negligence, laziness and sleep, O descendant of Bharata !
14.9. O descendant of Bharata ! The Sattva fully dominates [the Embodied] in the field of happiness; the Rajas in action; but the Tamas also totally dominates in the field of negligence, by veiling knowledge.
14.10. O descendant of Bharata ! The Sattva increases by overpowering the Rajas and the Tamas; the Rajas [increases by overpowering] the Sattva and the Tamas; and the Tamas does likewise [by overpowering] the Sattva and the Rajas.
14.13. Absence of [mental] illumination, non-excertion, negligence and mere delusion-these are born when the Tamas is on the increase predominantly, O darling of the Kurus !
रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते।
तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते ॥
Translation · English
14.15. By meeting death when the Rajas [is on the increase], he is born among those who are attached to action; likewise meeting death when the Tamas [is on the increase], he is born in the wombs of the duluded.
14.16. The fruit of good action, they say, is spotless and is of the Sattva; but the fruit of the Rajas is pain, and the fruit of the Tamas is ignorance.
14.18. Those who are established in the Sattva, go upward; the persons given to the Rajas, remain in the middle [state]; those who are given to the Tamas, being established in the tendencies of bad alities, go downwards.
14.20. Transcending these three Strands, of which the body [etc.] is born, the Embodied (the Soul), being freed from birth, death, old age and sorrow, attains immortality.
अर्जुन उवाच।
कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो।
किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते ॥
Translation · English
14.21. Arjuna said O Master ! with what characteristic marks does he, who has transcended these three Strands, exist ? Of what behaviour is he ? And, how does he pass beyond these three Strands ?
श्रीभगवानुवाच।
प्रकाशं च प्रवृत्तिं च मोहमेव च पाण्डव।
न द्वेष्टि सम्प्रवृत्तानि न निवृत्तानि काङ्क्षति ॥
Translation · English
14.22. The Bhagavat said O son of Pandu ! He does niether abhor nor crave for illumination, and exertion, and delusion too, as and when they arise or cease to be.
उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते।
गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येवं योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते ॥
Translation · English
14.23. He who, sitting like an unconcerned person, is not perturbed by the Strands; who is ignorant that the Strands exist; (or who remain simply aware that the Strands [alone] exist) who is not shaken;
14.24. To whom pain, pleasure and sleep are alike; to whom a cold, a stone and a lump of gold are alike; to whom both the pleasant and the unpleasant things are eal; who is firm [in mind]; to whom blame and personal commendation are eal;
मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः।
सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यते ॥
Translation · English
14.25. Who remains eal to honour and to dishonour, and eal to the sides of [both] the friend and the foe; and who has given up all fruits of his initiatives-he is said to have transcended the Strands.
श्रीभगवानुवाच। परं भूयः प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानानां ज्ञानमुत्तमम्। यज्ज्ञात्वा मुनयः सर्वे परां सिद्धिमितो गताः ॥
14.1. The Bhagavat said Further, once again I shall explain the supreme knowledge, the best among the knowledges, by knowing which all the seers have gone from here to the Supreme Success.
इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः। सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च ॥
14.2. Holding on to this knowledge, they have attained the state of having attributes common with Me; [and] they are neither born even at the time of creation [of the world], nor do they come to grief at the time of dissolution [of it].
मम योनिर्महद् ब्रह्म तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम्। सम्भवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत ॥
14.3. The mighty Brahman is a womb for Me; and in That I lay seed; therefrom is the birth of all beings, O descendant of Bharata !
सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः। तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रदः पिता ॥
14.4. O son of Kunti ! Whatever manifestations spring up in all the wombs, of them the mighty Brahman is the womb and I am the father laying the seed.
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः। निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ॥
14.5. The Strands, viz. the Sattva, the Rajas and the Tamas, born from the Prime Cause (the said Mother), bind the changeless Embodied (Soul) to the body, O mighty-armed One !
तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम्। सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ ॥
14.6. Among them (the Strands) the Sattva-because it is dirtless-is illuminating and healthy; and it binds [the Embodied] by attachment to happiness and also by attachment to knowledge, O sinless one !
रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम्। तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् ॥
14.7. You should know that the Rajas is of the nature of desire and is a source of craving-attachment; and it binds the embodied by the attachment to action, O son of Kunti !
तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम्। प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत ॥
14.8. But, you should [also] know that the Tamas is born of ignorance and is a deluder of all the Embodied; it binds [them] by negligence, laziness and sleep, O descendant of Bharata !
सत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रजः कर्मणि भारत। ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तमः प्रमादे सञ्जयत्युत ॥
14.9. O descendant of Bharata ! The Sattva fully dominates [the Embodied] in the field of happiness; the Rajas in action; but the Tamas also totally dominates in the field of negligence, by veiling knowledge.
रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत। रजः सत्त्वं तमश्चैव तमः सत्त्वं रजस्तथा ॥
14.10. O descendant of Bharata ! The Sattva increases by overpowering the Rajas and the Tamas; the Rajas [increases by overpowering] the Sattva and the Tamas; and the Tamas does likewise [by overpowering] the Sattva and the Rajas.
सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते। ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत ॥
14.11. When the knowledge-light arises in all the gates in this body, then one should also know that the Sattva has increased predominantly.
लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा। रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ ॥
14.12. Greed, exertion, undertaking of actions, unrest, and craving-these are born when the Rajas increases predominantly, O chief of the Bharatas !
अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च। तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन ॥
14.13. Absence of [mental] illumination, non-excertion, negligence and mere delusion-these are born when the Tamas is on the increase predominantly, O darling of the Kurus !
यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत्। तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते ॥
14.14. But, if the body-bearer dies at the time when Sattva is on the increase, then he attains to the spotless worlds of those, who know the Highest.
रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते। तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते ॥
14.15. By meeting death when the Rajas [is on the increase], he is born among those who are attached to action; likewise meeting death when the Tamas [is on the increase], he is born in the wombs of the duluded.
कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम्। रजसस्तु फलं दुःखमज्ञानं तमसः फलम् ॥
14.16. The fruit of good action, they say, is spotless and is of the Sattva; but the fruit of the Rajas is pain, and the fruit of the Tamas is ignorance.
सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च। प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च ॥
14.17. From the Sattva arises wisdom; from the Rajas only greed; and from the Tamas arise negligence, delusion and also ignorance.
ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः। जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः ॥
14.18. Those who are established in the Sattva, go upward; the persons given to the Rajas, remain in the middle [state]; those who are given to the Tamas, being established in the tendencies of bad alities, go downwards.
नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति। गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छति ॥
14.19. When the Perceiver (the Self) finds no agent other than the Strands, and realises That which is beyond the Strands, then he attains My state.
गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान्। जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते ॥
14.20. Transcending these three Strands, of which the body [etc.] is born, the Embodied (the Soul), being freed from birth, death, old age and sorrow, attains immortality.
अर्जुन उवाच। कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो। किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते ॥
14.21. Arjuna said O Master ! with what characteristic marks does he, who has transcended these three Strands, exist ? Of what behaviour is he ? And, how does he pass beyond these three Strands ?
श्रीभगवानुवाच। प्रकाशं च प्रवृत्तिं च मोहमेव च पाण्डव। न द्वेष्टि सम्प्रवृत्तानि न निवृत्तानि काङ्क्षति ॥
14.22. The Bhagavat said O son of Pandu ! He does niether abhor nor crave for illumination, and exertion, and delusion too, as and when they arise or cease to be.
उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते। गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येवं योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते ॥
14.23. He who, sitting like an unconcerned person, is not perturbed by the Strands; who is ignorant that the Strands exist; (or who remain simply aware that the Strands [alone] exist) who is not shaken;
समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः। तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः ॥
14.24. To whom pain, pleasure and sleep are alike; to whom a cold, a stone and a lump of gold are alike; to whom both the pleasant and the unpleasant things are eal; who is firm [in mind]; to whom blame and personal commendation are eal;
मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः। सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यते ॥
14.25. Who remains eal to honour and to dishonour, and eal to the sides of [both] the friend and the foe; and who has given up all fruits of his initiatives-he is said to have transcended the Strands.
मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते। स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान्ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ॥
14.26. Whosoever serves Me alone with an unfailing devotion-Yoga, he, transcending these Strands, turns to be the Brahman.
ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहममृतस्याव्ययस्य च। शाश्वतस्य च धर्मस्य सुखस्यैकान्तिकस्य च ॥
14.27. 'I' is the place of support for the immortal and changeless Brahman and for [Its] eternal attribute, the unalloyed Happiness.