Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 14 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yogah

Guna Traya Vibhaga Yogah - The Blessed Lord said: I shall now explain again the supreme knowledge, the best of all knowledge, by knowing which all sages have attained the supreme perfection.

श्रीभगवानुवाच परं भूय: प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानानां ज्ञानमुत्तमम् |
यज्ज्ञात्वा मुनय: सर्वे परां सिद्धिमितो गता: ||1||

The Blessed Lord said: I shall now explain again the supreme knowledge, the best of all knowledge, by knowing which all sages have attained the supreme perfection.

Jnana: Knowledge of the ultimate truth.
Munayah: Sages who have attained wisdom.
Siddhi: Perfection or liberation.

Krishna introduces the supreme knowledge that leads to liberation. This sets the stage for a deeper understanding of the gunas (qualities) and how they bind the soul. The focus is on empowering Arjuna to discern the root causes of bondage and the pathway to transcendence.

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Guna Traya Vibhaga Yogah - By taking refuge in this knowledge, they attain to My nature and are neither born at the time of creation nor disturbed at the time of dissolution.

इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागता: |
सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च ||2||

By taking refuge in this knowledge, they attain to My nature and are neither born at the time of creation nor disturbed at the time of dissolution.

Sadharmya: Attaining the same nature as the divine.
Sarge: The process of creation.
Pralaya: The process of dissolution.

The explanation connects creation and dissolution with the divine. Krishna emphasizes how this knowledge allows one to rise above the cycles of birth and death, reassuring Arjuna that those aligned with divine wisdom remain unaffected by cosmic fluctuations.

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मम योनिर्महद् ब्रह्म तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम् |
सम्भव: सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत ||3||

My womb is the great Brahman; in that I place the seed; thence arises, O Bharata, the birth of all beings.

Mahad Brahma: The great cosmic womb.
Garbha: Seed or potential for creation.
Sambhava: Manifestation or birth.

Krishna illustrates his role as the seed-giver and the origin of all beings. This metaphor of the cosmic womb reinforces the interconnectedness of all life forms and highlights the inseparability of the divine from creation itself.

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सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तय: सम्भवन्ति या: |
तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रद: पिता ||4||

O son of Kunti, of all forms that are born in all wombs, the great Brahman is the womb and I am the seed-giving father.

Yonih: The source or womb of creation.
Bija: Seed or the cause.
Kaunteya: Son of Kunti, referring to Arjuna.

By identifying himself as the father and the great Brahman as the womb, Krishna conveys the universal truth that all forms, irrespective of their diversity, arise from the same divine source. This underscores the unity underlying apparent multiplicity.

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सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणा: प्रकृतिसम्भवा: |
निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ||5||

Sattva, rajas, and tamas—these qualities born of Nature bind down the imperishable dweller in the body.

Sattva: Quality of purity and harmony.
Rajas: Quality of activity and passion.
Tamas: Quality of darkness and inertia.

Krishna introduces the three gunas—sattva, rajas, and tamas—explaining their role in binding the soul. This prepares Arjuna to understand the dynamics of human behavior and the qualities that influence one’s spiritual evolution.

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तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम् |
सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ ||6||

Of these, sattva, being stainless and luminous, binds one through attachment to happiness and attachment to knowledge.

Nirmalatva: Purity or cleanliness.
Prakashaka: Illuminating or enlightening.
Sangena: Attachment or connection.

Sattva is revealed as the quality of purity and illumination, promoting happiness and knowledge. Krishna points out its subtle binding nature, as even attachment to joy and intellect can prevent liberation if not transcended.

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Guna Traya Vibhaga Yogah - Rajas, know it to be of the nature of passion, arising from thirst and attachment; it binds fast, O son of Kunti, by attachment to action.

रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् |
तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् ||7||

Rajas, know it to be of the nature of passion, arising from thirst and attachment; it binds fast, O son of Kunti, by attachment to action.

Ragatmakam: Of the nature of passion.
Trishna: Thirst or desire.
Karma: Action or deeds.

Rajas, marked by passion and action, ties individuals to ceaseless activity driven by desire. Krishna explains how it generates restlessness and attachment, making it a crucial aspect to manage for spiritual growth.

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