Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 14 Guna Traya Vibhaga Yogah

तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् |
प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत ||8||

Tamas, born of ignorance, deludes all embodied beings; it binds through heedlessness, indolence, and sleep.

Ajnana: Ignorance or lack of knowledge.
Pramada: Carelessness or negligence.
Nidra: Sleep or slumber.

Tamas, born of ignorance, is portrayed as a force of inertia that clouds judgment. Krishna warns that heedlessness and confusion caused by tamas hinder progress, contrasting sharply with the clarity offered by sattva.

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सत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रज: कर्मणि भारत |
ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तम: प्रमादे सञ्जयत्युत ||9||

Sattva binds one to happiness, rajas to action, and tamas, covering knowledge, binds one to carelessness.

Sukha: Happiness or pleasure.
Sanjayati: Leads to or causes.
Pramade: Into negligence or heedlessness.

Krishna highlights how the gunas influence tendencies—sattva inclines toward happiness, rajas toward action, and tamas toward negligence. This progression reveals the inherent struggles of human nature and their effects on spiritual pursuits.

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Guna Traya Vibhaga Yogah - O Bharata, sometimes sattva prevails, overcoming rajas and tamas; sometimes rajas overcomes sattva and tamas; and sometimes tamas overcomes sattva and rajas.

रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत |
रज: सत्त्वं तमश्चैव तम: सत्त्वं रजस्तथा ||10||

O Bharata, sometimes sattva prevails, overcoming rajas and tamas; sometimes rajas overcomes sattva and tamas; and sometimes tamas overcomes sattva and rajas.

Gunah: The three qualities of nature.
Sattvam: Purity prevailing.
Tamash: Darkness and ignorance.

The interplay of gunas is dynamic; each quality predominates at different times. Krishna shows that understanding their fluctuations is essential for self-awareness and controlling their effects on the mind and actions.

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Guna Traya Vibhaga Yogah - When the light of knowledge shines through all the gates of the body, then it should be known that sattva has increased greatly.

सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते |
ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत ||11||

When the light of knowledge shines through all the gates of the body, then it should be known that sattva has increased greatly.

Prakasha: Light or illumination.
Sarva Dvareshu: Through all the doors of the body.
Jnana: Knowledge or awareness.

Krishna explains that when sattva prevails, knowledge flows effortlessly. This marks a state of inner clarity and divine connection, urging Arjuna to recognize the signs of sattva’s dominance and cultivate it consciously.

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Guna Traya Vibhaga Yogah - Greed, activity, the undertaking of actions, unrest, and craving—these arise when rajas is predominant, O best of the Bharatas.

लोभ: प्रवृत्तिरारम्भ: कर्मणामशम: स्पृहा |
रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ ||12||

Greed, activity, the undertaking of actions, unrest, and craving—these arise when rajas is predominant, O best of the Bharatas.

Lobha: Greed or covetousness.
Ashama: Restlessness or lack of control.
Sprha: Craving or yearning.

Rajas reveals itself through greed, restlessness, and ambition. Krishna warns that while action is necessary, being driven by uncontrolled desires leads to suffering, illustrating the need to balance effort with detachment.

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अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च |
तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन ||13||

Darkness, inactivity, heedlessness, and delusion—these arise when tamas is predominant, O descendant of the Kurus.

Aprakasha: Absence of light or knowledge.
Mohah: Delusion or confusion.
Kuru Nandana: Descendant of the Kuru dynasty, referring to Arjuna.

Tamas is further elaborated as a state of darkness, leading to confusion and stagnation. Krishna contrasts this with the clarity of sattva and dynamism of rajas, urging vigilance against tamas’s deluding influence.

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Guna Traya Vibhaga Yogah - If the embodied one meets death when sattva is predominant, then he attains to the spotless worlds of the knowers of the Highest.

यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत् |
तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते ||14||

If the embodied one meets death when sattva is predominant, then he attains to the spotless worlds of the knowers of the Highest.

Sattve: In the state of purity.
Amalan: Spotless or pure.
Pratipadyate: Attains or reaches.

Krishna describes the consequences of death under the influence of sattva, offering Arjuna a vision of the pure and enlightened realms that await those who cultivate sattva’s qualities during their lifetime.

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