Taught by Swami Sarvapriyananda, this episode is part of a series of talks that unfold the highest truths of Vedanta through the study of the Bhagavad Gita, "The Song of God".

Chapter 14 is devoted to an understanding of the Gunatreya Vibhaga Yoga, or the three qualities/components of Maya. The entire universe is created by a projection of the three gunas - satva, rajas, and tamas. Understanding the science of the three gunas and how we can apply it to our lives is the focus of Chapter 14. However, Sri Krishna explains that while the three Gunas comprehensively describe human nature, transcending the three Gunas through knowledge and remaining steadfast in your true nature as Atman in this body, and in this life, is the doorway to infinity and leads to oneness with God.

In this episode, Swami Sarvapriyananda explains verses 21 and 22 of Chapter 14.

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Chapter 14, Verse 21

अर्जुन उवाच |

कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो |

किमाचार: कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते || 21||

arjuna uvācha

kair liṅgais trīn guṇān etān atīto bhavati prabho

kim āchāraḥ kathaṁ chaitāns trīn guṇān ativartate

⧫ Arjuna said, " By what characteristics, Oh Lord, is one who has transcended the three gunas known? What is his conduct? And how does he transcend these three gunas?"

Chapter 14, Verse 22

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

प्रकाशं च प्रवृत्तिं च मोहमेव च पाण्डव |

न द्वेष्टि सम्प्रवृत्तानि न निवृत्तानि काङ् क्षति || 22||

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha

prakāśhaṁ cha pravṛittiṁ cha moham eva cha pāṇḍava

na dveṣhṭi sampravṛittāni na nivṛittāni kāṅkṣhati

⧫ The Blessed Lord said, he who does not hate when the light of knowledge, activity or delusion arise, of son of Pandu, or desires them when they cease.

Taught by Swami Sarvapriyananda, this episode is part of a series of talks that unfold the highest truths of Vedanta through the study of the Bhagavad Gita, "The Song of God".

Chapter 14 is devoted to an understanding of the Gunatreya Vibhaga Yoga, or the three qualities/components of Maya. The entire universe is created by a projection of the three gunas - satva, rajas, and tamas. Understanding the science of the three gunas and how we can apply it to our lives is the focus of Chapter 14.

In this episode, Swami Sarvapriyananda explains verses 16-20 of Chapter 14.

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Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 16

कर्मण: सुकृतस्याहु: सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम् |

रजसस्तु फलं दु:खमज्ञानं तमस: फलम् || 16||

karmaṇaḥ sukṛitasyāhuḥ sāttvikaṁ nirmalaṁ phalam

rajasas tu phalaṁ duḥkham ajñānaṁ tamasaḥ phalam

⧫ The result of righteous actions is said to be satvica and pure, the result of rajas is pain, while ignorance is the result of tamas

Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 17

सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च |

प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च || 17||

sattvāt sañjāyate jñānaṁ rajaso lobha eva cha

pramāda-mohau tamaso bhavato ’jñānam eva cha

⧫ From satva results knowledge, from rajas only greed, and from tamas nothing but inadvertence, delusion, and ignorance.

Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 18

ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसा: |

जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसा: || 18||

ūrdhvaṁ gachchhanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣhṭhanti rājasāḥ

jaghanya-guṇa-vṛitti-sthā adho gachchhanti tāmasāḥ

⧫ Those who abide in satva go upward to the higher spheres, the rajasica dwell in the middle spheres, and the tamasica, dwelling in the function of the lower gunas, go down to the lowest spheres.

Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 19

नान्यं गुणेभ्य: कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति |

गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छति || 19||

nānyaṁ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraṁ yadā draṣhṭānupaśhyati

guṇebhyaśh cha paraṁ vetti mad-bhāvaṁ so ’dhigachchhati

⧫ When the seer beholds no active agent other than the gunas and knows that which is beyond the gunas, he attains My being

Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 20

गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान् |

जन्ममृत्युजरादु:खैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्रुते || 20||

guṇān etān atītya trīn dehī deha-samudbhavān

janma-mṛityu-jarā-duḥkhair vimukto ’mṛitam aśhnute

⧫ Having transcended these three gunas, which are the cause of this body (and mind), the embodied self, bereft of birth, death, old age, and misery, attains immortality

Taught by Swami Sarvapriyananda, this episode is part of a series of talks that unfold the highest truths of Vedanta through the study of the Bhagavad Gita, "The Song of God".

Chapter 14 is devoted to an understanding of the Gunatreya Vibhaga Yoga, or the three qualities/components of Maya. The entire universe is created by a projection of the three gunas - satva, rajas, and tamas. Understanding the science of the three gunas and how we can apply it to our lives is the focus of Chapter 14.

In this episode, Swami Sarvapriyananda teaches chapter 14, verses 11-15, of the Bhagavad Gita. These verses describe what happens when one guna predominates over another. Swami Sarvapriyananda explains how we can observe this in ourselves but notes that the gunas are part of the material world and, as such, are constantly changing within us, whereas Consciousness, which is what we really are, is pure and constant.

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Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 11

सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते |

ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत || 11||

sarva-dvāreṣhu dehe ’smin prakāśha upajāyate

jñānaṁ yadā tadā vidyād vivṛiddhaṁ sattvam ity uta

⧫ When, through all the sense openings in this body, the light of knowledge radiates, then indeed one should know that satva predominates.

Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 12

लोभ: प्रवृत्तिरारम्भ: कर्मणामशम: स्पृहा |

रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ || 12||

lobhaḥ pravṛittir ārambhaḥ karmaṇām aśhamaḥ spṛihā

rajasy etāni jāyante vivṛiddhe bharatarṣhabha

⧫ Greed, activity, undertaking of works, restlessness, desire - these prevail, oh best of the Bharatas, when rajas predominates.

Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 13

अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च |

तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन || 13||

aprakāśho ’pravṛittiśh cha pramādo moha eva cha

tamasy etāni jāyante vivṛiddhe kuru-nandana

⧫ Darkness, inactivity, inadvertence, as also delusion, these prevail, oh descendant of Kurus, when tamas predominates.

Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 14

यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत् |

तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते || 14||

yadā sattve pravṛiddhe tu pralayaṁ yāti deha-bhṛit

tadottama-vidāṁ lokān amalān pratipadyate

⧫ If the embodied self meets with death when satva is predominant, then it attains the pure spheres of the worshippers of the highest dietes.

Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 15

रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते |

तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते || 15||

rajasi pralayaṁ gatvā karma-saṅgiṣhu jāyate

tathā pralīnas tamasi mūḍha-yoniṣhu jāyate

⧫ If it [sentient beings] meets with death when rajas is predominant, then it is born among those who are attached to work; likewise, when it meets with death when tamas is predominant, then it is born in the wombs of irrational species.