The Yoga of Three Gunas

श्रीभगवानुवाच। परं भूयः प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानानां ज्ञानमुत्तमम्। यज्ज्ञात्वा मुनयः सर्वे परां सिद्धिमितो गताः॥

The Supreme Lord said: I shall again declare that supreme knowledge, the best of all knowledge, knowing which all the sages have attained the highest perfection.

इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः। सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च॥

By resorting to this knowledge, having attained identity with Me, they are not born at creation nor disturbed at dissolution.

मम योनिर्महद्ब्रह्म तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम्। संभवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत॥

The great Brahman (Prakriti) is My womb. In that I place the seed. From that arises the birth of all beings, O Bharata.

सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तयः संभवन्ति याः। तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रदः पिता॥

Whatever forms are produced in all wombs, O son of Kunti, the great Brahman (Prakriti) is their womb, and I am the seed-giving Father.

सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसंभवाः। निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम्॥

Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas — these qualities born of Prakriti bind the imperishable soul in the body, O mighty-armed one.

तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम्। सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ॥

Of these, sattva, being pure, is illuminating and free from disease. It binds through attachment to happiness and attachment to knowledge, O sinless one.

रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम्। तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम्॥

Know rajas to be of the nature of passion, arising from craving and attachment. It binds the embodied soul through attachment to action, O son of Kunti.

तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम्। प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत॥

Know tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings. It binds through negligence, laziness, and sleep, O Bharata.

सत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रजः कर्मणि भारत। ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तमः प्रमादे सञ्जयत्युत॥

Sattva attaches one to happiness, rajas to action, O Bharata, while tamas, veiling knowledge, attaches to negligence.

रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत। रजः सत्त्वं तमश्चैव तमः सत्त्वं रजस्तथा॥

Sattva prevails by overcoming rajas and tamas, O Bharata. Rajas prevails by overcoming sattva and tamas. Similarly, tamas prevails by overcoming sattva and rajas.

सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते। ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत॥

When the light of knowledge shines through all the gates of the body, then know that sattva is predominant.

लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा। रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ॥

Greed, activity, undertaking of actions, restlessness, and craving — these arise when rajas predominates, O best of the Bharatas.

अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च। तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन॥

Darkness, inactivity, negligence, and delusion — these arise when tamas predominates, O descendant of Kuru.

यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत्। तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते॥

When the embodied one dies while sattva prevails, then one attains the pure worlds of those who know the highest.

रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते। तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते॥

Dying in rajas, one is born among those attached to action. Dying in tamas, one is born in the wombs of the deluded.