The fourteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga. In this chapter, Krishna reveals the three gunas (modes) of the material nature – goodness, passion and ignorance which everything in the material existence is influenced by. He further explains the essential characteristics of each of these modes, their cause and how they influence a living entity affected by them. He then reveals the various characteristics of the persons who have gone beyond these gunas. The chapter ends with Krishna reminding us of the power of pure devotion to God and how attachment to God can help us transcend these gunas.

slok:’14.1′,

‘śrībhagavānuvāca . paraṃ bhūyaḥ pravakṣyāmi jñānānāṃ jñānamuttamam . yajjñātvā munayaḥ sarve parāṃ siddhimito gatāḥ ||14-1||’,

‘14.1 The Blessed Lord said I will again declare (to thee) that supreme knowledge, the best of all knowledge, having known which all the sages have gone to the supreme perfection after this life.’,

slok:’14.2′,

‘idaṃ jñānamupāśritya mama sādharmyamāgatāḥ . sarge.api nopajāyante pralaye na vyathanti ca ||14-2||’,

‘14.2 They who, having taken refuge in this knowledge, have attained to unity with Me, are neither born at the time of creation nor are they disturbed at the time of dissolution.’,

slok:’14.3′,

‘mama yonirmahad brahma tasmingarbhaṃ dadhāmyaham . sambhavaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ tato bhavati bhārata ||14-3||’,

‘14.3 My womb is the great Brahma; in that I place the germ; thence, O Arjuna, is the birth of all beings.’,

slok:’14.4′,

‘sarvayoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ . tāsāṃ brahma mahadyonirahaṃ bījapradaḥ pitā ||14-4||’,

‘14.4 Whatever forms are produced, O Arjuna, in any womb whatsoever, the great Brahma is their womb and I am the seed-giving father.’,

slok:’14.5′,

‘sattvaṃ rajastama iti guṇāḥ prakṛtisambhavāḥ . nibadhnanti mahābāho dehe dehinamavyayam ||14-5||’,

‘14.5 Purity, passion and inertia these alities, O Arjuna, born of Nature, bind fast in the body, the embodied, the indestructible.’,

slok:’14.6′,

‘tatra sattvaṃ nirmalatvātprakāśakamanāmayam . sukhasaṅgena badhnāti jñānasaṅgena cānagha ||14-6||’,

‘14.6 Of these, Sattva, which from its stainlessness is luminous and healthy, binds by attachment to happiness and by attachment to knowledge, O sinless one.’,

slok:’14.7′,

‘rajo rāgātmakaṃ viddhi tṛṣṇāsaṅgasamudbhavam . tannibadhnāti kaunteya karmasaṅgena dehinam ||14-7||’,

‘14.7 Know thou Rajas to be of the nature of passion, the source of thirst (for sensual enjoyment) and attachment; it binds fast, O Arjuna, the embodied one by attachment to action.’,

slok:’14.8′,

‘tamastvajñānajaṃ viddhi mohanaṃ sarvadehinām . pramādālasyanidrābhistannibadhnāti bhārata ||14-8||’,

‘14.8 But know thou Tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings; it binds fast, O Arjuna, by heedlessness, indolence and sleep.’,

slok:’14.9′,

‘sattvaṃ sukhe sañjayati rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata . jñānamāvṛtya tu tamaḥ pramāde sañjayatyuta ||14-9||’,

‘14.9 Sattva attaches to happiness, Rajas to action, O Arjuna, while Tamas verily shrouding knowledge attaches to heedlessness.’,

slok:’14.10′,

‘rajastamaścābhibhūya sattvaṃ bhavati bhārata . rajaḥ sattvaṃ tamaścaiva tamaḥ sattvaṃ rajastathā ||14-10||’,

‘14.10 Now Sattva arises (prevails), O Arjuna, having overpowered Rajas and Tamas; nor Rajas, having overpowered Sattva and Tamas; and now Tamas, having overpowered Sattva and Rajas.’,

slok:’14.11′,

‘sarvadvāreṣu dehe.asminprakāśa upajāyate . jñānaṃ yadā tadā vidyādvivṛddhaṃ sattvamityuta ||14-11||’,

‘14.11 When through every gate (sense) in this body, the wisdom-light shines, then it may be known that Sattva is predominant.’,

slok:’14.12′,

‘lobhaḥ pravṛttirārambhaḥ karmaṇāmaśamaḥ spṛhā . rajasyetāni jāyante vivṛddhe bharatarṣabha ||14-12||’,

‘14.12 Greed, activity, the undertaking of actions, restlessness, longing these arise when Rajas is predominant, O Arjuna.’,

slok:’14.13′,

‘aprakāśo.apravṛttiśca pramādo moha eva ca . tamasyetāni jāyante vivṛddhe kurunandana ||14-13||’,

‘14.13 Darkness, inertness, heedlessness and delusion these arise when Tamas is predominant, O Arjuna.’,

slok:’14.14′,

‘yadā sattve pravṛddhe tu pralayaṃ yāti dehabhṛt . tadottamavidāṃ lokānamalānpratipadyate ||14-14||’,

‘14.14 If the embodied one meets with death when Sattva is predominant, then he attains to the spotless worlds of the knowers of the Highest.’,

slok:’14.15′,

‘rajasi pralayaṃ gatvā karmasaṅgiṣu jāyate . tathā pralīnastamasi mūḍhayoniṣu jāyate ||14-15||’,

‘14.15 Meeting death in Rajas, he is born among those who are attached to action; and dying in Tamas, he is born in the womb of the senseless.’,

slok:’14.16′,

‘karmaṇaḥ sukṛtasyāhuḥ sāttvikaṃ nirmalaṃ phalam . rajasastu phalaṃ duḥkhamajñānaṃ tamasaḥ phalam ||14-16||’,

‘14.16 The fruit of good action, they say, is Sattvic and pure, verily the fruit of Rajas is pain, and ignorance is the fruit of Tamas.’,

slok:’14.17′,

‘sattvātsañjāyate jñānaṃ rajaso lobha eva ca . pramādamohau tamaso bhavato.ajñānameva ca ||14-17||’,

‘14.17 From Sattva arises knowledge, and greed from Rajas; heedlessness and delusion arise from Tamas, and also ignorance.’,

slok:’14.18′,

‘ūrdhvaṃ gacchanti sattvasthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ . jaghanyaguṇavṛttisthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ ||14-18||’,

‘14.18 Those who are seated in Sattva go upwards; the Rajasic dwell in the middle; and the Tamasic, abiding in the function of the lowest Guna, go downwards.’,

slok:’14.19′,

‘nānyaṃ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraṃ yadā draṣṭānupaśyati . guṇebhyaśca paraṃ vetti madbhāvaṃ so.adhigacchati ||14-19||’,

‘14.19 When the seer beholds no agent other than the Gunas and knows That which is higher than they, he attains to My Being.’,

slok:’14.20′,

‘guṇānetānatītya trīndehī dehasamudbhavān . janmamṛtyujarāduḥkhairvimukto.amṛtamaśnute ||14-20||’,

‘14.20 The embodied one having crossed beyond these three Gunas out of which the body is evolved, is freed from birth, death, decay and pain, and attains to immortality.’,

slok:’14.21′,

‘arjuna uvāca . kairliṅgaistrīnguṇānetānatīto bhavati prabho . kimācāraḥ kathaṃ caitāṃstrīnguṇānativartate ||14-21||’,

‘14.21 Arjuna said What are the marks of him who has transcended the three alities, O Lord? What is his conduct and how does he go beyond these three alities?’,

slok:’14.22′,

‘śrībhagavānuvāca . prakāśaṃ ca pravṛttiṃ ca mohameva ca pāṇḍava . na dveṣṭi sampravṛttāni na nivṛttāni kāṅkṣati ||14-22||’,

‘14.22 The Blessed Lord said When light, activity and delusion are present, he hates them not, nor does he long for them when they are absent.’,

slok:’14.23′,

‘udāsīnavadāsīno guṇairyo na vicālyate . guṇā vartanta ityevaṃ yo.avatiṣṭhati neṅgate ||14-23||’,

‘14.23 He who, seated like one unconcerned, is not moved by the alities, and who, knowing that the alities are active, is self-centred and moves not.’,

slok:’14.24′,

‘samaduḥkhasukhaḥ svasthaḥ samaloṣṭāśmakāñcanaḥ . tulyapriyāpriyo dhīrastulyanindātmasaṃstutiḥ ||14-24||’,

‘14.24 Who is the same in pleasure and pain, who dwells in the Self, to whom a clod of earth, stone and gold are alike, who is the same to the dear and the unfriendly, who is firm, and to whom censure and praise are as one.’,

slok:’14.25′,

‘mānāpamānayostulyastulyo mitrāripakṣayoḥ . sarvārambhaparityāgī guṇātītaḥ sa ucyate ||14-25||’,

‘14.25 Who is the same in honour and dishonour, the same to friend and foe, abandoning all undertakings he is said to have transcended the alities.’,

slok:’14.26′,

‘māṃ ca yo.avyabhicāreṇa bhaktiyogena sevate . sa guṇānsamatītyaitānbrahmabhūyāya kalpate ||14-26||’,

‘14.26 And he who serves Me with unswerving devotion, he, crossing beyond the alities, is fit for becoming Brahman.’,

slok:’14.27′,

‘brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāhamamṛtasyāvyayasya ca . śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya ca ||14-27||’,

‘14.27 For I am the abode of Brahman, the immortal and the immutable, of everlasting Dharma and of absolute bliss.’,

slok:’14.28′,

‘OM tatsaditi śrīmadbhagavadgītāsūpaniṣatsu brahmavidyāyāṃ yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjunasaṃvāde guṇatrayavibhāgayogo nāma caturdaśo.adhyāyaḥ ||14-28||’,

‘Swami Sivananda did not comment on this sloka’,