Friday, October 30, 2009

CHAPTER-14- THREE GUNAS


CHAPTER- XIV

THREE GUNAS


Krishna continued Hs exposition about the Supreme Wisdom.

My primordial Nature-known as the great Brhama is the womb of all creatures-in that womb; I place the seed of all life. The creation of all beings follows from that union of matter and spirit.

Of all embodied beings that appear in all the species of various kinds- Prakriti or Nature is the conceiving mother while I am the seed giver-the Father.

Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, the three gunas born of nature tie down the imperishable soul to the body.

Sattva being immaculate is illuminating and flawless. It binds through identification with joy and wisdom.

Rajas are of the nature of passion, as born of cupidity and attachment. It binds the soul through attachment to actions and their fruits.

Tamas is of the nature of deluder and binds the soul through error, sloth and sleep.

Sattva drives one to joy and rajas into action, while Tamas clouding wisdom incites one to error.

Over powering Rajas and Tamas Satva prevails. Overpowering Sattva and Tamas Rajas prevails. Overpowering Sattva and Rajas Tamas prevails.

Light and discernment dawn in this body, mind and senses, then one should know that Sattva is predominant.

With the predominance of Rajas greed, activity, undertaking actions with an interested motive, restlessness and thirst for enjoyment appears.

With the growth of Tamas, obtuseness of mind and senses, disinclination to perform one’s obligatory duties, frivolity and stupor- all these appear.

When a man of Sattva dies during the preponderance of Sattva, he goes to heaven.

In case of Rajas, he is born again and again among those attached to action.

In case of Tamas is reborn in the species of stupid creatures such as insects and beasts.

The reward for of a righteous act is Sattvika and faultless (Joy, wisdom and dispassion) sorrow for a Rajasika act and ignorance for Tamasika act.

Wisdom follows Sattva, greed from Rajas and error, stupor and ignorance from Tamas.

Those who abide Sattava go up, the Rajas in the middle and Tamas sink down.

Those who stand beyond the three gunas he enters My being.

Having transcended the above threegunas, which have caused the body and freed from birth, death and old age and all kinds of sorrow this soul attains supreme bliss.

Arjuna asked Krishna to enlighten him about the man who has risen above the three gunas.

Krishna said- He who hates not light born of sattva, activity born of Rajas and Stupor born out of Tamas when prevalent nor longs for them when they have ceased.

He who sitting like a witness is not disturbed by the gunas remains established in identity with God and never falls from that state.

He who takes joy and sorrows alike, regards clod of earth, stone and gold equal in value, is possessed of wisdom receives pleasant and unpleasant in the same spirit and views criticism and praise alike

He who is indifferent to honour and ignomy, is alike to friend and foe and renounced the sense of doer ship in all undertakings is said to have risen above the three gunas.

He who constantly worships Me through the Yoga of exclusive devotion crossing this gunas-he becomes eligible for attaining Brahma.

For- I am the ground of the imperishable Brahma, of immortality, of the eternal virtue and unending immutable bliss.

R.Jagannathan.

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