Srimad Bhagwad Gita has multiple recurring themes as captured in previous chapters. This spans equanimity, StithaPrajna, NIshkama Karma, Bhakti, Jnana, Karma and Yoga to name a few. However, one of the most intriguing and enlightening aspects of Srimad Bhagwad Gita is the elaborate and masterful discourse on the interplay of the three modes of material nature i.e. TriGunas viz., Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.
Starting from this chapter, we will observe a repeating pattern in Sri Krishna’s teachings (which is in fact a masterclass), where he stresses the importance of the these 3 characteristics and why one should alleviate themselves above them to attain the supreme Brahman. Who is this supreme Brahman?
Sri Krishna answers this in the final verse of this chapter. Whenever I read this verse, I always felt its Sri Krishna’s proclamation, similar to him sounding the famous Panchajanya.
ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहममृतस्याव्ययस्य च ।
शाश्वतस्य च धर्मस्य सुखस्यैकान्तिकस्य च ॥ 14.27॥
I am the basis of the formless Brahman, the immortal and imperishable, of eternal dharma, and of unending divine bliss.
The question that can naturally come-up is why should we consider him the supreme Brahman. Sri Krishna answers this in the onset of the chapter itself.
मम योनिर्महद् ब्रह्म तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम् ।
सम्भव: सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत ॥ 14.3॥
सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तय: सम्भवन्ति या: ।
तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रद: पिता ॥ 14.4॥
The total material substance, prakṛiti, is the womb. I impregnate it with the individual souls, and thus all living beings are born. O son of Kunti, for all species of life that are produced, the material nature is the womb, and I am the seed-giving Father.
He is the father of universe and the reason for every single creation in this cosmic play. In the panchalakshana of puranas, there are 5 defining characteristics that needs to be met for any work to be classified as Purana.
सर्गश्च प्रतिसर्गश्च वंशो मन्वन्तराणि च ।
वंशानुचरितं चैव पुराणं पञ्चलक्षणम् ॥
Sarga (Creation), Pratisarga (dissolution), Vamsha (Lineage / Genealogy), Manvanthara (time), Vamshaanucharitha (details about Surya and Chandra Vamshas) - These are the 5 lakshanas. All puranas have the story of the creation starting with the cosmic Egg (Hiranya Garbha). I am drawing parallels between Sri Krishna’s teachings above and Puranas. When we offer a dakshina (specially when we perform any karya in Hiranyaa Roopa), we chant this mantra:
हिरण्यगर्भगर्भस्थं हेमबीजं विभावसोः।
अनन्तपुण्यफलदमतः शान्तिं प्रयच्छ मे॥
Born within the golden cosmic womb
The golden seed of Agni representing pure gold / wealth
That which yields infinite auspicious and meritorious fruits
Please bestow peace, harmony & prosperity upon us.
Hiraynagarbha is a very common term that is found across various scriptures. For example, we do have a name for Maha Vishnu in Vishnu Sahasranama
हिरण्यगर्भः शत्रुघ्नो व्याप्तो वायुरधोक्षजः || VSN.44 ||
Hiraṇyagarbhaḥ: He who was the cause of the golden-coloured egg out of which Brahma was born.
Similarly, we find another reference in Purusha Sukta.
प्र॒जाप॑तिश्चरति॒ गर्भे॑ अ॒न्तः ।
Prajapati, the Lord of Creation, moves within the cosmic womb.
After describing the process of creation, Sri Krishna mentions the interplay of the 3 Gunas in the creation.
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणा: प्रकृतिसम्भवा: ।
निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ॥ 14.5॥
O mighty-armed Arjun, the material energy consists of three guṇas (modes)—sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance). These modes bind the eternal soul to the perishable body.
All creations of the supreme Brahman conduct themselves owing to the influence of these 3 attributes. Each of these attributes has a role to play and can’t be considered in a pure black and white fashion. Of course, question does arise: Why do we need to have 3 of these if some of them aren’t good. The answer lies in the subtle layered meaning of these attributes. However, when we realise that transcending ourselves above these Gunas helps us to get closer to the supreme consciousness, the real nature of the Brahman becomes apparent. This leads to my preferred verse for this chapter.
नान्यं गुणेभ्य: कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति ।
गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छति ॥ 14.19॥
When wise persons see that in all work there is no agent of action other than the three guṇas, and they know Me to be transcendental to these guṇas, they attain My divine nature.
What are the fruits of transcending ourselves about the clutches of these Gunas?
गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान् ।
जन्ममृत्युजरादु:खैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्रुते ॥ 14.20॥
By transcending the three modes of material nature associated with the body, one becomes free from birth, death, old age, and misery, and attains immortality.
One needs to understand the depth of the word, Immortality. In this verse, Amritham representing immortality is essentially escaping the cycles of birth and death and attaining the Loka of Para Brahman. Being agnostic to the Gunas is the key message from this chapter. This is emphasised by Sri Krishna again and again.
उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते ।
गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येवं योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते ॥ 14.23॥
They remain neutral to the modes of nature and are not disturbed by them. Knowing it is only the guṇas that act, they stay established in the self, without wavering.
Gunas - Attributes and manifestations
In this section, we will focus on the various characteristics and manifestations of these Gunas.
Sattva (mode of goodness) (14.6, 14.11):
- Purer than others
- Illuminating / Illumined by knowledge
- Full of being
- Binds the soul through sense of happiness and Knowledge
Rajas (mode of passion) (14.7, 14.12):
- Worldly desires and affections
- Binds the soul through attachment to fruitive actions
- Symptoms of Greed, exertion for worldly gain, restlessness and cravings
Tamas (mode of ignorance) (14.8, 14.9, 14.13):
- Cause of illusion for embodied souls
- Negligence, Laziness and Sleep
- Clouds wisdom and binds to illusion
- Nescience, Inertia, negligence and delusion
Equanimity
As with other chapters, Sri Krishna emphasises the importance of equanimity. In this chapter also, there is a section that stresses the point, which again is observed in western literature.
समदु:खसुख: स्वस्थ: समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चन: ।
तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुति: ॥ 14.24॥
मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयो: ।
सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीत: स उच्यते ॥ 14.25॥
Those who are alike in happiness and distress; who are established in the self; who look upon a clod, a stone, and a piece of gold as of equal value; who remain the same amidst pleasant and unpleasant events; who are intelligent; who accept both blame and praise with equanimity; who remain the same in honor and dishonor; who treat both friend and foe alike; and who have abandoned all enterprises – they are said to have risen above the three gunas.
Rudyard Kipling’s IF has a section that is very similar to the above verse.
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
I am almost convinced that IF was a distilled English version of Sri Krishna’s teachings.
Please do share your view on the choice of shloka and my interpretations thereof. I would like to get your thoughts and feedback and maybe we discover something hidden in Srimad Bhagwad Gita.
Sarvam Sri Krishnaarpanamastu
Verses and meanings from:
- https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/
- https://shlokam.org/shloka/vishnu-sahasranamam.htm
- https://shlokam.org/shloka/purusha-suktam.htm
- https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46473/if---
Previous Chapters:
- Arjuna Vishada Yoga
- Sankhya Yoga
- Karma Yoga
- Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga
- Karma Sanyasa Yoga
- Dhyana Yoga
- Jnana Vijnana Yoga
- Akshara Brahma Yoga
- Raja Vidya Yoga
- Vibhuti Yoga
- Vishwaroopa Darshana Yoga
- Bhakti Yoga
- Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga
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