The Three Strands

Chapter 14 · Verse 1

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

Krishna said: I will tell you again the highest knowledge, the best of all knowing - knowing which, all the sages went from here to the highest completion.

Bhūyaḥ - again.

Chapter 14 · Verse 2

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

Taking refuge in this knowledge, they come to share my nature. They are not born when creation comes, and they are not shaken when it dissolves.

Two freedoms, one at each end.

Chapter 14 · Verse 3

मम योनिर्महद्ब्रह्म तस्मिन् गर्भं दधाम्यहम्।संभवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत॥

My womb is the great nature. In it I place the seed, and from that the birth of all beings follows, Arjuna.

Two parents, in one line, and both are him.

Chapter 14 · Verse 4

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

Whatever forms are produced in any womb, Arjuna, the great nature is their womb, and I am the father who gives the seed.

Sarva-yoniṣu - in all wombs.

Chapter 14 · Verse 5

सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसंभवाः।निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम्॥

Clarity, drive and heaviness - these three strands, born of nature, bind the one who lives in a body, though that one does not perish.

The three are named: sattva, rajas, tamas.

Chapter 14 · Verse 6

तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम्।सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ॥

Of these, clarity is pure and lights things up, and it is free of trouble. It binds by attachment to pleasure, Arjuna, and by attachment to knowing.

The good one binds in two ways, and both are easy to miss.

Chapter 14 · Verse 7

रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम्।तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम्॥

Know that drive is passionate in nature, born of thirst and attachment. It binds the one who lives in a body, Arjuna, by attachment to action.

Tṛṣṇā - thirst.

Chapter 14 · Verse 8

तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम्।प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत॥

Know that heaviness is born of not knowing, and it confuses everyone who lives in a body. It binds by carelessness, by laziness, and by sleep, Arjuna.

Three forms: pramāda, ālasya, nidrā.

Chapter 14 · Verse 9

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

Clarity attaches you to being happy, Arjuna, and drive attaches you to action. Heaviness covers over knowing, and attaches you to carelessness.

Each one named with what it fastens you to.

Chapter 14 · Verse 10

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

Clarity rises, Arjuna, by overcoming drive and heaviness. Drive rises by overcoming clarity and heaviness. And heaviness rises by overcoming clarity and drive.

A rotation, stated three times so you cannot miss it.

Chapter 14 · Verse 11

सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते।ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत॥

When light appears at every gate of this body - when there is knowing - then you should understand that clarity has grown strong.

A diagnostic, not a description.

Chapter 14 · Verse 12

लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा।रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ॥

Greed, activity, the taking up of undertakings, restlessness, craving - these appear, best of the Bharatas, when drive has grown strong.

Five signs, and three of them look like virtues from outside.

Chapter 14 · Verse 13

अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च।तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन॥

Darkness, inactivity, carelessness and confusion - these appear, Arjuna, when heaviness has grown strong.

Four signs, and the first is the absence of the first sign of clarity.

Chapter 14 · Verse 14

यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत्।तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते॥

When one who has a body comes to the end while clarity has grown strong, that person reaches the clean worlds of those who know the highest.

The three strands are now applied to what comes after.

Chapter 14 · Verse 15

रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते।तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते॥

Coming to the end while drive is strong, one is born among those attached to action. And dying while heaviness is strong, one is born among the confused.

The other two outcomes, stated flatly.

Chapter 14 · Verse 16

कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम्।रजसस्तु फलं दुःखमज्ञानं तमसः फलम्॥

The fruit of good action, they say, is clean and belongs to clarity. The fruit of drive is pain, and the fruit of heaviness is not knowing.

Three results, and the middle one is the warning.

Chapter 14 · Verse 17

सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च।प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च॥

From clarity, knowing arises. From drive, greed. From heaviness come carelessness, confusion, and not knowing.

What each one produces, in one line.

Chapter 14 · Verse 18

ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः।जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः॥

Those settled in clarity go upward. Those driven stay in the middle. Those in heaviness, caught in the workings of the lowest strand, go downward.

Up, middle, down.

Chapter 14 · Verse 19

नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति।गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छति॥

When the one who sees perceives no doer other than the strands, and knows what is beyond them - that one comes to my own nature.

Nānyaṃ guṇebhyaḥ kartāram - no doer other than the strands.

Chapter 14 · Verse 20

गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान्।जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते॥

Going beyond these three strands, which come with the body, one who has a body is freed from birth, from age, and from pain - and comes to what does not die.

Deha-samudbhavān - arising along with the body.

Chapter 14 · Verse 21

कैर्लिंगैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो।किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते॥

Arjuna said: By what signs is a person known who has gone beyond these three strands, lord? How does such a person behave, and how do they get past the three?

Three questions, and the second is the practical one.

Chapter 14 · Verse 22

प्रकाशं च प्रवृत्तिं च मोहमेव च पाण्डव।न द्वेष्टि सम्प्रवृत्तानि न निवृत्तानि काङ्क्षति॥

Krishna said: Light, activity and confusion - he does not hate them when they come, Arjuna, and does not long for them when they go.

The answer begins, and it is about arrivals and departures.

Chapter 14 · Verse 23

उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते।गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येव योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते॥

Sitting as though apart, not shaken by the strands - knowing that it is the strands that are at work, and standing firm, not wavering…

Udāsīna-vad āsīnaḥ - sitting as if apart.

Chapter 14 · Verse 24

समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः।तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः॥

The same in pain and in pleasure, resting in himself; the same toward a clod of earth, a stone, and gold; the same toward what is liked and disliked; steady; the same under blame and praise…

Sva-sthaḥ - standing in oneself.

Chapter 14 · Verse 25

मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः।सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यते॥

… the same in honour and dishonour, the same toward the side of a friend and the side of an enemy, having given up every undertaking: that person is said to have gone beyond the strands.

The description closes, and the last item is the one with teeth.

Chapter 14 · Verse 26

मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते ।स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान्ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते॥

And whoever serves me with unwavering devotion, and nothing else, goes beyond these strands and becomes fit to be Brahman.

The method, finally, and it is one line.

Chapter 14 · Verse 27

ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाऽहममृतस्याव्ययस्य च।शाश्वतस्य च धर्मस्य सुखस्यैकान्तिकस्य च॥

For I am the ground of Brahman - of what does not die, of what does not wear out, of the lasting way, and of a happiness that has no end.

The last line of the chapter, and it is a foundation claim.