|| Verse: 1 ||
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
परं भूयः प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानानां ज्ञानमुत्तमम् ।
यज्ज्ञात्वा मुनयः सर्वे परां सिद्धिमितो गताः ॥ १ ॥
Translation
The Lord said:
I shall expound once more the supreme knowledge, the best of all knowledge, acquiring which all sages have attained the highest perfection, being liberated from this mundane existence.
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|| Verse: 2 ||
इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः ।
सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च ॥ २ ॥
Translation
Those who, by practicing this knowledge, have entered into My being, are not born again at the cosmic dawn, nor feel disturbed even during the cosmic dissolution (Pralaya).
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|| Verse: 3 ||
मम योनिर्महद् ब्रह्म तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम् ।
सम्भवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत ॥ ३ ॥
Translation
My primordial Nature, known as the great Brahma, 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, O Arjuna.
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|| Verse: 4 ||
सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः ।
तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रदः पिता ॥ ४ ॥
Translation
Of all embodied beings that appear in all the species of various kinds, Arjuna, Prakæti, or Nature is the conceiving Mother, while I am the seed-giving Father.
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|| Verse: 5 ||
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः ।
निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ॥ ५ ॥
Translation
Sattva, Rajas, and Tamasóthese three Gunas born of Nature tie down the imperishable soul to the body, Arjuna.
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|| Verse: 6 ||
तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम् ।
सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ ॥ ६ ॥
Translation
Of these Sattva, being immaculate, is illuminating and flawless, Arjuna; it binds through attachment to happiness and knowledge.
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|| Verse : 7 ||
रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् ।
तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् ॥ ७ ॥
Translation
Arjuna, know the quality of Rajas, which is of the nature of passion, as born of desire and attachment. It binds the soul through attachment to actions and their fruit.
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|| Verse : 8 ||
तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् ।
प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत ॥ ८ ॥
Translation
And know Tamas, the deluder of all those who look upon the body as their own self, as born of ignorance. It binds the soul through error, sloth, and sleep, Arjuna.
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|| Verse : 9 ||
सत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रजः कर्मणि भारत ।
ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तमः प्रमादे सञ्जयत्युत ॥ ९ ॥
Translation
Sattva draws one to joy and Rajas to action; while Tamas, clouding wisdom, impels one to error, sleep, and sloth Arjuna.
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|| Verse: 10 ||
रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत ।
रजः सत्त्वं तमश्चैव तमः सत्त्वं रजस्तथा ॥ १० ॥
Translation
Overpowering Rajas and Tamas, Arjuna, Sattva prevails; overpowering Sattva and Tamas, Rajas prevails; even so, overpowering Sattva and Rajas, Tamas prevails.
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|| Verse: 11 ||
सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते ।
ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत ॥ ११ ॥
Translation
When light and discernment dawn in this body, as well as in the mind and senses, then one should know that Sattva is predominant.
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|| Verse: 12 ||
लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा ।
रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ ॥ १२ ॥
Translation
With the preponderance of Rajas, Arjuna, greed, activity, the undertaking of action with an interested motive, restlessness, and a thirst for enjoyment make their appearance.
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|| Verse: 13 ||
अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च ।
तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन ॥ १३ ॥
Translation
With the growth of Tamas, Arjuna, the obtuseness of the mind and senses, disinclination to perform one’s obligatory duties, frivolity, and stupor-all these appear.
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|| Verse: 14 ||
यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत् ।
तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते ॥ १४ ॥
Translation
When a man dies during the preponderance of Sattva, He obtains the stainless ethereal worlds (heaven, etc.,) attained by men of noble deeds.
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|| Verse: 15 ||
रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते ।
तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते ॥ १५ ॥
Translation
Dying when Rajas predominates, he is born among those attached to action; even so, the man who has expired during the preponderance of Tamas is reborn in the species of the deluded creatures such as insects and beasts, etc.
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|| Verse: 16 ||
कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम् ।
रजसस्तु फलं दुःखमज्ञानं तमसः फलम् ॥ १६ ॥
Translation
The reward of a righteous act, they say, is Sattvika i.e., faultless in the shape of joy, wisdom, and dispassion, etc., sorrow is declared to be the fruit of a Råjasika act and ignorance, the fruit of a Tamasika act.
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|| Verse: 17 ||
सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च ।
प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च ॥ १७ ॥
Translation
Wisdom follows from Sattva and greed, undoubtedly, from Rajas; likewise, obstinate error, stupor, and also ignorance follow from Tamas.
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|| Verse: 18 ||
ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः ।
जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः ॥ १८ ॥
Translation
Those who abide in the quality of Sattva wend their way upwards; while those of a Rajasika disposition stay in the middle. And those of a Tåmasika temperament, enveloped as they are in the effects of Tamoguƒa, sink down.
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|| Verse: 19 ||
नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति ।
गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छति ॥ १९ ॥
Translation
When the discerning person sees no one as a doer other than the three Gunas and realizes Me, the supreme Spirit standing entirely beyond these Gunas, he enters into My being.
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|| Verse : 20 ||
गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान् ।
जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते ॥ २० ॥
Translation
Having transcended the aforesaid three Gunas, which have caused the body, and freed from birth, death, old age, and all kinds of sorrow, the embodied soul attains supreme bliss.
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|| Verse: 21 ||
अर्जुन उवाच ।
कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो ।
किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते ॥ २१ ॥
Translation
Arjuna said:
What are the marks of him who has risen above the three Guƒas, and what is his conduct? And how, Lord, does he rise above the three Guƒas?
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|| Verse: 22 ||
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
प्रकाशं च प्रवृत्तिं च मोहमेव च पाण्डव ।
न द्वेष्टि सम्प्रवृत्तानि न निवृत्तानि काङ्क्षति ॥ २२ ॥
Translation
The Divine Lord said:
Arjuna, he who hates not light (which is born of Sattva) and activity (which is born of Rajas) and even stupor (which is born of Tamas), when prevalent, nor longs for them when they have ceased.
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|| Verse: 23 ||
उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते ।
गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येवं योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते ॥ २३ ॥
Translation
He who, sitting like a witness, is not disturbed by the Guƒas, and who, knowing that the Gunas alone move among the Gunas, remains established in identity with God, and never falls off from that state.
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|| Verse: 24 ||
समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः ।
तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः ॥ २४ ॥
Translation
He who is ever established in the Self takes pain and pleasure alike regards a clod of earth, a stone, and a piece of gold as equal in value, is possessed of wisdom, accepts the pleasant as well as the unpleasant in the same spirit, and views censure and praise alike.
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|| Verse: 25 ||
मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः ।
सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यते ॥ २५ ॥
Translation
He who is equipoised in honor or ignominy is alike towards a friend or an enemy and has renounced the sense of doer ship in all undertakings, is said to have risen above the three Gunas.
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|| Verse: 26 ||
मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते ।
स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान्ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ॥ २६ ॥
Translation
He too, constantly worships Me through the Yoga of exclusive devotion-transcending these three Gunas, he becomes eligible for attaining Brahma.
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|| Verse: 27 ||
ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहममृतस्याव्ययस्य च ।
शाश्वतस्य च धर्मस्य सुखस्यैकान्तिकस्य च ॥ २७ ॥
Translation
For, I am the substratum of the imperishable Brahma, of immortality, of the eternal Dharma, and of unending immutable bliss.