Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga

The Blessed Lord (Śrī Bhagavān) said: Again I will declare the supreme, the best knowledge of all knowledges (jñāna), Having known which all the sages (munayaḥ), have gone from here to supreme perfection (siddhi).

Having resorted to this knowledge (jñāna), they have attained to My own nature (sādharmya). Even at the time of creation they are not born, and at the time of dissolution they are not distressed.

My womb is the great Brahman (mahadbrahma); in that I place the seed. The origin of all beings, is from that, O descendant of Bharata (Bhārata).

In all wombs (yoniṣu), O son of Kunti (Kaunteya), whatever forms come into being, Of them Brahman is the great womb, and I am the seed-giving father.

Goodness (sattva), passion (rajas), and darkness (tamas), these qualities (guṇāḥ) born of nature (prakṛti), Bind fast in the body, O Great-armed one (Mahābāho), the imperishable embodied one (dehin).

Among them, goodness (sattva), being flawless, is illuminating and free from illness. It binds by attachment to happiness, and by attachment to knowledge (jñāna), O Sinless one (Anagha).

Know that passion (rajas) is of the nature of attraction, arising from craving and attachment. It binds fast, O son of Kunti (Kaunteya), the embodied one (dehin) by attachment to action (karma).

But know that darkness (tamas) is born of ignorance (ajñāna), the deluder of all embodied ones (dehinām). By negligence, laziness, and sleep, it binds fast, O descendant of Bharata (Bhārata).

Goodness (sattva) attaches one to happiness, passion (rajas) to action (karma), O descendant of Bharata (Bhārata). But darkness (tamas), having veiled knowledge (jñāna), attaches one to negligence indeed.

Having overcome passion (rajas) and darkness (tamas), goodness (sattva) prevails, O descendant of Bharata (Bhārata). Passion (rajas) prevails over goodness and darkness; and darkness (tamas) over goodness and passion.

In all the gates of this body, when the light comes into being, Which is knowledge (jñāna), then one should know, that goodness (sattva) has increased.

Greed, activity, the undertaking, of actions (karmāṇām), unrest, and craving; These are born when passion (rajas) has increased, O best of the Bharatas (Bharatarṣabha).

Absence of light and absence of activity, negligence and delusion as well; These are born when darkness (tamas) has increased, O joy of the Kurus (Kurunandana).

But when goodness (sattva) has increased, if the embodied one (dehabhṛt) goes to dissolution, Then to the spotless worlds, of the knowers of the highest, he attains.

Having gone to dissolution in passion (rajas), he is born among those attached to action (karma). Likewise, dissolved in darkness (tamas), he is born in the wombs of the deluded.

Of a well-done action (karma), they say, the fruit is of goodness (sāttvika) and flawless. But the fruit of passion (rajas) is sorrow; the fruit of darkness (tamas) is ignorance (ajñāna).

From goodness (sattva) is born knowledge (jñāna), and from passion (rajas) greed indeed. Negligence and delusion come from darkness (tamas), and ignorance (ajñāna) as well.

Those abiding in goodness (sattva) go upwards; the passionate (rājasāḥ) stand in the middle. Abiding in the activities of the lowest quality, those of darkness (tāmasāḥ) go downwards.

When the seer perceives no other doer than the qualities (guṇebhyaḥ), And knows what is higher than the qualities, he attains My state of being (madbhāva).

Having transcended these three qualities (guṇān), which are the origin of the body, the embodied one (dehī), Freed from birth, death, old age, and sorrow, enjoys immortality (amṛta).

Arjuna said: By what marks is he who has transcended, these three qualities (guṇān), O Lord (Prabhu)? What is his conduct, and how, does he pass beyond these three qualities?

The Blessed Lord (Śrī Bhagavān) said: Illumination and activity, and delusion as well, O son of Pandu (Pāṇḍava), He does not hate them when they arise, nor does he desire them when they cease.

Sitting like one who is indifferent, who is not shaken by the qualities (guṇaiḥ), Thinking "The qualities operate," who stands firm and does not waver.

Equal in sorrow and happiness, self-abiding, to whom a clod of earth, a stone, and gold are the same; Equal toward the pleasant and the unpleasant, wise (dhīra), equal in blame and self-praise.

Equal in honor and dishonor, equal toward the sides of friend and enemy, Abandoning all undertakings, he is said to have transcended the qualities (guṇātīta).

And he who serves Me with unswerving discipline of devotion (bhaktiyoga), Having completely transcended these qualities (guṇān), he is fit for becoming Brahman (brahmabhūyāya).

For I am the foundation of Brahman, and of the immortal and imperishable, And of the eternal duty (dharma), and of absolute happiness.