Bhagavad Gita · 14.21 · Yoga through Understanding the Three Modes of Material Nature·21 of 27
अर्जुन उवाचकैर्लिंगैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो।किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते ॥
arjuna uvācha kair liṅgais trīn guṇān etān atīto bhavati
prabho kim āchāraḥ kathaṁ chaitāns trīn guṇān ativartate
Sanskrit recitation
Rising above the gunas · 14.19–14.27 · Teaching
Translation
Arjuna said, "What are the marks of one who has transcended the three qualities, O Lord? What is their conduct, and how do they go beyond these three qualities?"
Meaning
Arjuna said O Lord, by what characteristics may a man be recognised as having gone beyond the three alities What is the behaviour of that Trigunatita sage (one who has gone beyond the three alities) and how does he go beyond the world and is above the Gunas Tell me that.These are the characteristics of the sage who has gone beyond the Gunas others should cultivate them.Just as a king is able to remove the grievances and sorrows of his servants, so also the Lord is able to remove the sorrows of His devotees. That is the reason why Arjuna addresses Sri Krishna as Lord and uses the term Prabhu. By using this word, Arjuna hinted to the Lord that He alone was capable of relieving his sorrows and pains. (Cf.II.54)
After Swami Sivananda
Rising above the gunas· 14.19–14.27→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 14.19When the seer beholds no agent other than the Gunas and knows that which is higher than them, he attains to My Being.
- 14.20The embodied one, having crossed beyond these three Gunas from which the body is evolved, is freed from birth, death, decay, and pain, and attains immortality.
14.21Arjuna said, "What are the marks of one who has transcended the three qualities, O Lord? What is their conduct, and how do they go beyond these three qualities?"
- 14.22The Blessed Lord said, "When light, activity, and delusion are present, he does not hate them, nor does he long for them when they are absent.
- 14.23He who, seated like one unconcerned, is not moved by the dualities, and who, knowing that the dualities are active, is self-centered and does not move.
- 14.24Who is the same in pleasure and pain, who dwells in the Self, to whom a clod of earth, a stone, and gold are all alike, who is the same to the dear and the unfriendly, who is firm, and to whom censure and praise are one and the same.
- 14.25Who is the same in honor and dishonor, the same to friend and foe, abandoning all undertakings, he is said to have transcended the dualities.
- 14.26And he who serves Me with unwavering devotion, he, crossing beyond the dualities, is fit for becoming Brahman.
- 14.27For I am the abode of Brahman, the immortal, immutable, and everlasting Dharma, and absolute bliss.
Word-by-word→
- arjunaḥ uvācha
- Arjun inquired
- kaiḥ
- by what
- liṅgaiḥ
- symptoms
- trīn
- three
- guṇān
- modes of material nature
- etān
- these
- atītaḥ
- having transcended
- bhavati
- is
- prabho
- Lord
- kim
- what
- āchāraḥ
- conduct
- katham
- how
- cha
- and
- ativartate
- transcend
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