सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते |
ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत || 11||
लोभ प्रवृत्तिरारम्भ कर्मणामशम स्पृहा |
रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ || 12||
अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च |
तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन || 13||
ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत || 11||
लोभ प्रवृत्तिरारम्भ कर्मणामशम स्पृहा |
रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ || 12||
अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च |
तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन || 13||
14.11-13
When all the gates of the body are illumined by knowledge, know it to be a manifestation of the mode of goodness. When the mode of passion predominates, O Arjun, the symptoms of greed, exertion for worldly gain, restlessness, and craving develop. O Arjun, nescience, inertia, negligence, and delusion—these are the dominant signs of the mode of ignorance.
When all the gates of the body are illumined by knowledge, know it to be a manifestation of the mode of goodness. When the mode of passion predominates, O Arjun, the symptoms of greed, exertion for worldly gain, restlessness, and craving develop. O Arjun, nescience, inertia, negligence, and delusion—these are the dominant signs of the mode of ignorance.
Shree Krishna once again repeats how the three modes influence one’s thinking.
S
attva guṇa
leads to the development of virtues and the illumination of knowledge.
Rajo guṇa
leads to greed, inordinate activity for worldly attainments, and restlessness of the mind.
Tamo guṇa
results in delusion of the intellect, laziness, and inclination toward intoxication and violence.
In fact, these modes even influence our attitudes toward God and the spiritual path. To give an example, when the mode of goodness becomes prominent in the mind, we may start thinking, “I have received so much grace from my Guru. I should endeavor to progress rapidly in my
sādhanā
, since the human form is precious and it should not be wasted in mundane pursuits.” When the mode of passion becomes prominent, we may think, “I must surely progress on the spiritual path, but what is the hurry? At present, I have many responsibilities to discharge, and they are more important.” When the mode of ignorance dominates, we could think, “I am not really sure if there is any God or not, for no one has ever seen him. So why waste time in
sādhanā
?” Notice how the same person’s thoughts have oscillated from such heights to the depths of devotion.
For the mind to fluctuate due to the three
guṇas
is very natural. However, we are not to be dejected by this state of affairs, rather, we should understand why it happens and work to rise above it.
Sādhanā
means to fight with the flow of the three
guṇas
in the mind, and force it to maintain the devotional feelings toward God and Guru. If our consciousness remained at the highest consciousness all day, there would be no need for
sādhanā
. Though the mind’s natural sentiments may be inclined toward the world, yet with the intellect, we have to force it into the spiritual realm. Initially, this may seem difficult, but with practice it becomes easy. This is just as driving a car is difficult initially, but with practice it becomes natural.
Shree Krishna now begins to explain the destinations bestowed by the three guṇas, and the need for making it our goal to transcend them.
S
attva guṇa
leads to the development of virtues and the illumination of knowledge.
Rajo guṇa
leads to greed, inordinate activity for worldly attainments, and restlessness of the mind.
Tamo guṇa
results in delusion of the intellect, laziness, and inclination toward intoxication and violence.
In fact, these modes even influence our attitudes toward God and the spiritual path. To give an example, when the mode of goodness becomes prominent in the mind, we may start thinking, “I have received so much grace from my Guru. I should endeavor to progress rapidly in my
sādhanā
, since the human form is precious and it should not be wasted in mundane pursuits.” When the mode of passion becomes prominent, we may think, “I must surely progress on the spiritual path, but what is the hurry? At present, I have many responsibilities to discharge, and they are more important.” When the mode of ignorance dominates, we could think, “I am not really sure if there is any God or not, for no one has ever seen him. So why waste time in
sādhanā
?” Notice how the same person’s thoughts have oscillated from such heights to the depths of devotion.
For the mind to fluctuate due to the three
guṇas
is very natural. However, we are not to be dejected by this state of affairs, rather, we should understand why it happens and work to rise above it.
Sādhanā
means to fight with the flow of the three
guṇas
in the mind, and force it to maintain the devotional feelings toward God and Guru. If our consciousness remained at the highest consciousness all day, there would be no need for
sādhanā
. Though the mind’s natural sentiments may be inclined toward the world, yet with the intellect, we have to force it into the spiritual realm. Initially, this may seem difficult, but with practice it becomes easy. This is just as driving a car is difficult initially, but with practice it becomes natural.
Shree Krishna now begins to explain the destinations bestowed by the three guṇas, and the need for making it our goal to transcend them.
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