Sanskrit · Devanagari
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः। निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ॥
Sanskrit · IAST
sattvaṃ rajastama iti guṇāḥ prakṛtisambhavāḥ nibadhnanti mahābāho dehe dehinamavyayam
English witness
Kashinath Trimbak Telang, 1882the giver of the seed. Goodness passion darkness these qualities born from nature O you of mighty arms! bind down the inexhaustible soul in the body. Of these
This verse-level alignment is machine-assisted and awaits two independent human checks. Confidence signal: 44%.
Compare readings
29 translations and commentaries are aligned to this verse. Choose up to three; the root verse and Telang witness stay above them.
Śaṅkarācārya
।।14.5।। -- सत्त्वं रजः तमः इति एवंनामानः। गुणाः इति पारिभाषिकः शब्दः? न रूपादिवत् द्रव्याश्रिताः गुणाः। न च गुणगुणिनोः अन्यत्वमत्र विवक्षितम्। तस्मात् गुणा इव नित्यपरतन्त्राः क्षेत्रज्ञं प्रति अविद्यात्मकत्वात् क्षेत्रज्ञं निबध्नन्तीव। तम् आस्पदीकृत्य आत्मानं प्रतिलभन्ते इति निबध्नन्ति इति उच्यते। ते च प्रकृतिसंभवाः भगवन्मायासंभवाः निबध्नन्ति इव हे महाबाहो? महान्तौ समर्थतरौ आजानुप्रलम्बौ बाहू यस्य सः महाबाहुः? हे महाबाहो देहे शरीरे देहिनं देहवन्तम् अव्ययम्? अव्ययत्वं च उक्तम् अनादित्वात् (गीता 13.31) इत्यादिश्लोकेन। ननु देही न लिप्यते इत्युक्तम्। तत कथम् इह निबध्नन्ति इति अन्यथा उच्यते परिहृतम् अस्माभिः इवशब्देन निबध्नन्ति इव इति।।तत्र सत्त्वादीनां सत्त्वस्यैव तावत् लक्षणम् उच्यते --,
7331fb7b21d3…Rāmānuja
14.5 The three Gunas of Prakrti - Sattva, Rajas and Tamas - are inherent in the essential nature of Prakrti and are particular expressions of it. They can be known only through their effects such as 'brightness' etc. They are not apparent in the unevolved state of Prakrti but become apparent in its transformations as Mahat etc. They bind the self, which is conjoined with bodies such as those of divinities, men etc., composed of the modifications of Prakrti beginning with Mahat and ending with the elements. The self is immutable, i.e., It is not in Its pristine nature conjoined with the Gunas. But the Gunas bind It when residing in the body. The meaning is that they bind It by virtue of the limiting conditions of Its living in the body. Sri Krsna proceeds to speak of the nature of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas and their modes of binding (the self):
75aac872bf74…Swami Sivananda
14.5 सत्त्वम् purity? रजः passion? तमः inertia? इति these? गुणाः alities? प्रकृतिसंभवाः born of Prakriti? निबध्नन्ति bind? महाबाहो O mightyarmed? देहे in the body? देहिनम् the embodied? अव्ययम् the,indestructible.Commentary Sattva is the best. Rajas comes next. Tamas is the lowest and the worst. The three alities indicate the triple mentality. They produce attachment in the individual souls? delude them and bind them down? as it were? to Samsara. Just as the three conditions of childhood? youth and old age are found in the same body? so also the three alities inhere in the mind. The soul gets limited by identifying itself with body and the three alities. It is subject to birth and death and experiences happiness and misery? pleasure and pain? joy and sorrow till it realises its identity with the supreme Self.The word Guna is usually translated as ality. It does not signify property? attribute or ality? such as the blue colour of a cloth. Gunas are really the primary constitutents of Nature and are the basis of all substances. Therefore it is not proper to call them alities inhering in substances.If you want to attain freedom or perfection? if you wish to become immortal? you must rise above the modes of Nature. You must transcend the Gunas.If the water in the vessel is agitated? the reflected sun in the water also appears to be agitated through Pratibimba Adhyasa (superimposition of reflection on water). Even so the pure unchanging Self appears to be bound by the alities of Nature through superimposition. In reality the Self is ever free and untainted. It is beyond them.The Gunas which are only forms of ignorance are ever dependent on the knower of the field. They bind? fast? as it were? the knower of the field. They have him as the basis of their existence.A knowledge of the Gunas and their operation is very necessary. Only if you have this knowledge can you free yourself from their clutches.Mahabaho Mightyarmed with strong and sinewy arms reaching down to the kness. This is a very auspicious sign. Yogis and sages have such beautiful arms.These three Gunas are present in all human beings. No one is free from the operation of any one of the three alities of Nature. They are not constant. Sometimes Sattva predominates at other times Rajas or Tamas predominates.Sattva has the characteristic of effulgence. It is also harmony and goodness or purity. Rajas is passion or activity. Tamas is inertia or darkness.Analyse all phenomena in terms of these three. Know their characteristics. Stand as a witness of these alities. Do not identify yourself with them. Separate yourself from them. Become a Gunatita. You will attain Supreme Peace? immortality and eternal bliss. (Cf.XIII.22)
11f966e27ad6…These supplied texts come from the pinned VedicScriptures dataset under GPL-3.0 and await independent alignment review.