In this chapter Lord Krishna tells Arjuna about the three attributes of Nature : Sattvaguna, light and goodness, Rajoguna, fire and passion, and Tamoguna, darkness and evil, and also about what results from them. He also tells about the qualities of those who transcend the attributes, those who rise above the three attributes.
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Lord Krishna says : Partha, I will now tell you about that knowledge which is the Supreme knowledge, knowing which sages and the realized ones, rose above this world and attained salvation, attained the Supreme.
Taking the support of this knowledge and becoming like Me, they are neither born at the beginning of creation, nor do they die when creation ends, when it dissolves.
Great Nature is My womb, into which I cast the seed whereby all beings and things are born, whereby all creation comes into being.
Where ever, and in whatever form, and in whatever womb, any birth takes place, great Nature is their source womb, and I am the seed giving Father.
Sattvaguna, light and goodness, Rajoguna, fire and passion, and Tamoguna, darkness and evil; these are the three attributes born of Nature, and it is these that bind the imperishable Soul to the body.
Of these Sattvaguna is pure and without blemish or taint. It produces light and frees one from sinful activity. But even sattvaguna binds because of the pride of knowledge and the pride of happiness.
Rajoguna gives rise to passion, desire and attachment. It binds through action and through desire for the fruit and reward of action.
Tamoguna results from darkness and ignorance and keeps one under delusion. It binds through carelessness, sloth and sleep.
Sattvaguna engages one in bliss and happiness, Rajoguna in passion and action, and Tamoguna, veiling ones knowledge, deludes, and results in carelessness and sloth.
From time to time, from age to age, one of the three attributes dominates and the others weaken.
Sattvaguna dominates weakening Rajoguna and Tamoguna, Rajoguna dominates weakening Sattvaguna and Tamoguna, and similarly, Tamoguna dominates weakening Sattvaguna and Rajoguna.
When the light of knowledge,virtue, the power of discrimination, and conscientiousness, pervade the entire being and senses of a person, then it must be understood that Sattvaguna is on the rise, and it dominates.
When greed, activity, desire, restlessness and excessive ambition begin appearing in a person, then it must be understood that Rajoguna is on the rise and it dominates.
When there is a lack of light, when evil, carelessness, and delusion begin to appear in a person, then it must be understood that Tamoguna is on the rise, and it dominates.
Listen Partha, after the death of the body where the Soul will go depends on the attribute of Nature dominating in the person at the time of his death.
If his death occurs when Sattvaguna dominates, then his Atma will go to the pure worlds of those knowing the Supreme, it will be born there.
If his death occurs when Rajoguna dominates, then his Atma will be born among people committed to action and if his death occurs when Tamoguna dominates then his Atma will be born in the lower classes of the ignorant and the foolish.
The fruit of Sattvik action is good and pure, the fruit of Rajasik action is sorrow, while the fruit of Tamasik action is ignorance and dullness.
From Sattvaguna is born knowledge, from Rajoguna comes greed, and from Tamoguna come ignorance, carelessness and foolishness.
Those who are situated in Sattvaguna rise upwards towards salvation and the Supreme. The ones in Rajoguna remain in the middle, on the earth itself, while those in Tamoguna, always engaging in evil and nefarious activities fall into hell.
When one understands that apart from these three attributes of Nature, there is no other doer, and when he also knows the One, who is even beyond and greater than these three attributes, then one attains to My form, then one becomes like Me.
When a person rises above the three attributes of Nature, when he transcends Sattvaguna, Rajoguna and Tamoguna, all born of the body, then he becomes free from birth and death, old age and sorrows, and then he gets eternal life.
Arjuna's curiosity is aroused, he wants to know more and asks Lord Krishna : Dear Lord, how do we recognize the person who has risen above the three attributes of Nature? How is his conduct and how does he go beyond the three attributes?
Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna : Partha, the person who has risen above the three attributes of Nature is one who, when light, attachment, and delusion are within him, then he does not consider them as bad, and when these go away, or when they are absent, then he does not desire them, or hanker after them.
He is always satisfied, he is always free from desires, he remains unaffected by the play of the attributes, by all their activities, he remains calm, untouched and poised, and he understands that it is only the attributes that act, and none else, and knowing this, he stands aloof, steadfast and calm.
Such a one considers sorrow and joy as the same. He is always established in his Atma, in his Soul. He does not distinguish between mud, stones, gems, diamonds, gold and silver; he considers all these as the same. He considers good and bad things, good and bad situations and conditions as the same.
He is patient, he is the same in praise and in blame, in honour and in dishonour. He behaves in the same way with friends and with foes. He has given up all actions, as well as the rewards of those actions.
Such a one is great. He is the best, and he is said to have risen above the attributes, to have transcended, the gunas, the attributes of Nature.
The person who, without wavering, and with full devotion, serves Me, he rises above the three gunas, he transcends the three attributes, and reaches the Supreme, the Absolute.
And because I am the dwelling place, I am the abode of the Immortal, the Imperishable Brahm, and of Eternal Dharma, of Eternal Righteousness, and of Supreme Bliss, he who, with full devotion, faith and allegiance, worships and serves Me, he rises above the three attributes and he attains to Me.
End of Chapter Fourteen
OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI OM
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