गुण त्रय वैभव योग Guna Traya Vaibhav Yoga

The Bhagwad Gita

Chapter 14

Sanjay Mehta

In the 13^th Chapter Bhagwan explained that matter and consciousness from a human body, and the consciousness is same in all beings.  Chapter 14 explains that the Guna (tendencies) of matter (Prakriti) result in three types of behaviour of humans

Gunas can be loosely translated to tendencies in English.  Gunas indicate attitude with which human mind functions.  Gunas are also called strings that tie or bond.

Now Bhagwan explains what Guna-s are and how they bind the individual self, called Jeeva.

Bhagwan said

सत्वं राजस्तम इति गुणा: प्रकृतिसम्भवाः ;
निबन्धन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहीनमव्ययम् || ५ ||

Sattvam rajastama iti gunah prakrutisambhavaah ;
Nibandhanti mahaabaaho dehe dehinaamvyayam ||5||

Purity (Sattva) passion (Rajas), and inertia (Tamas), these tendencies (Guna-s) born out of matter (Prakriti), bind the changeless Self in the body.

तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकामनामयम् ;
सुखसङ्गेन बन्धाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ ||६||

Tatra sattvam nirmalatvaatprakaashkaamanaamyam ;
Sukhsangen bandhaati gyansangsen chaanagh ||6||

Among them, sattva is bright and harmless due to its purity.  It binds the self by causing attachment to pleasure and by causing attachment to knowledge.

Rajas is born of passion, the source of wishes and attachment.  It binds the self by causing attachment to activities.

Tamas born of ignorance, the deluder of all embodied beings, it binds the self by carelessness, idleness, and sleep.

After listening to the description of Gunas Arjun wanted to know how one can transcend three Gunas i.e., be free from the bondage of the Gunas and become a Gunaateet.

Bhagwan said:

मानापमानयोस्तुल्पस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः ;
सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यते || २५ ||

Maanaapamaanyostulpstulyo mitraaripakshayoh ;
Sarvaarambhparityaagii gunaateetah sa uchyate ||25||

The one who is the same in honor and dishonor, the same towards a friend and a foe, who renounces all undertakings/ownerships (only Bhagwan owns all actions), he/she is said to be a Gunaateet (Transcended the tendencies of Prakriti).

मां च योव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते ;
स गुणान्समतीत्यतान्ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते || ६ ||

Man ch yovyabhichaarena bhaktiyogena sevate ;
Sa gunan samatiityaita brahmbhuyay kalpate ||6||

The one who worships Me alone through the Yog of unswerving devotion becomes fit to attain the nature of Brahman by becoming Gunaateet.

Brahmabhuyaya kalpate: A state of mind in which there is an awareness of infinitude of self, heart fills up uninterrupted bliss (Anand), false identifications with body mind and intellect are resolved and ego is melted.

Essence

Image Credit
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