BHAGAVAD-GITA 14:21

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 14:21

 

arjuna uvaca

kair lingais trin gunan etan

atito bhavati prabho

kim acarah katham caitams

trin gunan ativartate

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

arjunah uvaca--Arjuna said; kaih--by which; lingaih--symptoms;

trin--three; gunan--qualities; etan--all these; atitah--having

transcended; bhavati--is; prabho--O my Lord; kim--what;

acarah--behavior; katham--how; ca--also; etan--these; trin--three;

gunan--qualities; ativartate--transcends.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Arjuna inquired: O my dear Lord, by which symptoms is one known who is

transcendental to these three modes? What is his behavior? And how

does he transcend the modes of nature?

 

PURPORT

 

In this verse, Arjuna's questions are very appropriate. He wants to

know the symptoms of a person who has already transcended the material

modes. He first inquires of the symptoms of such a transcendental

person. How can one understand that he has already transcended the

influence of the modes of material nature? The second question asks

how he lives and what his activities are. Are they regulated or

nonregulated? Then Arjuna inquires of the means by which he can attain

the transcendental nature. That is very important. Unless one knows

the direct means by which one can be situated always transcendentally,

there is no possibility of showing the symptoms. So all these

questions put by Arjuna are very important, and the Lord answers them.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.