BHAGAVAD-GITA 14:8

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 14:8

 

tamas tv ajnana-jam viddhi

mohanam sarva-dehinam

pramadalasya-nidrabhis

tan nibadhnati bharata

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

tamah--the mode of ignorance; tu--but; ajnana-jam--produced of

ignorance; viddhi--know; mohanam--the delusion; sarva-dehinam--of all

embodied beings; pramada--with madness; alasya--indolence;

nidrabhih--and sleep; tat--that; nibadhnati--binds; bharata--O son of

Bharata.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O son of Bharata, know that the mode of darkness, born of ignorance,

is the delusion of all embodied living entities. The results of this

mode are madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned

soul.

 

PURPORT

 

In this verse the specific application of the word tu is very

significant. This means that the mode of ignorance is a very peculiar

qualification of the embodied soul. The mode of ignorance is just the

opposite of the mode of goodness. In the mode of goodness, by

development of knowledge, one can understand what is what, but the

mode of ignorance is just the opposite. Everyone under the spell of

the mode of ignorance becomes mad, and a madman cannot understand what

is what. Instead of making advancement, one becomes degraded. The

definition of the mode of ignorance is stated in the Vedic literature.

Vastu-yathatmya-jnanavarakam viparyaya-jnana-janakam tamah: under the

spell of ignorance, one cannot understand a thing as it is. For

example, everyone can see that his grandfather has died and therefore

he will also die; man is mortal. The children that he conceives will

also die. So death is sure. Still, people are madly accumulating money

and working very hard all day and night, not caring for the eternal

spirit. This is madness. In their madness, they are very reluctant to

make advancement in spiritual understanding. Such people are very

lazy. When they are invited to associate for spiritual understanding,

they are not much interested. They are not even active like the man

who is controlled by the mode of passion. Thus another symptom of one

embedded in the mode of ignorance is that he sleeps more than is

required. Six hours of sleep is sufficient, but a man in the mode of

ignorance sleeps at least ten or twelve hours a day. Such a man

appears to be always dejected and is addicted to intoxicants and

sleeping. These are the symptoms of a person conditioned by the mode

of ignorance.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.