Bhagavat Gita - 55

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Bhagavat Gita - 55

 

The Three Gunas as the determinative factors (Chapter 18 verses 18-39)

 

Dispositions of Prakrithi - sattva, rajas and tamas - determine

the nature of knowledge, action and agent.

 

Sattva: Knowledge dominated by sattva leads to the understanding of

unity in diversity; actions dominated by it tend to detachment and

freedom from passionate affliations; a doer dominated by it is

comparatively free from ego-sense and attachment but yet does not

lack enthisiasm an intrest in the work; the intelligence dominated

by it is always accompanied by moral sensibility and an eye to the

spiritual side of things; strength of mind dominated by it is

expressed as control of the senses and the mind; and as strict

adherence to principles; and experience dominated by it is painful

in the beginning due to difficulties of discipline, but ends in great

bliss.

 

Rajas: Knowledge dominated by rajas directs attention to the

diversity of things and not their unity; work dominated by it

results in actions done with great attachment, egotism and

expenditure of energy; an agent dominated by it is greedy,

cruel, attached and subject to elation and depression;

intelligence dominated by it is riddled with confusion

about right and wrong and has little sense of duty; strength

dominated by it is under the sway of ambitions, desires, and

worldly status; and happiness dominated by it is extremely

attractive in the beginning due to sensual excitement but

in its final result brings about suffering.

 

Tamas: Knowledge dominated by tamas sees mere side issues as the

whole truth and doggedly holds on to them without due thought,

under the prompting of passions; action dominated by tamas is

undertaken thoughtlessly without any estimate of one's capacity

or resources, and is prompted by delusions and cruel motives; the

agent dominated by tamas is fickleminded, insolent, exploiting,

procastinating and slipshod in his methods; intelligence dominated

by tamas sees unrighteousness as righteousness and takes the

wrong side of everything; strength or determination dominated by

tamas is always subject to depression, vacillation and overbearing

insolence; and pleasure dominated by tamas is from the beginning

to the end riddled with delusion, lethargy and needlessness.

 

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Based on " Srimad Bhagavat Gita - The Scripture of Mankind "

a translation by Rev Swami Tapasyanandaji, published by

Sri Ramakrishna Math - Chennai. http://www.sriramakrishnamath.org/

 

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