श्रीभगवानुवाच परं भूयः प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानानां ज्ञानमुत्तमम्। यज्ज्ञात्वा मुनयः सर्वे परां सिद्धिमितो गताः॥
The Great one said “I shall again speak to you that great Science of all Sciences, that excellent Science, knowing which all the Rishis have attained to the highest (and final) emancipation from this body.
इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः। सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च।॥
Resorting to this great Science, and thus attaining to My Nature, men have no more rebirths, not even at the time of a new Creation. They are not disturbed even at the dissolution of the universe.
मम योनिर्महद् ब्रह्म तस्मिन् गर्भं दधाम्हम्। सम्भवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत॥
The Great Brahma is the womb in which I place the germ. Thence, O Bharata, take place the births of all beings.
सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः। तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रदः पिता॥
Whatever is born, O son of Kunti, of them is Brahma the womb, and I the seed-imparting Sire.
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः। निबन्धन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम्॥
Sattva, Raja and Tama, these three qualities of Nature, O mighty-armed, bind down the Eternal Self in the body of beings.
तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात् प्रकाशकमनायम्। सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ॥
Amongst the three, Sattva from its untainted nature, from its being enlightening, and as it is free from misery, keeps the Self bound with the attachment of happiness and knowledge.
रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम्। तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम्॥
Raja, having desire for its essence, is born of thirst and attachment; therefore, O son of Kunti, it binds the embodied Self with the attachment of work.
तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम्। प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत।॥
Tama is born of ignorance, and therefore it deludes all embodied selves. O Bharata, it binds the Self with error, indolence, and sleep.
सत्त्वं सुखे संजयति रजः कर्मणि भारत। ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तमः प्रमादे संजयत्युत॥
Sattva unites the Self with pleasure, Raja, with work; but O Bharata, Tama, shadowing knowledge, binds Self with error.
रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत। रजः सत्त्व तमश्चैव तमः सत्त्वं रजस्तथा।॥
Sattva remains if Raja and Tama are repressed. Tame remains if Sattva and Raja are repressed' and, Oh Bharata, Raja remains if Tama and Sattva are repressed.
सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन् प्रकाश उपजायते। ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद् विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत॥
When in this body knowledge pervades all, then should one know that Sattva has been developed.
लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा। रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ॥
When, O chief of Bharata's race, avarice, activity, fondness of works, want of tranquility, and desire, are born in this body, then should one know that Raja has been developed.
अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च। तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन॥
When, O son of the Kuru race gloom, inactivity, error, and delusion, are born in this body, then should one know that Tama has been developed.
यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत्। तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान् प्रतिपद्यते॥
When a man dies when his Sattva is developed, he goes to the sinless region of those that know the supreme.
रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते। तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते॥
Dying, when Raja prevails, he goes among those who are attached to works. Dying in Tama he is born in the womb that produces ignorant men.
कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम्। रजसस्तु फलंदुःखमज्ञानं तमसः फलम्॥
The fruit of Sattva is good and untainted; the fruit of Raja is misery, and that of Tama is ignorance.
सत्त्वात् संजायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च। प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च॥
From Sattva is produced knowledge from Raja avarice, and from Tama error, delusion and ignorance.
ऊर्ध्वगच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः। जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः॥
Those that live in Sattva go on high those that are addicted to Raja live in the middle; and those that are of Tama, having the lowest quality, go down.
नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति। गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छति॥
When an observing man comes to know these three qualities to be the only agents of all works, and recognize him who is beyond all qualities, he then attains to My Nature.
गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन् देही देहसमुद्भवान्। जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते॥
The embodied self (man) by transcending three qualities, which are the source of all bodies, attains immortality, being freed from birth, death, old age, decay and misery."
अर्जुन उवाच कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन् गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो। किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन् गुणानतिवर्तते॥
Arjuna said What are the characteristic, O Lord, of that man who has transcended the three qualities? What is his conduct? How can a man transcend these three qualities?
श्रीभगवानुवाच प्रकाश: च प्रवृत्तिं च मोहमेव च पाण्डव। न द्वेष्टि सम्प्रवृत्तानि न निवृत्तानि काङ्क्षति॥
The great One said He who has no aversion for knowledge, work or ignorance (the results of the three qualities) when they are present, and he who does not desire them when they are absent, has transcended the three qualities.
उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते। गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येव योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते॥
He, who remains all unconcerned, being not shaken by the three qualities who sits and moves not, thinking that it is the qualities and not he, who is engaged in their functions, has transcended the three qualities.
समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः। तुल्यप्रियाप्रियोधीरस्तुल्यनिन्दाऽऽत्मसंस्तुति॥
He, to whom pain and pleasure are alike who is self-restrained, to whom a sod of earth, a stone, a piece of gold, are all alike; to whom agreeable and the disagreeable are the same, to whom praise and censure are alike, has transcended the three qualities.
मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः। सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यते॥
He, to whom honour and dishonour are same, to whom friends and foes are alike; who has discernment, and who has renounced all self-exertion, has transcended the three qualities.
मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते। स गुणान् समतीत्यैतान् ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते॥
He who worships Me with exclusive devotion, transcends the three qualities and becomes fit for admission into the nature of Brahma.
ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहममृतस्याव्यस्य च। शाश्वतस्य च धर्मस्य सुखस्यैकान्तिकस्य च॥
For, I am the embodiment of Brahma, of immortality, of imperishability, of eternal piety and ever-continuing felicity.