नैव शक्या गुणा वक्तुं पृथक्त्वेनैव सर्वशः। अविच्छिन्नानि दृश्यन्ते रजः सत्त्वं तमस्तथा॥
The qualities are incapable of being described as completely separate from one another. Darkness and Goodness and Ignorance are seen existing in a state of union.
अन्योन्यमथ रज्यन्ते ह्यन्योन्यं चार्थजीविनः। अन्योन्यमाश्रयाः सर्वे तथान्योन्यानुवर्तिनः॥
They are attached to one another. They depend on one another. The have one another for their support. They likewise follow one another.
यावत्सत्त्वं रजस्तावद् वर्तते नात्र संशयः। यावत्तमश्च सत्त्वं च रजस्तावदिहोच्यते॥
As long as goodness exists, so long does Darkness cxist. There is no doubt in this. As long as Ignorance and Goodness exist, so long does Darkness exist.
संहत्य कुर्वते यात्रां सहिताः संघचारिणः। संघातवृत्तयो ह्येते वर्तन्ते हेत्वहेतुभिः॥
They travel together, in union, and moving collectively. They move in a body; when they act with cause or without cause.
उद्रेकव्यतिरिक्तानां तेषामन्योन्यवर्तिनाम्। वक्ष्यते तद् यथा न्यूनं व्यतिरिक्तं च सर्वशः॥
Of all these which work with one another however much they may differ in their an development, the manner in which their increase and diminution take place will now be described.
व्यतिरिक्तं तमो यत्र तिर्यग् भावगतं भवेत्। अल्पं तत्र रजो ज्ञेयं सत्त्वमल्पतरं तथा॥
There where Ignorance exists in increased measure, in the lower creatures (for example), Darkness exists in a smaller measure and Goodness in a still lesser degree.
उद्रिक्त च रजो यत्र मध्यस्रोतोगतं भवेत्। अल्पं तत्र तमो ज्ञेयं सत्त्वमल्पतरं तथा॥
These where Darkness predominates, in creatures of middle course, Ignorance exists in a smaller measure and Goodness in a still smaller quantity.
उद्रिक्तं च यदा सत्त्वमूर्ध्वस्रोतोगतं भवेत्। अल्पं तत्र तमो ज्ञेयं रजश्चाल्पतरं तथा॥
There where Goodness predominates in creatures of upward course, Ignorance should be known to exist in a small measure, and Darkness in a still lesser quantity.
सत्त्वं वैकारिकी योनिरिन्द्रियाणां प्रकाशिका। न हि सत्त्वात् परो धर्मः कश्चिदन्यो विधीयते॥
Goodness is the spring which causes the modification of the senses. It is, again, the great enlightener. No duty has been laid down that is higher than Goodness.
ऊर्ध्व गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः। जघन्यगुणसंयुक्ता यान्त्यधस्तामसा जनाः॥
They who abide in Goodness proceed upwards. They who abide in Darkness remain in the middle. They who abide in Ignorance being characterised by qualities that are low, sink downwards.
तमः शूद्रे रजः क्षत्रे ब्राह्मणे सत्त्वमुत्तमम्। इत्येवं त्रिषु वर्णेषु विवर्तन्ते गुणास्त्रयः॥
Ignorance is in the Shudra; Darkness in the Kshatriya; and Goodness, which is the highest, in the Brahmana. The three qualities exist thus in the three castes.
दूरादपि हि दृश्यन्ते सहिताः संघचारिणः। तमः सत्त्वं रजश्चैव पृथक्त्वे नानुशुश्रुम॥ उच्यते॥
From a distance, the three qualities of Goodness, Darkness and Ignorance, are seen to exist in a state of union and more collectively. They are never seen in a state of separation.
दृष्ट्वा त्वादित्यमुद्यन्तं कुचराणां भयं भवेत्। अध्वगाः परितप्येयुरुष्णतो दुःखभागिनः॥
Seeing the Sun rising, men of evil deeds become filled with fear. Travellers on their way become afflicted with heat, and suffer distress.
आदित्यः सत्त्वमुद्रिक्तं कुचरास्तु तथा तमः। परितापोऽध्वगानां च रजसो गुण
The Sun is Goodness developed; men of evil deeds represent Ignorance; the heat which travellers on their way feel, is said to be a quality of Darkness.
प्रकाश्यं सत्त्वमादित्यः संतापो रजसो गुणः। उपप्लवस्तु विज्ञेयस्तामसस्तस्य पर्वसु॥
Thic Sun representing light is Goodness; the heat is the quality of Darkness; the shading (or eclipse) of the Sun on Parvan days, should be known to represent Ignorance.
एवं ज्योतिष्षु सर्वेषु निवर्तन्ते गुणास्त्रयः। पर्यायेण च वर्तन्ते तत्र तत्र तथा तथा॥
Thus, the three qualities exist in all luminous bodies. They act by turns in various places in various ways.
स्थावरेषु तु भावेषु तिर्यग्भावगतं तमः। राजसास्तु विवर्तन्ते स्नेहभावस्तु सात्त्विकः॥
Among immobile objects, the quality of Ignorance predominates. The qualities belonging to Darkness are those properties of their is which suffer constant changes. Their oleaginous qualities belong to Goodness.
अहस्त्रिधा तु विज्ञेयं त्रिधा रात्रिविधीयते। मासार्धमासवर्षाणि ऋतवः संधयस्तथा॥
The Day should be understood as threefold. The Night has been ordained to be threefold. So also are fortnights, months, years, seasons, and conjunctions.
त्रिधा दानानि दीयन्ते त्रिधा यज्ञः प्रवर्तते। त्रिधा लोकास्त्रिधा देवास्त्रिधा विद्यास्त्रिधा गतिः।।१९
The gifts are threefold. Threefold is sacrifice. Threefold are the worlds; threefold the celestials; threefold is knowledge; and threefold the path or end.
भूतं भव्यं भविष्यं च धर्मोऽर्थः काम एव च। प्राणापानावुदाश्चाप्येत एव त्रयो गुणाः॥
The Past, the Present, and the future, Religion, Profit and Pleasure, Prana, Apana, and Udana, these also are permeated by the three qualities.
पर्यायेण प्रवर्तन्ते तत्र तत्र तथा तथा। यत्किंचिदिह लोकेऽस्मिन् सर्वमेते त्रयो गुणाः॥
Whatever object exists in this world, everything in it, is fraught with the three qualities. The three qualities act by turns in all things and in all circumstances.
त्रयो गुणाः प्रवर्तन्ते ह्यव्यक्ता नित्यमेव तु। सत्त्वं रजस्तमश्चैव गुणसर्ग: सनातनः॥
Indeed, the three qualities always act in an unmanifest form. The creation of those three, viz., Goodness, Darkness and Ignorance is eternal.
तमो व्यक्तं शिवं धाम रजो योनिः सनातनः। प्रकृतिर्विकारः प्रायः प्रधानं प्रभवाप्ययौ॥ अनुद्रिक्तमनूनं वाप्यकम्पमचलं ध्रुवम्। सदसच्चैव तत् सर्वमव्यक्तं त्रिगुणं स्मृतम्। ज्ञेयानि नामधेयानि नरैरध्यात्मचिन्तकैः॥
The unmanifest, consisting of the three qualities, is said to be darkness, unperceived, holy constant, unborn, womb, eternal, Nature, change or modification, destruction, Pradhana, production, and absorption, undeveloped, not small (i.e., vast), unshaking, immovable, fixed, existent, and non-existent. All these names should be known by those who meditate on matters about the soul.
अव्यक्तनामानि गुणांश्च तत्त्वतो यो वेद सर्वाणि गतीश्च केवलाः। विमुक्तदेहः प्रविभागतत्त्ववित् स मुच्यते सर्वगुणैर्निरामयः॥
That person who accurately knows all the names of the unmanifest, and the qualities, as also the pure actions, well conversant with the truth-about all distinctions and freed from the body, becomes emancipated from all the qualities and enjoys absolute happiness. That person who accurately knows all the names of the unmanifest, and the qualities, as also the pure actions, well conversant with the truth-about all distinctions and freed from the body, becomes emancipated from all the qualities and enjoys absolute happiness.