Home Vedic Pedia Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14

Chapter 14

In Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14, Lord Krishna says that material nature consists of three modes­goodness, passion and ignorance. These bind and control all conditioned souls within this world. Amongst them there is also control for supremacy. He says that when there is an increase in the mode of ignorance, darkness, inertia, madness and illusion are manifested. From the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops, from passion greed develops and from ignorance foolishness, madness and illusion develop. A soul through devotional service can transcend these modes. Thus, the limitations imposed by the field of activities can be overthrown and the soul can be elevated to the Brahman platform, the constitutional position of purity and happiness­a platform of which Krishna is the basis. One must be detached from the modes and their results in order to be attached to the service of the Lord.

Slogam 1:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.1

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

paraḿ bhūyaḥ pravakṣyāmi

jñānānāḿ jñānam uttamam

yaj jñātvā munayaḥ sarve

parāḿ siddhim ito gatāḥ


Translation 


The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Again I shall declare to you this supreme wisdom, the best of all knowledge...View More

Slogam 2:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.2

idaḿ jñānam upāśritya

mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ

sarge ’pi nopajāyante

pralaye na vyathanti ca


Translation 


By becoming fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental nature like My own. Thus established, one is not born at the time of creation or dis...View More

Slogam 3:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.3

mama yonir mahad brahma

tasmin garbhaḿ dadhāmy aham

sambhavaḥ sarva-bhūtānāḿ

tato bhavati bhārata


Translation


The total material substance, called Brahman, is the source of birth, and it is that Brahman that I impregnate, making possible the births of all living be...View More

Slogam 4:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.4

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ

tāsāḿ brahma mahad yonir

ahaḿ bīja-pradaḥ pitā


Translation 


It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving fat...View More

Slogam 5:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.5

sattvam rajas tama iti

gunah prakriti-sambhavah

nibadhnanti maha-baho

dehe dehinam avyayam


Translation 


Material nature consists of three modes—goodness, passion and ignorance. When the eternal living entity comes in contact with nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, he becomes co...View More

Slogam 6:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.6

tatra sattvaḿ nirmalatvāt

prakāśakam anāmayam

sukha-sańgena badhnāti

jñāna-sańgena cānagha


Translation


O sinless one, the mode of goodness, being purer than the others, is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode become...View More

Slogam 7:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.7

rajo rāgātmakaḿ viddhi

tṛṣṇā-sańga-samudbhavam

tan nibadhnāti kaunteya

karma-sańgena dehinam


Translation 


The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kunti, and because of this the embodied living entity is bound to material fruitive ...View More

Slogam 8:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.8

tamas tv ajñāna-jaḿ viddhi

mohanaḿ sarva-dehinām

pramādālasya-nidrābhis

tan nibadhnāti bhārata


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, ...View More

Slogam 9:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.9

sattvaḿ sukhe sañjayati

rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata

jñānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ

pramāde sañjayaty uta


Translation


O son of Bharata, the mode of goodness conditions one to happiness; passion conditions one to fruitive action; and ignorance, covering one’s knowledge, bi...View More

Slogam 10:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.10

rajas tamaś cābhibhūya

sattvaḿ bhavati bhārata

rajaḥ sattvaḿ tamaś caiva

tamaḥ sattvaḿ rajas tathā


Translation


Sometimes the mode of goodness becomes prominent, defeating the modes of passion and ignorance, O son of Bharata. Sometimes the mode of passion defe...View More

Slogam 11:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.11

sarva-dvāreṣu dehe ’smin

prakāśa upajāyate

jñānaḿ yadā tadā vidyād

vivṛddhaḿ sattvam ity uta


Translation


The manifestations of the mode of goodness can be experienced when all the gates of the body are illuminated by knowledge.

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Slogam 12:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.12

lobhaḥ pravṛttir ārambhaḥ

karmaṇām aśamaḥ spṛhā

rajasy etāni jāyante

vivṛddhe bharatarṣabha


Translation 


O chief of the Bharatas, when there is an increase in the mode of passion the symptoms of great attachment, fruitive activity, intense endeavor, and...View More

Slogam 13:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.13

aprakaso ’pravrttis ca

pramado moha eva ca

tamasy etani jayante

vivrddhe kuru-nandana


Translation


When there is an increase in the mode of ignorance, O son of Kuru, darkness, inertia, madness and illusion are manifested.


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Slogam 14:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.14


yadā sattve pravṛddhe tu

pralayaḿ yāti deha-bhṛt

tadottama-vidāḿ lokān

amalān pratipadyate


Translation 


When one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains to the pure higher planets of the great sages.

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Slogam 15:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.15

rajasi pralayaḿ gatvā

karma-sańgiṣu jāyate

tathā pralīnas tamasi

mūḍha-yoniṣu jāyate


Translation


When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities; and when one dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the ...View More

Slogam 16:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.16

karmaṇaḥ sukṛtasyāhuḥ

sāttvikaḿ nirmalaḿ phalam

rajasas tu phalaḿ duḥkham

ajñānaḿ tamasaḥ phalam


Translation


The result of pious action is pure and is said to be in the mode of goodness. But action done in the mode of passion results in misery, and ac...View More

Slogam 17:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.17

sattvāt sañjāyate jñānaḿ

rajaso lobha eva ca

pramāda-mohau tamaso

bhavato ’jñānam eva ca


Translation


From the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops; from the mode of passion, greed develops; and from the mode of ignorance develop foolishness, madness and illu...View More

Slogam 18:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.18

ūrdhvaḿ gacchanti sattva-sthā

madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ

jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā

adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ


Translation 


Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets...View More

Slogam 19:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.19

nānyaḿ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraḿ

yadā draṣṭānupaśyati

guṇebhyaś ca paraḿ vetti

mad-bhāvaḿ so ’dhigacchati


Translation


When one properly sees that in all activities no other performer is at work than these modes of nature and he knows the Supreme Lord, who...View More

Slogam 20:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.20

guṇān etān atītya trīn

dehī deha-samudbhavān

janma-mṛtyu-jarā-duḥkhair

vimukto ’mṛtam aśnute


Translation


When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes associated with the material body, he can become free from birth, death, old age and thei...View More

Slogam 21:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.21

arjuna uvāca

kair lińgais trīn guṇān etān

atīto bhavati prabho

kim-ācāraḥ kathaḿ caitāḿs

trīn guṇān ativartate


Translation 


Arjuna inquired: O my dear Lord, by which symptoms is one known who is transcendental to these three modes? What is his behavior? A...View More

Slogam 22-25:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.22 - 14.25

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

prakāśaḿ ca pravṛttiḿ ca

moham eva ca pāṇḍava

na dveṣṭi sampravṛttāni

na nivṛttāni kāńkṣati


udāsīna-vad āsīno

guṇair yo na vicālyate

guṇā vartanta ity evaḿ

yo ’vatiṣṭhati neńgate


sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ ...View More

Slogam 26:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.26

māḿ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate


Translation 


One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of B...View More

Slogam 27:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14.27

brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham

amṛtasyāvyayasya ca

śāśvatasya ca dharmasya

sukhasyaikāntikasya ca


Translation 


And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable and eternal and is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness.


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