Chapter 14

Krishna. Yet farther will I open unto thee This wisdom of all wisdoms, uttermost, The which possessing, all My saints have passed To perfectness. On such high verities Reliant, rising into fellowship With Me, they are not born again at birth Of Kalpas, nor at Pralyas suffer change!

Krishna. I will reveal even more to you: the highest wisdom of all. Through this wisdom, all my saints have reached perfection. By relying on these great truths, these saints rise into fellowship with me. They are not born again when Kalpas begin, nor do they suffer change at Pralyas!

This Universe the womb is where I plant Seed of all lives! Thence, Prince of India, comes Birth to all beings! Whoso, Kunti's Son! Mothers each mortal form, Brahma conceives, And I am He that fathers, sending seed!

This Universe is the womb where I plant the seed of all lives! From there, Prince of India, all beings are born! Kunti's Son! Brahma is the mother of every mortal form, and I am the father who provides the seed!

Sattwan, Rajas, and Tamas, so are named The qualities of Nature, "Soothfastness," "Passion," and "Ignorance." These three bind down The changeless Spirit in the changeful flesh. Whereof sweet "Soothfastness," by purity Living unsullied and enlightened, binds The sinless Soul to happiness and truth; And Passion, being kin to appetite, And breeding impulse and propensity, Binds the embodied Soul, O Kunti's Son! By tie of works. But Ignorance, begot Of Darkness, blinding mortal men, binds down Their souls to stupor, sloth, and drowsiness. Yea, Prince of India! Soothfastness binds souls In pleasant wise to flesh; and Passion binds By toilsome strain; but Ignorance, which blots The beams of wisdom, binds the soul to sloth. Passion and Ignorance, once overcome, Leave Soothfastness, O Bharata! Where this With Ignorance are absent, Passion rules; And Ignorance in hearts not good nor quick. When at all gateways of the Body shines The Lamp of Knowledge, then may one see well Soothfastness settled in that city reigns; Where longing is, and ardour, and unrest, Impulse to strive and gain, and avarice, Those spring from Passion--Prince!--engrained; and where Darkness and dulness, sloth and stupor are, 'Tis Ignorance hath caused them, Kuru Chief!

Sattwan, Rajas, and Tamas are the names of Nature's qualities: "Soothfastness," "Passion," and "Ignorance." These three bind the unchanging Spirit within the changing body. Of these, gentle "Soothfastness" is pure, untainted, and full of light. It binds the sinless Soul to happiness and truth. Passion is closely tied to desire and produces impulses and urges. It binds the embodied Soul, Kunti's Son! The bond is action. But Ignorance is born of Darkness and blinds mortal men. It binds their souls to stupor, laziness, and sleepiness. Yes, Prince of India! Soothfastness binds souls pleasantly to the body. Passion binds them through hard work. But Ignorance blocks the light of wisdom and binds the soul to laziness. When Passion and Ignorance are overcome, Soothfastness remains, Bharata! When Soothfastness and Ignorance are absent, Passion rules. And Ignorance rules in hearts that lack goodness and energy. When the light of Knowledge shines through all the body's gateways, then one can clearly see that Soothfastness rules within that city. Where there is longing, intense desire, and unrest, the urge to strive and gain, and greed, these arise from deeply rooted Passion, Prince! And where there is darkness, dullness, laziness, and stupor, Ignorance has caused them, Kuru Chief!

Moreover, when a soul departeth, fixed In Soothfastness, it goeth to the place-- Perfect and pure--of those that know all Truth. If it departeth in set habitude Of Impulse, it shall pass into the world Of spirits tied to works; and, if it dies In hardened Ignorance, that blinded soul Is born anew in some unlighted womb.

Moreover, when a soul dies rooted in goodness, the soul goes to the perfect and pure place of those who know all truth. If a soul dies firmly set in passion, the soul enters the world of spirits bound to their actions. And if a soul dies in deep ignorance, that blinded soul is born again in some dark womb.

The fruit of Soothfastness is true and sweet; The fruit of lusts is pain and toil; the fruit Of Ignorance is deeper darkness. Yea! For Light brings light, and Passion ache to have; And gloom, bewilderments, and ignorance Grow forth from Ignorance. Those of the first Rise ever higher; those of the second mode Take a mid place; the darkened souls sink back To lower deeps, loaded with witlessness!

The fruit of goodness is true and sweet. The fruit of desire is pain and toil. The fruit Of ignorance is deeper darkness. Yes! For light brings light, and passion brings an aching desire to possess. And darkness, confusion, and ignorance Grow from ignorance. Those guided by light Rise ever higher. Those guided by passion Remain in the middle. Souls darkened by ignorance sink back To lower depths, weighed down by their lack of understanding!

When, watching life, the living man perceives The only actors are the Qualities, And knows what rules beyond the Qualities, Then is he come nigh unto Me!

When a living person looks at life and sees that the Qualities alone act, and knows what rules beyond the Qualities, then that person has come close to me!

The Soul, Thus passing forth from the Three Qualities-- Whereby arise all bodies--overcomes Birth, Death, Sorrow, and Age; and drinketh deep The undying wine of Amrit.

The Soul rises above the Three Qualities, from which all bodies arise. The Soul thus overcomes birth, death, sorrow, and old age, and drinks deeply of the immortal wine of Amrit.

Arjuna. Oh, my Lord! Which be the signs to know him that hath gone Past the Three Modes? How liveth he? What way Leadeth him safe beyond the threefold Modes?

Arjuna. Oh, my Lord! What are the signs of someone who has gone beyond the Three Modes? How does he live? What path leads him safely beyond the threefold Modes?

Krishna. He who with equanimity surveys Lustre of goodness, strife of passion, sloth Of ignorance, not angry if they are, Not wishful when they are not: he who sits A sojourner and stranger in their midst Unruffled, standing off, saying--serene-- When troubles break, "These be the Qualities!" He unto whom--self-centred--grief and joy Sound as one word; to whose deep-seeing eyes The clod, the marble, and the gold are one; Whose equal heart holds the same gentleness For lovely and unlovely things, firm-set, Well-pleased in praise and dispraise; satisfied With honour or dishonour; unto friends And unto foes alike in tolerance; Detached from undertakings,--he is named Surmounter of the Qualities!

Krishna. He looks calmly on The brightness of goodness, the conflict of passion, and the sluggishness Of ignorance. He is not angry when these are present, Nor does he long for them when they are absent. He lives Among these Qualities like a traveler and a stranger. He remains calm and detached, saying serenely When troubles arise, "These are the Qualities!" He is grounded in himself. To him, sorrow and joy Mean the same thing. His clear vision sees A lump of earth, marble, and gold as equal. His impartial heart treats everything with the same gentleness, Whether beautiful or ugly. He stands firm, Equally content with praise and criticism, With honor and dishonor. He shows the same tolerance to friends And enemies alike. He is detached from undertakings. Such a person is called One Who Has Risen Above the Qualities!

And such-- With single, fervent faith adoring Me, Passing beyond the Qualities, conforms To Brahma, and attains Me!

And anyone who worships me with single-minded, passionate faith rises above the Qualities. They become like Brahma and reach me!

For I am That whereof Brahma is the likeness! Mine The Amrit is; and Immortality Is mine; and mine perfect Felicity!

For I am what Brahma is an image of! Amrit is mine. And immortality is mine. And perfect happiness is mine!

HERE ENDS CHAPTER XIV. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA Entitled "Gunatrayavibhagayog," Or "The Book of Religion by Separation from the Qualities."

Here ends Chapter 14 of the Bhagavad-Gita, titled "Gunatrayavibhagayog," or "The Book of Religion through Separation from the Qualities."