- 14.1श्री भगवानुवाचपरं भूयः प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानानां ज्ञानमुत्तमम्।यज्ज्ञात्वा मुनयः सर्वे परां सिद्धिमितो गताःLord Shri Krishna continued: Now I will reveal to you the wisdom that is beyond knowledge, by attaining which the sages have reached perfection.
- 14.2इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः।सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति चDwelling in wisdom and realizing My divinity, they are not reborn when the universe is recreated at the beginning of every cycle, nor are they affected when it is dissolved.
- 14.3मम योनिर्महद्ब्रह्म तस्मिन् गर्भं दधाम्यहम्।संभवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारतThe eternal cosmos is My womb, in which I plant the seed from which all beings are born, O prince!
- 14.4सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः।तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रदः पिताO illustrious son of Kunti! Through whatever wombs men are born, it is the Spirit itself that conceives, and I am their father.
- 14.5सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसंभवाः।निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम्Purity, passion, and ignorance are the qualities that the law of nature brings forth. They fetter the free spirit in all beings.
- 14.6तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम्।सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघO Sinless One! Of these, purity, being luminous, strong, and invulnerable, binds one with its yearning for happiness and illumination.
- 14.7रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम्।तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम्Passion, engendered by thirst for pleasure and attachment, binds the soul through its fondness for activities.
- 14.8तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम्।प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारतBut Ignorance, the product of darkness, stupefies the senses of all embodied beings, binding them with chains of folly, indolence, and lethargy.
- 14.9सत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रजः कर्मणि भारत।ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तमः प्रमादे सञ्जयत्युतPurity brings happiness, passion brings commotion, and ignorance, which obscures wisdom, leads to a life of failure.
- 14.10रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत।रजः सत्त्वं तमश्चैव तमः सत्त्वं रजस्तथाO Prince! Purity prevails when passion and ignorance are overcome; passion, when purity and ignorance are overcome; and ignorance when it is overcome by purity and passion.
- 14.11सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते।ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युतWhen the light of knowledge gleams forth from all the gates of the body, then be sure that purity prevails.
- 14.12लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा।रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभO best of Indians! Avarice, the impulse to act, and the beginning of action itself are all due to the dominance of passion.
- 14.13अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च।तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दनDarkness, stagnation, folly, and infatuation are the results of the dominance of ignorance, O joy of the Kuru clan!
- 14.14यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत्।तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यतेWhen purity prevails, the soul, upon leaving the body, passes on to the pure regions where those who know the Highest reside.
- 14.15रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते।तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायतेWhen passion prevails, the soul is reborn among those who love activity; when ignorance rules, it enters the wombs of the ignorant.
- 14.16कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम्।रजसस्तु फलं दुःखमज्ञानं तमसः फलम्They say the fruit of a meritorious action is spotless and pure; the outcome of passion is misery, and of ignorance, darkness.
- 14.17सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च।प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव चPurity engenders wisdom, passion avarice, and ignorance folly, infatuation, and darkness.
- 14.18ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः।जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाःWhen purity is in the ascendant, the man evolves; when passion is in the ascendant, he neither evolves nor degenerates; when ignorance is in the ascendant, he is lost.
- 14.19नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति।गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छतिAs soon as one understands that it is only the qualities that act and nothing else, and perceives that which is beyond, they attain My divine nature.
- 14.20गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान्।जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुतेWhen the soul transcends the Qualities, which are the real cause of physical existence, then, freed from birth and death, from old age and misery, he drinks the nectar of immortality.
- 14.21अर्जुन उवाचकैर्लिंगैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो।किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्ततेArjuna asked, "My Lord, how can one recognize someone who has transcended the qualities? How do they act and live beyond them?"
- 14.22श्री भगवानुवाचप्रकाशं च प्रवृत्तिं च मोहमेव च पाण्डव।न द्वेष्टि सम्प्रवृत्तानि न निवृत्तानि काङ्क्षतिLord Shri Krishna replied: O Prince! He who does not shun the quality that is present and does not long for that which is absent;
- 14.23उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते।गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येव योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गतेHe who maintains an attitude of indifference, who is not disturbed by the qualities, who realizes that it is only they who act, and remains calm;
- 14.24समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः।तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिःWho accepts pain and pleasure as they come, is centered in their Self, to whom a piece of clay, stone, or gold are all the same, who neither likes nor dislikes, who is steadfast, indifferent alike to praise or censure;
- 14.25मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः।सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यतेWho looks equally upon honor and dishonor, loves friends and foes alike, and abandons all initiative, such is he who transcends the qualities.
- 14.26मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्ितयोगेन सेवते।स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान् ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पतेAnd he who serves Me alone, with unwavering devotion, shall overcome the Qualities and become one with the Eternal.
- 14.27ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाऽहममृतस्याव्ययस्य च।शाश्वतस्य च धर्मस्य सुखस्यैकान्तिकस्य चFor I am the home of the spirit, the continual source of immortality, eternal righteousness, and infinite joy.