14.036
brahmovāca॥
Brahmā said;
tadavyaktamanudriktaṃ sarvavyāpi dhruvaṃ sthiram। navadvāraṃ puraṃ vidyāttriguṇaṃ pañcadhātukam॥14-36-1॥
Know that unmanifested, unwavering, all-pervading, constant, stable nine-gated fortress (that is, the body) as possessing three qualities and composed of five elements. (14-36-1)
ekādaśa-parikṣepaṃ mano vyākaraṇātmakam। buddhi-svāmikam ity etat param ekādaśaṃ bhavet॥14-36-2॥
The eleventh enclosure is the mind, consisting of analytical reasoning, presided over by intellect; thus, this is considered the supreme eleventh. (14-36-2)
trīṇi srotāṃsi yāny asmin nāpyāyante punaḥ punaḥ. praṇāḍyas tisra eva etāḥ pravartante guṇātmikāḥ ॥14-36-3॥
There are three channels which in this body are repeatedly nourished; these are indeed the three main nāḍīs, operating with the qualities. (14-36-3)
tamo rajas tathā sattvaṃ guṇān etān pracakṣate। anyonyamithunāḥ sarve tathānyonyānujīvinaḥ ॥14-36-4॥
Darkness, activity, and goodness—these qualities are said (by sages) to be mutually connected, all existing in pairs and living by reliance upon each other. (14-36-4)
anyonyāpāśrayāś caiva tathānyonyānuvartinaḥ। anyonyavyatiṣaktāś ca triguṇāḥ pañca dhātavaḥ॥14-36-5॥
The five elements, endowed with three qualities, are mutually dependent, mutually following, and mutually interwoven. (14-36-5)
tamaso mithunaṃ sattvaṃ sattvasya mithunaṃ rajaḥ। rajasāś cāpi sattvaṃ syāt sattvasya mithunaṃ tamaḥ॥14-36-6॥
Sattva is paired with tamas; rajas is paired with sattva. Also, sattva may accompany rajas, and tamas is paired with sattva. (14-36-6)
niyamyate tamo yatra rajas tatra pravartate। niyamyate rajo yatra sattvaṃ tatra pravartate ॥14-36-7॥
Where darkness is restrained, there passion arises; where passion is restrained, there goodness arises. (14-36-7)
naiśātmakaṁ tamo vidyāt triguṇaṁ mohasañjñitam। adharmalakṣaṇaṁ caiva niyataṁ pāpakarmasu॥14-36-8॥
One should know that darkness, which is of the nature of night, is a product of the three guṇas and is called delusion, as characterized by unrighteousness, and always found in sinful actions. (14-36-8)
pravṛttyātmakam evāhū rajaḥ paryāyakārakam। pravṛttaṃ sarvabhūteṣu dṛśyatotpattilakṣaṇam ॥14-36-9॥
Rajas, they say, is indeed of the nature of activity and is the cause of transformation. Activity is seen in all beings as that which is characterized by origination. (14-36-9)
prakāśaṃ sarvabhūteṣu lāghavaṃ śraddadhānatā। sāttvikaṃ rūpamevaṃ tu lāghavaṃ sādhu-saṃmitam ॥14-36-10॥
The illumination among all beings, lightness, and faithfulness is the sattvic form; thus, lightness determined by the good (the virtuous) is considered sattvic. (14-36-10)
eteṣāṃ guṇatattvaṃ hi vakṣyate hetvahetubhiḥ. samāsa-vyāsa-yuktāni tattvatas tāni vitta me ॥14-36-11॥
Indeed, the principle of the qualities among these is explained by me with their causes and non-causes; those connected with both summary and detail, know them truly from me. (14-36-11)
saṁmoho'jñānam-atyāgaḥ karmaṇām-aviniṛṇayaḥ। svapnaḥ stambho bhayaṁ lobhaḥ śokaḥ sukṛta-dūṣaṇam॥14-36-12॥
Delusion, ignorance, lack of renunciation, indecisiveness regarding actions, dreaming, inertia, fear, greed, sorrow, and the corruption of virtue. (14-36-12)
asmṛtiś cāvipākaś ca nāstikyaṃ bhinnavṛttitā। nirviśeṣatvam andhatvaṃ jaghanya-guṇa-vṛttitā ॥14-36-13॥
Absence of memory, lack of maturation, atheism, deviant conduct, undistinguished nature, blindness, and the behavior of base qualities. (14-36-13)
akṛte kṛtamānitvam ajñāne jñānamānitā। amaitrī vikṛto bhāvo aśraddhā mūḍhabhāvanā॥14-36-14॥
To assume one has done what has not been done, to value knowledge in the absence of true knowledge; absence of friendship is a distorted state, and lack of faith is a deluded attitude. (14-36-14)
anārjavamasañjñatvaṃ karma pāpamacetana। gurutvaṃ sannabhāvatvamasitatvamavāggatiḥ ॥14-36-15॥
Crookedness, lack of consciousness, actions that are sinful, unconsciousness, heaviness, feebleness, blackness, and downward movement. (14-36-15)
sarva ete guṇā viprā tāmasāḥ samprakīrtitāḥ । ye ca anye niyatā bhāvā loke 'smin moha-saṃjñitāḥ ॥14-36-16॥
All these qualities, O wise ones, are designated as qualities of tamas. Any other fixed states in this world are regarded as states of delusion. (14-36-16)
tatra tatra niyamyante sarve te tāmasā guṇāḥ। parivādakathā nityaṃ devabrāhmaṇavaidikāḥ॥14-36-17॥
In each place, all those tamas-related qualities are restrained. Tales of blame are always about the gods, the brāhmaṇas, and the Veda. (14-36-17)
atyāgaś cābhimānaś ca moho manyus tathākṣamā। matsaraś caiva bhūteṣu tāmasaṃ vṛttamiṣyate ॥14-36-18॥
Excessive renunciation, pride, delusion, anger, impatience, and envy—this conduct among beings is considered to be tamasic (of darkness, ignorance). (14-36-18)
vṛthārambhāś ca ye kecid vṛthādānāni yāni ca। vṛthābhakṣaṇam ity etat tāmasaṃ vṛttam iṣyate ॥14-36-19॥
All actions undertaken in vain, and any useless gifts, as well as eating without purpose—this sort of conduct is regarded as belonging to darkness (tamas). (14-36-19)
ativādo'titikṣā ca mātsaryamatimānitā। aśraddadhānatā caiva tāmasaṃ vṛttamiṣyate ॥14-36-20॥
Excessive talk, extreme forbearance, envy, excessive pride, and lack of faith are regarded as behavior dominated by tamas. (14-36-20)
evaṃvidhās tu ye kecil loke'smin pāpakarmiṇaḥ। manuṣyā bhinnamaryādāḥ sarve te tāmasā janāḥ॥14-36-21॥
But all such men here in this world, who are evil-doers and transgressors of boundaries, they are all people of tamas. (14-36-21)
teṣāṃ yoniṃ pravakṣyāmi niyatāṃ pāpakarmaṇām। avāṅnirayabhāvāya tiryaṅnirayagāminaḥ ॥14-36-22॥
I shall declare the birth assigned to those who commit evil deeds—those who go downward to animal or hellish states. (14-36-22)
sthāvarāṇi ca bhūtāni paśavo vāhanāni ca। kravyādā dandaśūkāś ca kṛmikīṭavihaṅgamāḥ ॥14-36-23॥
Immovable beings and all living entities, animals, vehicles, as well as flesh-eaters, reptiles, worms, insects, and birds. (14-36-23)
aṇḍajā jantavo ye ca sarve cāpi catuṣpadāḥ। unmattā badhirā mūkā ye caanye pāparogiṇaḥ ॥14-36-24॥
All egg-born living beings, and also all four-footed creatures, those who are mad, deaf, dumb, and others who are afflicted with evil diseases. (14-36-24)
magnās tamasi durvṛttāḥ svakarma-kṛta-lakṣaṇāḥ। avāk-srotasa ityete magnās tamasi tāmasāḥ॥14-36-25॥
Those immersed in darkness, evil in conduct, defined by actions of their own making — these are described as possessed of tamas, their course flowing downward, immersed in darkness. (14-36-25)
teṣām utkarṣam udrekaṃ vakṣyāmy aham ataḥ param। yathā te sukṛtāṃl lokāṃl labhante puṇyakarmiṇaḥ ॥14-36-26॥
I will now further explain the excellence and advancement of those, how the doers of virtuous deeds attain the meritorious worlds. (14-36-26)
anyathā pratipannās tu vivṛddhā ye ca karmasu। svakarmanirātānāṃ ca brāhmaṇānāṃ śubhaiṣiṇām॥14-36-27॥
But those who are otherwise engaged, though advanced in various actions, and also the Brāhmaṇas who are devoted to their own duties and wish for auspiciousness. (14-36-27)
saṁskāreṇordhvam āyānti yatamānāḥ salokatām। svargaṁ gacchanti devānām ityeṣā vaidikī śrutiḥ॥14-36-28॥
Striving people ascend upwards by virtue of purification to association with the world; they go to the heaven of the gods. Thus, this is the Vedic scripture. (14-36-28)
anyathā pratipannās tu vivṛddhāḥ sveṣu karmasu। punarāvṛttidharmāṇas te bhavantīha mānuṣāḥ॥14-36-29॥
But those who have adopted otherwise and grown in their own actions, possessing the propensity for repeated return, become humans again here. (14-36-29)
pāpayonim samāpannāś caṇḍālā mūkacūcukāḥ. varṇān paryāyaśaś cāpi prāpnuvanty uttarottaram ॥14-36-30॥
Those who are born of sinful wombs, such as caṇḍālas, or as the dumb and deaf, can also, by successive order, attain higher and higher castes. (14-36-30)
śūdrayonimatikramya ye cānye tāmasā guṇāḥ। srotomadhye samāgamya vartante tāmase guṇe॥14-36-31॥
Having surpassed the śūdra birth, those other qualities related to tamas, having gathered in the midst of the stream, exist within the quality of tamas. (14-36-31)
abhiṣaṅgastu kāmeṣu mahāmoha iti smṛtaḥ। ṛṣayo munayo devā muhyyantyatra sukhepsavaḥ ॥14-36-32॥
Attachment to desires is called great delusion; here, even the seers, sages, and gods are deluded, desiring happiness. (14-36-32)
tamo moho mahāmoha-tāmisraḥ krodha-sañjñitaḥ। maraṇaṃ tvandhatāmisraṃ tāmisraṃ krodha ucyate॥14-36-33॥
Darkness, delusion, great delusion, and tāmisra are terms known as wrath; death is called andhatāmisra, and tāmisra is called wrath. (14-36-33)
bhāvato guṇataścaiva yonitaścaiva tattvataḥ। sarvam etat tamo viprāḥ kīrtitaṁ vo yathāvidhi ॥14-36-34॥
O sages, all this darkness has been explained to you in terms of nature, quality, origin, and essence, according to the proper method. (14-36-34)
ko nvetadbudhyate sādhu ko nvetatsādhu paśyati। atattve tattvadarśī yastamasastattvalakṣaṇam ॥14-36-35॥
Who indeed truly understands or sees this? One who perceives reality in what is unreal—that is the mark of one still under the characteristic of darkness. (14-36-35)
tamoguṇā vo bahudhā prakīrtitā; yathāvad uktaṃ ca tamaḥ parāvaram। naro hi yo veda guṇān imān sadā; sa tāmasaiḥ sarvaguṇaiḥ pramucyate ॥14-36-36॥
The qualities known as tamas have been described to you in many ways; the full range of darkness, both higher and lower, has been properly stated. The person who always knows these qualities is freed from all qualities born of darkness. (14-36-36)
