14.039
brahmovāca॥
Brahmā said.
naiva śakyā guṇā vaktuṃ pṛthaktveneha sarvaśaḥ। avicchinnāni dṛśyante rajaḥ sattvaṃ tamas tathā ॥14-39-1॥
It is not possible to describe the qualities distinctly here in all ways; rajas, sattva, and tamas are observed as undivided likewise. (14-39-1)
anyonyam anuṣajjante anyonyaṃ ca anujīvinaḥ। anyonyāpāśrayāḥ sarve tathā anyonyānuvartinaḥ॥14-39-2॥
All are mutually attached, dependent on and following each other. (14-39-2)
yāvatsattvaṃ tamastāvadvartate nātra saṃśayaḥ। yāvattamaśca sattvaṃ ca rajastāvadihocyate ॥14-39-3॥
As long as sattva persists, so long tamas remains—there is no doubt about this. As long as both tamas and sattva exist, rajas is also said to exist here. (14-39-3)
saṃhatya kurvate yātrāṃ sahitāḥ saṅghacāriṇaḥ. saṅghātavṛttayo hyete vartante hetvahetubhiḥ ॥14-39-4॥
Having assembled together, those who move in groups undertake their journey as a group; truly, these, whose behavior is collective, act according to reasons and beyond reasons. (14-39-4)
udrekavyatirekāṇāṃ teṣām anyonyavartinām। vartate tadyathānyūnaṃ vyatiriktaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ॥14-39-5॥
Among mutually interacting increase and decrease, it occurs such that there is neither deficiency nor excess, but in every way balanced. (14-39-5)
vyatiriktaṃ tamo yatra tiryag-bhāva-gataṃ bhavet। alpaṃ tatra rajo jñeyaṃ sattvaṃ cālpataraṃ tataḥ॥14-39-6॥
Wherever, apart from darkness, there is the animal state, there rajas should be understood to be little, and sattva still less than that. (14-39-6)
udriktaṃ ca rajo yatra madhyasrotogataṃ bhavet। alpaṃ tatra tamo jñeyaṃ sattvaṃ cālpataraṃ tataḥ॥14-39-7॥
Where rajas is overflowing and has entered the middle channel, there tamas should be known as little, and sattva even less than that. (14-39-7)
udriktaṃ ca yadā sattvam ūrdhvasrotogataṃ bhavet। alpaṃ tatra rajo jñeyaṃ tamaś cālpataraṃ tataḥ ॥14-39-8॥
And when sattva is overflowing and ascends to the upward current, then rajas should be recognized as little there, and tamas as even less than that. (14-39-8)
sattvaṃ vaikārikaṃ yonirindriyāṇāṃ prakāśikā. na hi sattvātparo bhāvaḥ kaścidanyo vidhīyate ॥14-39-9॥
Sattva, born of transformation, is the source and illuminator of the senses. Truly, there is no entity established beyond sattva. (14-39-9)
ūrdhvaṃ gacchanti sattvasthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ। jaghanyaguṇasaṃyuktā yāntyadhastāmasā janāḥ ॥14-39-10॥
Those abiding in sattva go upwards; those in rajas remain in the middle; people endowed with the lowest quality—those in tamas—go downwards. (14-39-10)
tamaḥ śūdre rajaḥ kṣatre brāhmaṇe sattvam uttamam। ityevaṃ triṣu varṇeṣu vivartante guṇās trayaḥ॥14-39-11॥
Darkness is predominant in the Śūdra, passion in the Kṣatriya, and purity is highest in the Brāhmaṇa. Thus, the three qualities revolve among the three castes. (14-39-11)
dūrād api hi dṛśyante sahitāḥ saṅghacāriṇaḥ। tamaḥ sattvaṃ rajaś caiva pṛthaktvaṃ nānuśuśruma ॥14-39-12॥
Indeed, even from afar, those who move together in groups are seen as united. As for darkness, light, and passion, we have not heard that they are ever separate. (14-39-12)
dṛṣṭvā cādit yamudyantaṃ kucorāṇāṃ bhayaṃ bhavet। adhvagāḥ paritapyeran tṛṣṇārtā duḥkhabhāginaḥ ॥14-39-13॥
When the sun rises and is seen, fear arises among thieves. Travellers, afflicted by thirst, experience suffering. (14-39-13)
ādityaḥ sattvam uddiṣṭaṃ kucorāstu yathā tamaḥ। paritāpo'dhvagānāṃ ca rājaso guṇa ucyate॥14-39-14॥
The Sun is declared to represent sattva, just as thieves are said to represent darkness. The suffering of travelers is known as the quality of rajas. (14-39-14)
prākāśyaṃ sattvam āditye santāpo rājaso guṇaḥ। upaplavastu vijñeyas tāmasas tasya parvasu ॥14-39-15॥
Luminosity is the sattva quality in the sun; heat is the rajas attribute; but disturbance on the lunar phases is to be understood as the tamas quality of that. (14-39-15)
evaṁ jyotiḥṣu sarveṣu vivartante guṇās trayaḥ| paryāyeṇa ca vartante tatra tatra tathā tathā ॥14-39-16॥
In this way, the three qualities revolve in all luminaries; alternately, they act here and there, now thus, now so. (14-39-16)
sthāvareṣu ca bhūteṣu tiryagbhāvagataṃ tamaḥ। rājasāstu vivartante snehabhāvastu sāttvikaḥ ॥14-39-17॥
Among stationary beings and among all creatures, darkness prevails in those of animal-nature; rajasic beings are active, but the feeling of affection is sattvic. (14-39-17)
ahastridhā tu vijñeyaṃ tridhā rātrir vidhīyate। māsārdhamāsa-varṣāṇi ṛtavaḥ sandhayaḥ tathā ॥14-39-18॥
The day is understood as being of three kinds, and the night is also divided into three parts. Similarly, there are months, half-months, years, seasons, and their junctions. (14-39-18)
tridhā dānāni dīyante tridhā yajñaḥ pravartate। tridhā lokāḥ tridhā vedāḥ tridhā vidyāḥ tridhā gatiḥ ॥14-39-19॥
Gifts are given in three ways; sacrifices proceed in three ways; the worlds are threefold, the Vedas are threefold, knowledge is threefold, and the path is threefold. (14-39-19)
bhūtaṃ bhavyaṃ bhaviṣyacca dharmo'rthaḥ kāma ityapi। prāṇāpānānudānaścāpyeta eva trayo guṇāḥ॥14-39-20॥
Past, present, and future, righteousness, wealth, desire—so too prāṇa, apāna, and udāna—these are indeed the three qualities. (14-39-20)
yatkiñcid iha vai loke sarvam eṣv eva tat triṣu। trayo guṇāḥ pravartante avyaktā nityam eva tu॥ sattvaṃ rajas tamaś caiva guṇasargaḥ sanātanaḥ॥14-39-21॥
Whatever exists here in the world, all of it is indeed in these three. The three qualities—sattva, rajas, and tamas—eternally and unmanifestly operate; the creation of qualities is eternal. (14-39-21)
tamo'vyaktaṃ śivaṃ nityam ajaṃ yoniḥ sanātanaḥ। prakṛtir vikāraḥ pralayaḥ pradhānaṃ prabhavāpyayau॥14-39-22॥
It is darkness, the unmanifest, the auspicious, the eternal, the unborn, the source, the everlasting, primordial nature, modification, dissolution, the primary cause, origin and dissolution. (14-39-22)
anudṛktamanūnaṃ ca hyakampamacalaṃ dhruvam। sadasaccaiva tatsarvamavyaktaṃ triguṇaṃ smṛtam ॥ jñeyāni nāmadheyāni narairadhyātmacintakaiḥ ॥14-39-23॥
That which is neither increased nor diminished, unshaken, immovable and constant, being and non-being, all that is considered unmanifest and threefold in nature. The names are to be understood by men who contemplate on the Self. (14-39-23)
avyaktanāmāni guṇāṁś ca tattvato; yo veda sarvāṇi gatīś ca kevalāḥ. vimuktadehaḥ pravibhāgatattvavit sa mucyate sarvaguṇair nirāmayaḥ ॥14-39-24॥
He who truly knows the names of the unmanifest, the qualities, and all the unique paths; whose body is freed, and who knows the essence of their divisions—that person is liberated from all qualities, and is free from all affliction. (14-39-24)
