Bg 14.9
sattvaṁ sukhe sañjayati rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata
jñānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ pramāde sañjayaty uta
Bg 14.10
rajas tamaś cābhibhūya sattvaṁ bhavati bhārata
rajaḥ sattvaṁ tamaś caiva tamaḥ sattvaṁ rajas tathā
Translation
9. SATTWA attaches to happiness, RAJAS to action, O Bharata, while TAMAS, verily, shrouding knowledge, attaches to heedlessness.
10. Now SATTWA rises (prevails) , O Bharata, having over-powered RAJAS and inertia (TAMAS) ; now RAJAS, having over-powered SATTWA and inertia; and inertia (TAMAS) , having over-powered SATTWA and RAJAS.
These are the ideas that have already been described in the three stanzas; but, the Geeta is given out as a conversation between two individuals; a Divine Man-of-Wisdom, anxious to help the other, who is an ordinary man of average intelligence.
SATTWA ATTACHES ITSELF TO HAPPINESS --- An individual, who has experienced the thrills of the creative moments in life --- a scientist, an artist, a poet, or for that matter any independent thinker --- will not ever like to come down to the passionate world of Rajas, or into the dark sorrows of Tamas. Sattwa makes us attached to the inward happiness, arising from life fully lived.
RAJAS TO ACTION --- If, on the other hand, one is under the influence of Rajas, it makes one naturally passionate with hundreds of thirsty 'desires' and deep 'attachments,' and in the course of their fulfilment, one is made to sweat and toil in the fields of endless activities.
TAMAS, SHROUDING KNOWLEDGE ATTACHES ONE TO HEEDLESS-NESS --- When Tamas comes to play, by its very nature, it veils right judgement, and in the resultant indiscriminations, we get attached to wrong comprehensions. We become heedless to the calls of the Higher in us.
WHEN DO THE 'GUNAS' PRODUCE THE EFFECTS DESCRIBED ABOVE?
At this level of our discussion, any intelligent student should wonder whether these gunas produce their effects, or act, at different times, each by turn. If they act, all at one time, do they act in perfect concord, or in mutual discord? Naturally, the Lord, in His Divine Song, anticipates this doubt, and answers it in this stanza. He explains how these gunas act at different times --- each one of them becoming prominent and powerful for the time being.
SATTWA RISES --- The stanza clearly shows that at any given moment, a human personality, if analysed, can be found to work under the influence of one predominating guna, wherein the other two gunas are not totally absent, but are only of secondary importance. When we say that one is under the influence of Sattwa, it means that Rajas and Tamas in him are, at that given moment, not quite prominent to contribute enough of their particular nature.
Thus, when Sattwa predominates over Rajas and Tamas, it produces, in that bosom, at that time, its own nature of happiness and knowledge.
When Rajas predominates over Sattwa and Tamas, it expresses its own nature of passions and desires, attachments and actions.
When Tamas predominates over Sattwa and Rajas, it produces its own effects of shrouding knowledge and making the personality heedless of its nobler duties.
sattvaṁ sukhe sañjayati rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata
jñānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ pramāde sañjayaty uta
Bg 14.10
rajas tamaś cābhibhūya sattvaṁ bhavati bhārata
rajaḥ sattvaṁ tamaś caiva tamaḥ sattvaṁ rajas tathā
Translation
9. SATTWA attaches to happiness, RAJAS to action, O Bharata, while TAMAS, verily, shrouding knowledge, attaches to heedlessness.
10. Now SATTWA rises (prevails) , O Bharata, having over-powered RAJAS and inertia (TAMAS) ; now RAJAS, having over-powered SATTWA and inertia; and inertia (TAMAS) , having over-powered SATTWA and RAJAS.
Commentary
These are the ideas that have already been described in the three stanzas; but, the Geeta is given out as a conversation between two individuals; a Divine Man-of-Wisdom, anxious to help the other, who is an ordinary man of average intelligence.
SATTWA ATTACHES ITSELF TO HAPPINESS --- An individual, who has experienced the thrills of the creative moments in life --- a scientist, an artist, a poet, or for that matter any independent thinker --- will not ever like to come down to the passionate world of Rajas, or into the dark sorrows of Tamas. Sattwa makes us attached to the inward happiness, arising from life fully lived.
RAJAS TO ACTION --- If, on the other hand, one is under the influence of Rajas, it makes one naturally passionate with hundreds of thirsty 'desires' and deep 'attachments,' and in the course of their fulfilment, one is made to sweat and toil in the fields of endless activities.
TAMAS, SHROUDING KNOWLEDGE ATTACHES ONE TO HEEDLESS-NESS --- When Tamas comes to play, by its very nature, it veils right judgement, and in the resultant indiscriminations, we get attached to wrong comprehensions. We become heedless to the calls of the Higher in us.
WHEN DO THE 'GUNAS' PRODUCE THE EFFECTS DESCRIBED ABOVE?
At this level of our discussion, any intelligent student should wonder whether these gunas produce their effects, or act, at different times, each by turn. If they act, all at one time, do they act in perfect concord, or in mutual discord? Naturally, the Lord, in His Divine Song, anticipates this doubt, and answers it in this stanza. He explains how these gunas act at different times --- each one of them becoming prominent and powerful for the time being.
SATTWA RISES --- The stanza clearly shows that at any given moment, a human personality, if analysed, can be found to work under the influence of one predominating guna, wherein the other two gunas are not totally absent, but are only of secondary importance. When we say that one is under the influence of Sattwa, it means that Rajas and Tamas in him are, at that given moment, not quite prominent to contribute enough of their particular nature.
Thus, when Sattwa predominates over Rajas and Tamas, it produces, in that bosom, at that time, its own nature of happiness and knowledge.
When Rajas predominates over Sattwa and Tamas, it expresses its own nature of passions and desires, attachments and actions.
When Tamas predominates over Sattwa and Rajas, it produces its own effects of shrouding knowledge and making the personality heedless of its nobler duties.
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