Dr. Suka Dev

Chapter Fourteen: The Hidden Strings; How Qualities Shape Our World

In our last chapter, Lord Krishna taught us about the body, the soul, and how they're different. Now, He's going to explain something super important that affects everyone in this material world: the three modes of material nature! These are like three invisible strings that control us, making us act in different ways.

This chapter is like God revealing the secret ingredients that make up our personalities and our experiences in this world. It also tells us how to escape their control and find true freedom!

God Explains the Three Qualities That Tie Us Down¹

Śrī Bhagavān, God Himself, began: "Param bhūyaḥ pravakṣyāmi jñānānām jñānam uttamam yat jñātvā munayaḥ sarve parām siddhim itaḥ gatāḥ."¹ He said: "Again, bhūyaḥ, I shall speak, pravakṣyāmi, about the supreme knowledge, jñānam uttamam, which is the best of all knowledge, jñānānām jñānam! Knowing which, yat jñātvā, all sages, munayaḥ sarve, achieved transcendental perfection, parām siddhim gatāḥ, from this world, itaḥ!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Paramam means 'supreme,' and jñānam uttamam means 'the highest knowledge.' Krishna is telling us He's about to share incredibly important wisdom that can lead us to the ultimate goal, a wisdom even great sages have used to become perfect!

"Idam jñānam upāśritya mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ sarge api na upajāyante pralaye na vyathanti ca."² "Taking shelter of this knowledge, idam jñānam upāśritya, souls attain My same nature, mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ! They are never born, na upajāyante, even at the time of creation, sarge api, nor are they disturbed, na vyathanti, at the time of destruction, pralaye ca!"

"Mama yoniḥ mahat brahma tasmin garbham dadhāmi aham sambhavaḥ sarva-bhūtānām tataḥ bhavati bhārata."³ "My source of birth, mama yoniḥ, is the total material existence, mahat brahma! In that, tasmin, I, aham, create the pregnancy, garbham dadhāmi! Thereafter, tataḥ, the possibility of all living entities, sambhavaḥ sarva-bhūtānām, comes into being, bhavati, O son of Bharata, bhārata!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Mahat brahma here means 'the total material existence'—it's like the giant cosmic substance where everything begins. Krishna is saying He places the "seed" of all living beings into this cosmic material, and then all life appears. He is the ultimate Seed-giving Father!

"Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ tāsām brahma mahat yoniḥ aham bīja-pradaḥ pitā."⁴ "O son of Kunti, kaunteya! Whatever forms, mūrtayaḥ, appear, sambhavanti, in all species of life, sarva-yoniṣu—of all of them, tāsām, the supreme material substance, brahma mahat yoniḥ, is the source of birth, and I, aham, am the seed-giving father, bīja-pradaḥ pitā!"

"Sattvam rajaḥ tamaḥ iti guṇāḥ prakṛti-sambhavāḥ nibadhnanti mahā-bāho dehe dehinam avyayam."⁵ "The mode of goodness, sattvam; the mode of passion, rajaḥ; and the mode of ignorance, tamaḥ—these, iti, are the qualities, guṇāḥ, produced from material nature, prakṛti-sambhavāḥ! O mighty-armed one, mahā-bāho, they bind, nibadhnanti, the eternal living entity, dehinam avyayam, within the body, dehe!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: These are the famous three modes or qualities! Sattvam is goodness, rajaḥ is passion, and tamaḥ is ignorance. Guṇāḥ means 'qualities.' Krishna is saying these three qualities, which come from material nature, are like invisible ropes that tie the eternal soul (dehinam avyayam—meaning 'eternal being') to the temporary body!

How Each Quality Affects Us⁶

Krishna now dives into describing the specific symptoms and effects of each of the three modes: goodness, passion, and ignorance. You'll see how each one influences our feelings, actions, and understanding.

"Tatra sattvam nirmalatvāt prakāśakam anāmayam sukha-saṅgena badhnāti jñāna-saṅgena ca anagha."⁶ "There, tatra, the mode of goodness, sattvam, being purest, nirmalatvāt, is illuminating, prakāśakam, and free from sinful reactions, anāmayam! O sinless one, anagha, it binds, badhnāti, the soul by attachment to happiness, sukha-saṅgena, and by attachment to knowledge, jñāna-saṅgena ca!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Even goodness can bind us, kids! If you only seek knowledge or happiness for yourself, you might get stuck wanting just that, instead of wanting God. It's like a golden chain—still a chain!

"Rajaḥ rāga-ātmakam viddhi tṛṣṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam tat nibadhnāti kaunteya karma-saṅgena dehinam."⁷ "Know that the mode of passion, rajaḥ, is born of desire or lust, rāga-ātmakam! It is produced from hankering and attachment, tṛṣṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam! O son of Kunti, kaunteya, that, tat, binds the embodied soul, dehinam, by attachment to fruitive activities, karma-saṅgena!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Rajaḥ is passion, which makes us want a lot of things (tṛṣṇā—hankering) and makes us very active (karma—work). It binds us by making us attached to the results of our actions, even if they're good actions.

"Tamaḥ tu ajñāna-jam viddhi mohanam sarva-dehinām pramāda-ālasya-nidrābhiḥ tat nibadhnāti bhārata."⁸ "But know that the mode of ignorance, tamaḥ, is produced from darkness, ajñāna-jam! It is the delusion, mohanam, for all embodied beings, sarva-dehinām! O son of Bharata, bhārata, that, tat, binds the soul by madness, pramāda, indolence (laziness), ālasya, and sleep, nidrābhiḥ!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Tamaḥ is ignorance, which is the darkest quality. It makes people lazy, confused, and prone to madness, pramāda. It covers your knowledge and makes you just want to sleep or do nothing.

"Sattvam sukhe sañjayati rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata jñānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ pramāde sañjayati uta."⁹ "The mode of goodness, sattvam, binds one to happiness, sukhe sañjayati! O son of Bharata, bhārata, the mode of passion, rajaḥ, binds one to fruitive activity, karmaṇi! But the mode of ignorance, tamaḥ, covering knowledge, jñānam āvṛtya, binds one to madness and illusion, pramāde sañjayati uta!"

The Qualities Battle for Control Inside Us¹⁰

Krishna explains that these three qualities are constantly competing within us. At different times, one mode becomes stronger and takes over, influencing our actions and thoughts. He tells us how to recognize which quality is dominant.

"Rajaḥ tamaḥ ca abhibhūya sattvam bhavati bhārata rajaḥ sattvam tamaḥ ca eva tamaḥ sattvam rajaḥ tathā."¹⁰ "O son of Bharata, bhārata! Sometimes, the mode of goodness, sattvam, becomes prominent, bhavati, by surpassing passion, rajaḥ, and ignorance, tamaḥ! Sometimes, passion, rajaḥ, becomes prominent, surpassing goodness and ignorance! And similarly, tathā, sometimes ignorance, tamaḥ, becomes prominent, surpassing goodness and passion!"

"Sarva-dvāreṣu dehe asmin prakāśaḥ upajāyate jñānam yadā tadā vidyāt vivṛddham sattvam iti uta."¹¹ "When knowledge, jñānam, develops, upajāyate, in all the gates of the body, sarva-dvāreṣu dehe asmin—then know that the mode of goodness, sattvam, has increased, vivṛddham iti uta!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: 'All the gates of the body' means our senses, kids! When your mind is clear, your senses are sharp, and you feel calm and full of understanding, it's a sign that goodness is increasing inside you.

"Lobhaḥ pravṛttiḥ ārambhaḥ karmaṇām aśamaḥ spṛhā rajasi etāni jāyante vivṛddhe bharata-ṛṣabha."¹² "O chief of the descendants of Bharata, bharata-ṛṣabha! When the mode of passion, rajasi, increases, vivṛddhe, these symptoms develop, etāni jāyante: greed, lobhaḥ; great activity, pravṛttiḥ; starting big endeavors, ārambhaḥ karmaṇām; restlessness, aśamaḥ; and intense desire, spṛhā!"

"Aprakāśaḥ apravṛttiḥ ca pramādaḥ mohaḥ eva ca tamasi etāni jāyante vivṛddhe kuru-nandana."¹³ "O son of Kuru, kuru-nandana! When the mode of ignorance, tamasi, increases, vivṛddhe, these symptoms are manifested, etāni jāyante: darkness, aprakāśaḥ; inactivity, apravṛttiḥ; and also, eva ca, madness, pramādaḥ; and illusion, mohaḥ!"

Where Do We Go After Life? It Depends on Our Qualities¹⁴

Krishna explains where a soul goes after death, based on which quality is strongest at that moment. He tells us that our dominant quality determines our next birth, affecting whether we go to pure planets, are reborn among busy people, or end up in lower species.

"Yadā sattve pravṛddhe tu pralayam yāti deha-bhṛt tadā uttama-vidām lokān amalān pratipadyate."¹⁴ "When an embodied soul, deha-bhṛt, dies, pralayam yāti, when the mode of goodness, sattve, has greatly developed, pravṛddhe tu—at that time, tadā, he attains the pure planets, amalān lokān, of the great sages, uttama-vidām!"

"Rajasi pralayam gatvā karma-saṅgiṣu jāyate tathā pralīnaḥ tamasi mūḍha-yoniṣu jāyate."¹⁵ "If one dies, pralayam gatvā, in the mode of passion, rajasi, he takes birth, jāyate, among those engaged in fruitive activities, karma-saṅgiṣu! Similarly, tathā, being dissolved, pralīnaḥ, in the mode of ignorance, tamasi, one takes birth, jāyate, in animal species, mūḍha-yoniṣu!"

"Karmaṇaḥ su-kṛtasya āhuḥ sāttvikam nirmalam phalam rajasaḥ tu phalam duḥkham ajñānam tamasaḥ phalam."¹⁶ "The result, phalam, of pious work, su-kṛtasya karmṇaḥ, is said to be pure, nirmalam, and in the mode of goodness, sāttvikam! But the result of passion, rajasaḥ phalam, is misery, duḥkham! And the result of ignorance, tamasaḥ phalam, is foolishness, ajñānam!"

"Sattvāt sañjāyate jñānam rajasaḥ lobhaḥ eva ca pramāda-mohau tamasaḥ bhavataḥ ajñānam eva ca."¹⁷ "From the mode of goodness, sattvāt, knowledge, jñānam, develops, sañjāyate! From the mode of passion, rajasaḥ, greed, lobhaḥ, certainly develops, eva ca! From the mode of ignorance, tamasaḥ, madness, pramāda, and illusion, moha, develop, and certainly also foolishness, ajñānam eva ca!"

"Ūrdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ adhaḥ gacchanti tāmasāḥ."¹⁸ "Those situated in the mode of goodness, sattva-sthāḥ, go upwards, ūrdhvam gacchanti! Those situated in the mode of passion, rājasāḥ, dwell in the middle, madhye tiṣṭhanti (like on Earth)! And those whose actions are in the mode of abominable quality, jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ, go downwards, adhaḥ gacchanti tāmasāḥ!"

See Beyond the Qualities, Taste Immortality¹⁹

Krishna explains that once a person truly understands that all actions are performed by the three modes of nature, and knows God who is completely beyond these modes, they can transcend them. Such a person enjoys spiritual immortality, freeing themselves from the cycle of birth, death, old age, and distress.

"Na anyam guṇebhyaḥ kartāram yadā draṣṭā anupaśyati guṇebhyaḥ ca param vetti mat-bhāvam saḥ adhigacchati."¹⁹ "When a seer, draṣṭā, properly sees, anupaśyati, that no other performer, na anyam kartāram, exists than the qualities, guṇebhyaḥ, and knows that God is transcendental to these modes, guṇebhyaḥ ca param vetti—he attains My spiritual nature, saḥ mat-bhāvam adhigacchati!"

"Guṇān etān atītya trīn deḥ deha-samudbhavān janma-mṛtyu-jarā-duḥkhaiḥ vimuktaḥ amṛtam aśnute."²⁰ "The embodied soul, dehī, by transcending, atītya, all these three qualities, guṇān etān trīn, which arise from the body, deha-samudbhavān—becomes freed, vimuktaḥ, from the distresses of birth, janma, death, mṛtyu, old age, jarā, and disease, duḥkhaiḥ vyādhi! He enjoys immortality, amṛtam aśnute!"

How Can We Spot Someone Beyond the Qualities?²¹

Arjuna, fascinated, asks Krishna how to recognize a person who has gone beyond the influence of these three modes. Krishna describes their special symptoms, including their neutrality towards the modes' effects and their freedom from duality.

"Arjunaḥ uvāca: kaiḥ liṅgaiḥ trīn guṇān etān atītaḥ bhavati prabho kim ācāraḥ katham ca etān trīn guṇān ativartate."²¹ Arjuna said: "O my Lord, prabho! By what signs, kaiḥ liṅgaiḥ, is one known who has gone beyond, atītaḥ bhavati, these three qualities, trīn guṇān etān? What is his behavior, kim ācāraḥ? And how, katham ca, does he transcend these three qualities, etān trīn guṇān ativartate?"

Lord Krishna replied, describing the amazing qualities of such a soul: "Prakāśam ca pravṛttim ca moham eva ca pāṇḍava na dveṣṭi sampravṛttāni na nivṛttāni kāṅkṣati."²²⁻²⁵ "O son of Pritha, pāṇḍava! He does not hate, na dveṣṭi, illumination (from goodness), prakāśam, nor activity (from passion), pravṛttim, nor illusion (from ignorance), moham eva ca, when they are present! Nor does he long for them when they are absent, na nivṛttāni kāṅkṣati!"

"Such a person is situated as if neutral, udāsīna-vat āsīnaḥ, and is never agitated, na vicālyate, by the qualities, guṇaiḥ! Knowing that only the qualities are acting, guṇāḥ vartante iti evam, he remains firm, yaḥ avatiṣṭhati na iṅgate! He is equal in distress and happiness, sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ, being situated in himself, sva-sthaḥ! He sees a lump of earth, stone, and gold equally, sama-loṣṭa-aśma-kāñcanaḥ!"

"He is equally disposed to the dear and the undesirable, tulya-priya-apriyaḥ, and is steady, dhīraḥ! He is equal in defamation and praise of himself, tulya-nindā-ātma-saṁstutiḥ, and equal in honor and dishonor, māna-apamānayoḥ tulyaḥ! He is equal to friends and enemies, tulyaḥ mitra-ari-pakṣayoḥ, and renounces all material endeavors, sarva-ārambha-parityāgī! Such a person is said to be transcendental to the material modes of nature, guṇa-atītaḥ saḥ ucyate!"

The One Sure Way to Go Beyond All Qualities²⁶

Krishna concludes this powerful chapter by revealing the only sure way to transcend all three modes of material nature: through pure, unalloyed devotional service to Him. He also explains that He is the ultimate basis of everything spiritual and the source of ultimate happiness.

"Mām ca yaḥ avyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate saḥ guṇān samatītya etān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate."²⁶ "And whoever, yaḥ, serves Me, mām, without fail, avyabhicāreṇa, by devotional service, bhakti-yogena sevate—he transcends, samatītya, all these qualities, guṇān etān, and becomes fit for the spiritual platform, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Avyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena is key, kids! It means 'unalloyed devotional service' or 'unfailing, undivided love.' Krishna is saying this is the one sure path to go beyond the influence of the three modes and reach pure spiritual understanding, brahma-bhūyāya!

"Brahmaṇaḥ hi pratiṣṭhā aham amṛtasya avyayasya ca śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasya aikāntikasya ca."²⁷ "Indeed, hi, I, aham, am the basis, pratiṣṭhā, of the impersonal spiritual light, brahmaṇaḥ! I am also the basis of immortality, amṛtasya, and the imperishable, avyayasya! And of the eternal righteousness, śāśvatasya dharmasya, and of ultimate happiness, aikāntikasya sukhasya!"

Wow, kids! What a powerful chapter! Lord Krishna explained the three invisible qualities of nature that control us, how to spot their influence, and how to rise above them. The biggest secret? Unalloyed devotion to God is the ultimate way to break free from these qualities and attain His eternal spiritual nature!

Next time, we'll dive into Chapter Fifteen, where Krishna will explain the nature of the Supreme Being and the material world, comparing it to an upside-down tree! Get ready for more amazing lessons!