chapter 14 Bhagavad Gita

[Paramananda das]

Chapter 14, Verse 1
The Blessed Lord said: Again I shall declare to you this supreme wisdom, the best of all knowledge, knowing which all the sages have attained to supreme perfection.

Chapter 14, Verse 2
By becoming fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental nature, which is like My own nature. Thus established, one is not born at the time of creation nor disturbed at the time of dissolution.

Chapter 14, Verse 3
The total material substance, called Brahman, is the source of birth, and it is that Brahman that I impregnate, making possible the births of all living beings, O son of Bharata.

Chapter 14, Verse 4
It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.

Chapter 14, Verse 5
Material nature consists of the three modes-goodness, passion and ignorance. When the living entity comes in contact with nature, he becomes conditioned by these modes.

Chapter 14, Verse 6
O sinless one, the mode of goodness, being purer than the others, is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode develop knowledge, but they become conditioned by the concept of happiness.

Chapter 14, Verse 7
The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kunti, and because of this one is bound to material fruitive activities.

Chapter 14, Verse 8
O son of Bharata, the mode of ignorance causes the delusion of all living entities. The result of this mode is madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned soul.

Chapter 14, Verse 9
The mode of goodness conditions one to happiness, passion conditions him to the fruits of action, and ignorance to madness.

Chapter 14, Verse 10
Sometimes the mode of passion becomes prominent, defeating the mode of goodness, O son of Bharata. And sometimes the mode of goodness defeats passion, and at other times the mode of ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way there is always competition for supremacy.

Chapter 14, Verse 11
The manifestations of the mode of goodness can be experienced when all the gates of the body are illuminated by knowledge.

Chapter 14, Verse 12
O chief of the Bharatas, when there is an increase in the mode of passion, the symptoms of great attachment, uncontrollable desire, hankering, and intense endeavor develop.

Chapter 14, Verse 13
O son of Kuru, when there is an increase in the mode of ignorance madness, illusion, inertia and darkness are manifested.

Chapter 14, Verse 14
When one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains to the pure higher planets.

Chapter 14, Verse 15
When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities; and when he dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom.

Chapter 14, Verse 16
By acting in the mode of goodness, one becomes purified. Works done in the mode of passion result in distress, and actions performed in the mode of ignorance result in foolishness.

Chapter 14, Verse 17
From the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops; from the mode of passion, grief develops; and from the mode of ignorance, foolishness, madness and illusion develop.

Chapter 14, Verse 18
Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.

Chapter 14, Verse 19
When you see that there is nothing beyond these modes of nature in all activities and that the Supreme Lord is transcendental to all these modes, then you can know My spiritual nature.

Chapter 14, Verse 20
When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes, he can become free from birth, death, old age and their distresses and can enjoy nectar even in this life.

Chapter 14, Verse 21
Arjuna inquired: O my dear Lord, by what symptoms is one known who is transcendental to those modes? What is his behavior? And how does he transcend the modes of nature?

Chapter 14, Verse 22-25
The Blessed Lord said: He who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present, nor longs for them when they disappear; who is seated like one unconcerned, being situated beyond these material reactions of the modes of nature, who remains firm, knowing that the modes alone are active; who regards alike pleasure and pain, and looks on a clod, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye; who is wise and holds praise and blame to be the same; who is unchanged in honor and dishonor, who treats friend and foe alike, who has abandoned all fruitive undertakings-such a man is said to have transcended the modes of nature.

Chapter 14, Verse 26
One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.

Chapter 14, Verse 27
And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness, and which is immortal, imperishable and eternal.

[Paramananda das]

Chapter 14: The Three Modes of Material Nature
TEXT 4
sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija-pradah pita
SYNONYMS
sarva-yonisu—in all species of life; kaunteya—O son of Kunti; murtayah—forms; sambhavanti—as they appear; yah—which; tasam—all of them; brahma—supreme; mahat yonih—the source of birth in the material substance; aham—Myself; bija-pradah—seed-giving; pita—father.
TRANSLATION
It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father

[Paramananda das]

Chapter 14: The Three Modes of Material Nature
TEXT 20
gunan etan atitya trin
dehi deha-samudbhavan
janma-mrtyu-jara-duhkhair
vimukto 'mrtam asnute
SYNONYMS
gunan—qualities; etan—all these; atitya—transcending; trin—three; dehi—body; deha—body; samudbhavan—produced of; janma—birth; mrtyu—death; jara—old age; duhkhaih—distresses; vimuktah—being freed from; amrtam—nectar; asnute—enjoys.
TRANSLATION
When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes, he can become free from birth, death, old age and their distresses and can enjoy nectar even in this life.

[Paramananda das]

Chapter 14: The Three Modes of Material Nature
TEXTS 22-25
sri-bhagavan uvaca
prakasam ca pravrttim ca
moham eva ca pandava
na dvesti sampravrttani
na nivrttani kanksati
udasina-vad asino
gunair yo na vicalyate
guna vartanta ity evam
yo 'vatisthati nengate
sama-duhkha-sukhah sva-sthah
sama-lostasma-kancanah
tulya-priyapriyo dhiras
tulya-nindatma-samstutih
manapamanayos tulyas
tulyo mitrari-paksayoh
sarvarambha-parityagi
gunatitah sa ucyate
SYNONYMS
sri bhagavan uvaca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; prakasam ca—and illumination; pravrttim ca—and attachment; moham—illusion; eva ca—also; pandava—O son of Pandu; na dvesti—does not hate; sampravrttani—although developed; na nivrttani—nor stop development; kanksati—desires; udasinavat—as if neutral; asinah—situated; gunaih—by the qualities; yah—one who; na—never; vicalyate—is agitated; gunah—the qualities; vartante—is situated; iti evam—knowing thus; yah—one who; avatisthati—remains; na—never; ingate—flickering; sama—equally; duhkha—in distress; sukhah—in happiness; svasthah—being situated himself; sama—equally; losta—a lump of earth; asma—stone; kancanah—gold; tulya—equally disposed; priya—dear; apriyah—undesirable; dhirah—steadily; tulya—equally; ninda—in defamation; atma-samstutih—in praise of himself; mana—honor; apamanayoh—dishonor; tulyah—equally; tulyah—equally; mitra—friend; ari—enemy; paksayoh—in party; sarva—all; arambhah—endeavor; parityagi—renouncer; guna-atitah—transcendental to the material modes of nature; sah—he; ucyate—is said to be.
TRANSLATION
The Blessed Lord said: He who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present, nor longs for them when they disappear; who is seated like one unconcerned, being situated beyond these material reactions of the modes of nature, who remains firm, knowing that the modes alone are active; who regards alike pleasure and pain, and looks on a clod, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye; who is wise and holds praise and blame to be the same; who is unchanged in honor and dishonor, who treats friend and foe alike, who has abandoned all fruitive undertakings-such a man is said to have transcended the modes of nature.

[Paramananda das]

Chapter 14: The Three Modes of Material Nature
TEXT 26
mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
SYNONYMS
mam—unto Me; ca—also; yah—person; avyabhicarena—without fail; bhakti-yogena—by devotional service; sevate—renders service; sah—he; gunan—all the modes of material nature; samatitya—transcending; etan—all this; brahma-bhuyaya—to be elevated on the Brahman platform; kalpate—is considered.
TRANSLATION
One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.

[Paramananda das]

Chapter 14: The Three Modes of Material Nature
TEXT 27
brahmano hi pratisthaham
amrtasyavyayasya ca
sasvatasya ca dharmasya
sukhasyaikantikasya ca
SYNONYMS
brahmanah—of the impersonal brahmajyoti; hi—certainly; pratistha—the rest; aham—I am; amrtasya—of the imperishable; avyayasya—immortal; ca—also; sasvatasya—of eternal; ca—and; dharmasya—of the constitutional position; sukhasya—happiness; aikantikasya—ultimate; ca—also.
TRANSLATION
And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness, and which is immortal, imperishable and eternal.

[Paramananda das]

Guṇān etān atītya trīn
dehī deha-samudbhavān
janma-mṛtyu-jarā-duḥkhair
vimukto ’mṛtam aśnute

Translation of Bhagavad Gita 14.20

When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes associated with the material body, he can become free from birth, death, old age and their distresses and can enjoy nectar even in this life.

Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:

How one can stay in the transcendental position, even in this body, in full Krishna consciousness, is explained in this verse. The Sanskrit word dehi means “embodied.” Although one is within this material body, by his advancement in spiritual knowledge he can be free from the influence of the modes of nature. He can enjoy the happiness of spiritual life even in this body because, after leaving this body, he is certainly going to the spiritual sky. But even in this body he can enjoy spiritual happiness. In other words, devotional service in Krishna consciousness is the sign of liberation from material entanglement, and this will be explained in the Eighteenth Chapter. When one is freed from the influence of the modes of material nature, he enters into devotional service.

Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:

That person is beyond the gunas. That is explained in this verse.

Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:

14.20 The embodied self — ‘crossing beyond these three Gunas,’ the Sattva and the rest, which ‘arise in the body,’ i.e., spring from Prakrti transformed into the form of the body — perceives the self as different from the Gunas and as of the form of knowledge only. Released thus from birth, death, old age and sorrow, It experiences the immortal self. This is what is meant by My likeness. Arjuna now wants to know about the characteristics of one who has transcended the Gunas and the means of such transcendence:

Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:

Thus by the cessation of all attachments and attractions associated with the three gunas or modes of material nature one transcends them along with the three evils of birth, old age and death one achieves moksa or liberation from material existence. Then the jiva or embodied being released from the transitory physical body attains an immortal spiritual body capable of associating with the Supreme Lord Krishna eternally.

Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:

Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.

Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:

Having transcended material existence in one’s physical body in this very life through atma tattva or realisation ot the immortal soul within the etheric heart. One effortlessly rises above the three gunas or modes of material nature no longer influenced by them. Lord Krishna confirms that when this transpires one is eternally freed from birth, old age, disease and death as well as all the effects of material nature and qualifies to enter the immortal spiritual realms forever in association with Him.