Bhagavad Gita Verse 9, Chapter 15

14 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.9, adhishthaaya, ayam, chakshuhu, chapter 15 verse 9, ghraanam, manaha, rasanam, shrotram, sparshanam, upasevate, vishayaan

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 9, Chapter 15

shrotram chakshuhu sparshanam cha rasanam ghraanameva cha |
adhishthaaya manashchaayam vishayaanupasevate || 9 ||
 
The ear, eye and touch, taste and smell, taking support of these and the mind, it enjoys the sense objects.
 
shrotram : ear
chakshuhu : eye
sparshanam : touch
cha : and
rasanam : taste
ghraanam : smell
eva : only
cha : and
adhishthaaya : taking support
manaha : mind
cha : and
ayam : this
vishayaan : sense objects
upasevate : enjoys
 
Shri Krishna continues explaining how the jeeva, the individual soul, takes up a human body to carry out its transactions with Prakriti. We can use the wonderful Vedantic text “Drig Drishya Viveka”, or “Discrimination of the seer and the seen”, to examine this process in a little more detail. It explains, with almost mathematical precision, how the eternal essence begins to think of itself as a finite human entity. There are two main players in this process. One is the eternal essence, which is of the nature of infinite awareness and existence, explained in great detail in the second chapter. Let us call it “Om” here. The second player is avidya or ignorance, which exists in the realm of the illusory Maaya.
 
When Om and ignorance come into contact with each other, a fragment of Om is reflected in ignorance, just like a fragment of the sun as though appears in the water of a pot. As we saw earlier, this fragment is called the jeeva. Ignorance creates an apparent limitation, also known an upaadhi, which imposes a sense of incompleteness or finitude upon the jeeva. The jeeva seeks the help of the upaadhi to remove its sense of completeness. The upaadhi can exist in one of many modifications or states. Let us examine these modifications. The sense organs are modifications of this upaadhi that can contact different aspects of Prakriti. The mind is a modification of this upaadhi that can take input from the sense organs, compare that input with its memory, and present a complete picture of what was contacted. The ego is another modification that thinks of itself as the “I”, just like a low level manager thinks of himself as the owner of the factory in the absence of the real owner.
 
Now let us examine the content of this shloka. After the end of its journey in one body, the jeeva travels with the mind and senses, the upaadhi in other words, in search of another physical body. When the ego aspect of the upaadhi associates itself with a tiny physical body inside a womb, based on the desires its wants to exhaust, it develops the notion “I am this body”. It now begins to use the body to transact with the world. The human nose, for instance, is an inert object. But due to the association of the ego with the body, we think that the physical human nose is doing the smelling. The ego then uses the mind to generate the notion “I know that this smell is that of a rose”. This finally leads the ego to generate the notion “This smell it pleasant, it makes me happy”.
 
In this way, the jeeva gives up its power of reality, knowledge and happiness to the ego. The ego becomes the doer and the experiencer of the world. It has to constantly transact with the world in order to chase sense objects for happiness. It forgets the fact that it was happy to begin with. It gives reality to the domain of Prakriti, the three gunas, the visible and so called tangible world. But we should not forget that behind all this is the illusory mix up of Om and ignorance, the mix up of awareness and inertness. The Raamacharitamanas describes this mix up as “jada chetan ki granthi” or the knot between awareness and inertness.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 15

13 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.8, aashayaat, avaapnoti, chapter 15 verse 8, eeshvaraha, gandhaan, griheetvaitaani, samyaati, shareeram, utkraamti, vaayuhu, yat

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 15

shareeram yadvaapnoti yachchaapyutkraamteeshvaraha |
griheetvaitaani samyaati vaayurgandhaanivaashayaat || 8 ||
 
When the lord acquires a body, and when he leaves it, he takes them and departs, like the wind takes odours from their seats.
 
shareeram : body
yat : when
avaapnoti : acquires
yat : when
cha : again
api : also
utkraamti : leaves
eeshvaraha : lord
griheetvaitaani : takes them
samyaati : departs
vaayuhu : wind
gandhaan : odours
iva : like
aashayaat : seats
 
Earlier, we saw how the individual soul, the jeeva, wants to interact with Prakriti in order to exhaust its desires. In preparation to do so, it surrounds itself with the mind (which contains the desires) and the five senses. This collection of the jeeva, the mind and the senses is also known as the subtle body, because it is invisible. We can think of the subtle body as a computer file. Just as a computer file needs a computer to express itself, a subtle body needs a physical body to express itself. Whenever the timespan of one human body ends, the subtle body has to find another physical body to continue exhausting its desires.
 
Shri Krishna says that in such a situation, the subtle body, the jeeva with the mind and senses, ejects itself from the physical body and finds another body to settle in. It is similar to a international diplomat who goes from one assignment to another, taking his staff with him wherever he goes. Since the mind and senses follow the jeeva, it is referred to as Ishvara or the lord here, not to be confused with the meaning of Ishvara that has been used throughout the Gita. Once the jeeva finds a new home, it slowly starts unpacking its belongings, the mind and senses, in sequence. It is fascinating to see time-lapse videos of an embryo growing inside a mother’s womb. This is the jeeva slowly gaining its faculties, which are nothing but accumulations of additional upaadhis.
 
Imagine that a small wooden box contains a strong perfume. If the box – the seat of the perfume – is opened, the fragrance will slowly start leaving the box and fill the room. Shri Krishna uses this analogy to explain the transfer of the jeeva from one physical body to another. If we bring in the analogy of the eternal essence as space, and combine it with this analogy, we will find that they fit together perfectly. Walls, fragrance, wind, boxes – all these limitations of space are apparent, not real. They are upaadhis, apparent limitations. Space does not care whether we build 2 walls or 2 million walls. No one or nothing can limit space. There is no coming and going of the perfume in space. It is only from a worldly standpoint that the fragrance is moving from the box to the room.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 15

12 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.7, anshaha, chapter 15 verse 7, eva, indriyaani, jeevabhootaha, jeevaloke, karshati, mama, manahashashthaani, prakritisthaani, sanaatanaha

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 15

mamaivaansho jeevaloke jeevabhootaha sanaatanaha |
manahashashthaaneendriyaani prakritisthaani karshati || 7 ||
 
My eternal fragment, in this world of souls, becomes the individual soul. It draws itself to the mind and five senses, established in Prakriti.
 
mama : my
eva : only
anshaha : fragment
jeevaloke : in this world of souls
jeevabhootaha : becomes the individual soul
sanaatanaha : eternal
manahashashthaani : mind and five
indriyaani : senses
prakritisthaani : established in Prakriti
karshati : draws itself
 
So far, we saw the state of the select few individuals who strive for liberation. Now Shri Krishna summarizes the state of the jeevas, the individual souls who are stuck in the cycle of samsaara, of birth and death. The jeeva, ignorant of its true nature which is infinite, harbours selfish desires with the aim of removing its finitude. In order to do so, it needs to be able to contact and transact with Prakriti. The equipment needed to transact with Prakriti comprises the mind and the five senses. Therefore, the jeeva attracts or pulls these six aspects of Prakriti unto itself.
 
Before we proceed, we need to clarify one point here. The word fragment implies that the eternal essence, speaking as Ishvara, can be broken or divided into pieces. Yet, we know that the eternal essence is indivisible. To solve this confusion, we need to remind ourselves of the examples provided in the thirteenth chapter. We can try to divide space using walls, but space is indivisible. Also, we can lose the sun’s reflection when we break a pot filled with water, but nothing happens to the sun. There is no coming or going of space or of the sun. The limitations, the upaadhis such as walls and pots “as though” try to divide, but cannot do so in essence.
 
The Jnyaaneshwari provides yet another example. It describes an ascetic monk who has taken up a contemplative and solitary life in the jungle. One night he dreams that he is a householder with a wife and kids. In order to provide for his family, he has to work hard at his job to make ends meet. His job causes a great deal of stress to him. But when he wakes up from his dream, he remains the same monk, unaffected by the apparent ties of family life. The dream world is yet another upaadhi or limitation caused by ignorance of his real nature.
 
So then, the jeeva draws a mind and five senses in order to exhaust its desires. However, it still needs a physical body to transact with Prakriti. How does all this happen? We see this in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 6, Chapter 15

11 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.6, bhaasayate, chapter 15 verse 6, dhaamam, gatvaa, mama, nirvatante, paavakaha, paramam, shashaankaha, sooryaha, yat

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 6, Chapter 15

na tadbhaasayate sooryaa na shashaanko na paavakaha |
yadgatvaa na nirvatante taddhaamam paramam mama || 6 ||
 
That in which the sun does not illumine, nor the moon, nor fire, that is my supreme abode. Having attained that, there is no return.
 
na : not
tat : that
bhaasayate : illumines
sooryaha : sun
na : not
shashaankaha : moon
na : not
paavakaha : fire
yat : which
gatvaa : attained
na : not
nirvatante : return
tat : that
dhaamam : abode
paramam : supreme
mama : my
 
Shri Krishna listed the qualifications of a seeker in the prior shloka, and asserted that one who takes his refuge will attain his abode. He now provides the location, the address of that abode. He says that there is no sun, no moon, no fire, in other words, no source of light in his abode. Initially we would feel a little frightened if we take the literal meaning of this shloka. Even cavemen were able to access some light source in the form of the sun, the moon, or fire from a wooden torch. Why would anyone want to go to such a place?
 
The sun, the moon and fire have symbolic interpretations which are extremely relevant here. The sun is the presiding deity of our intellect, the moon of our mind and emotions, and fire of our physiological functions. The one who has sought refuge in Ishvara automatically gives up affinity to his body, mind, intellect, ego (which resides in the intellect) and physiological functions. If this affinity, the root of all our sorrow, is given up, such a person will never again get caught in the wheel of birth of death, in the cycle of samsaara. This is liberation.
 
So then, this is the abode of Ishvara, of self realization, of liberation. Having reached there, the liberated person does not come back to the state of ignorance. He never gets deluded again. He never identifies or develops affinity with body, mind, intellect and the world. The duality, the pairs of opposites, the dvandva that was mentioned before, is nothing but the world. For such a person, neither joy nor sorrow, neither pain nor pleasure, neither friend nor enemy, nothing can destabilize him. This is liberation.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 15

10 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.5, adhyaatmanityaa, amoodhaahaa, avyayam, chapter 15 verse 5, dvandvaihi, gachhanti, jitasangadoshaa, nirmaanamohaa, padam, sukhaduhkhasangnaihi, vimuktaahaa, vinivrittakaamaahaa

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 15

nirmaanamohaa jitasangadoshaa adhyaatmanityaa vinivrittakaamaahaa |
dvandvairvimuktaahaa sukhaduhkhasangnairgachhantyamoodhaahaa padamavyayam tat || 5 ||
 
Free from pride and delusion, with the defect of attachment conquered, always dwelling in the self, liberated from the pairs of opposites known as joy and sorrow, ignorance-free individuals attain that imperishable goal.
 
nirmaanamohaa : free from pride and delusion
jitasangadoshaa : conquered the defect of attachment
adhyaatmanityaa : always dwelling in the self
vinivrittakaamaahaa : abandoned all desires
dvandvaihi : from pairs of opposites
vimuktaahaa : liberated
sukhaduhkhasangnaihi : known as joy and sorrow
gachhanti : attain
amoodhaahaa : ignorance-free individuals
padam : goal
avyayam : imperishable
tat : that
 
If one has to seek refuge in Ishvara, per the previous shloka, what should be the qualifications of such a seeker? This complex and elaborate topic has been very nicely packed into one shloka by Shri Krishna. The first qualification of a seeker is the absence, or at least, reduction of the sense of I and mine. Candidates who are interviewing for a new position frequently pass off an entire team’s effort as their own. It is very easy to spot the inflated sense of pride in them. And even if they spent a few minutes contributing to a project, they still have the notion that it is their project, nobody else’s. Shri Krishna says that this I and mine notion, this pride and delusion has to go away in a seeker.
 
Once the I and mine notion has diminished to some extent, the seeker has to focus on where is he stuck, where is his attachment in this world. Some may be attached to their profession, some may be attached to their family, some may be perversely attached to their enemies also. But, if we slowly unwind the attachments towards their source, we will find that the seeker is attached to his body. The attachment to the body, and the consequent fear of death, is the toughest attachment for the seeker to tackle. A certain level of dispassion towards the body, accomplished through control of the mind and senses, is a prerequisite to worship of Ishvara. When this happens, desires that are a by product of attachment, also diminish.
 
So, two qualifications are covered so far: absence of I and mine notion, and conquering one’s attachments. Only then will we be able to focus on the main goal, which is daily absorption in the self, adhyaatma nitya. But how do we remain in this state constantly? By being vigilant of labelling the two pairs of opposites – likes and dislikes, joy and sorrow, praise and censure and so on and so forth. Even a whiff of wind on either side of a tightrope walker is sufficient to bring him down. Likes and dislikes have the ability to distract us from our goal. We should not pay too much attention to them, just observe them silently as they come and go. This is forbearance or titkshaa. This will enable us to completely remove ignorance of the true nature of our self, and to reach the abode of Ishvara, described in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 15

09 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.4, aadyam, bhooyaha, chapter 15 verse 4, gataaha, nivartanti, padam, parimaargatavyam, prapadye, prasritaa, pravrittihi, puraanee, purusham, tataha, yasmin, yataha

≈ 2 Comments

tataha padam tatparimaargatavyam yasmingataa na nivartanti bhooyaha |
tameva chaadyam purusham prapadye yataha pravrittihi prasritaa puraanee || 4 ||
 
Then that goal should be sought, having attained which, none return again. I seek refuge in that original Purusha from which has sprung this ancient sprout.
 
tataha : then
padam : goal
tat : that
parimaargatavyam : sought
yasmin : by which
gataaha : having attained
na : not
nivartanti : return
bhooyaha : again
tam : that
eva : only
cha : and
aadyam : original
purusham : Purusha
prapadye : seek refuge
yataha : from whom
pravrittihi : sprung
prasritaa : sprout
puraanee : ancient
 
A family of tourists is driving around in a new city without the help of a map or a GPS device. A left turn here, a right turn there, and they are utterly lost. The wife asks the husband to stop the car and ask a shopkeeper for directions. The husband says no, and continues driving in circles for an hour. The wife yells at the husband who finally agrees to ask a shopkeeper for directions. This is an all too common occurrence. Unless the ego is surrendered, even material knowledge is far from reach.
 
Shri Krishna says : All of you are thoroughly lost in the cycle of action and reaction, the tree of samsaara. So take refuge in me. I am the original Purusha, the root from which this tree of samsaara has sprung up. I have created this universe like a magician creates his illusion. Don’t get lost in the branches of the tree which are fueled by the three gunas of Prakriti. Come straight to the source, which is me. I am giving you a hand to save you from drowning in samsaara. Hold it tightly and do not let it go. This is the meaning of the word prapatti, which had also come up in the seventh chapter.
 
This prapatti, this seeking of refuge in Ishvara will help us cultivate dispassion towards samsaara. But this dispassion will not come overnight, it will come gradually. First, karma yoga has to be practised as prescribed by Shri Krishna. We should reduce selfish actions, increase selfless actions, then drop our attitude of doership. We cannot have it both ways – we cannot love Ishvara and love the material world at the same time. If we cannot control our mind and senses, we have yet to cultivate real devotion for Ishvara. Devotion, coupled with dispassion towards the world, will result in our liberation, the goal from which we will not have to return back to the material world.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 15

08 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.2, aadihi, antaha, asangashastre, ashvattham, chapter 15 verse 2, chittvaa, dridhena, iha, na : not roopam : form asya, sampratishthaa, suviroodhamoolam, tathaa, upalabhyate

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 15

na roopamasyeha tathaapalabhyate naanto na chaadirna cha sampratishthaa |
ashvatthamenam suviroodhamoolamsangashastrena dridhena chhittvaa || 3 ||
 
Its form is not available here, neither its beginning nor its end, not its existence. Having cut this firm-rooted Ashvattha tree using the robust weapon of dispassion.
 
na : not
roopam : form
asya : this
iha : here
tathaa : like
upalabhyate : available
na : no
antaha : end
na : not
cha : and
aadihi : beginning
na : not
cha : and
sampratishthaa : existence
ashvattham : ashvattha tree
suviroodhamoolam : with firm roots
asangashastrena : weapon of dispassion
dridhena : robust
chittvaa : having cut
 
Most of us love to see the image of planet earth from space. The majesty of that image captured by countless satellites over the years never fails to attract us. But without those satellites, we would never know that the earth looks like it does, because we did not have the means to see the big picture by oursleves. Or take a factory worker employed in a multi billion dollar multinational. All he gets to see is his machine for eight to ten hours a day. Except the CEO and a few other senior people, no one has the big picture view of the complex organization available.
 
Similarly, Shri Krishna says that most of us do not have the big picture view of our existence in this world. We simply live out our lives in the endless chain of attraction to sense objects, desire, action, result and further desire. To lift us out of this narrow view of life, he very compassionately gives us the illustration of the tree of samsaara in the previous two shlokas.
 
He very clearly states that no matter who we are, whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, fit or sick, we are all entangled in this upside down tree of samsaara. We never see our existence as it really is. We do not see its beginning, middle or end. It is in fact, a gigantic illusion that has been given reality due to the long standing ignorance of our true nature.
 
The message of this shloka carries over into the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 2, Chapter 15

07 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.2, adhaha, anusantataani, chapter 15 verse 2, gunapravriddha, karmaanubandheeni, manushyaloke, moolani, oordhvam, prasritaahaa, shaakhaa, tasya, vishayapravaalaahaa

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 2, Chapter 15

adhashchordhvam prasritaastasya shaakhaa gunapravriddha vishayapravaalaahaa |
adhashcha moolanyanusantataani karmaanubandheeni manushyaloke || 2 ||
 
Its branches are spread below and above, nourished by the gunas. Sense objects are its sprouts, and, below in the human realm, stretch its roots that bind through actions.
 
adhaha : below
cha : and
oordhvam : above
prasritaahaa : spread
tasya : of that
shaakhaa : branches
gunapravriddha : nourished by gunas
vishayapravaalaahaa : sprouts are sense objects
adhaha : below
cha : and
moolani : roots
anusantataani : stretching
karmaanubandheeni : binding due to actions
manushyaloke : human realm
 
Shri Krishna began describing an upside-down tree as a metaphor for the material world in the prior shloka. Here, he continues to describe it in more detail. When its buds or sprouts grown into branches and touch the ground, they turn into roots that embed firmly into the ground, and then grow into several additional trunks around the main tree. Such gigantic tree structures are common in the Banyan tree family. Over a period of time, a small tree with one trunk becomes a mini forest in itself.
 
Our lives are no different. For many people, the American dream comprises owning a large house, two cars, good schools for children, a big screen TV and so on. First, the newly married family takes out a big loan to buy a house. The house is empty, so it needs furniture and appliances. The garage is empty, so two cars need to be purchased. The living room is empty, so a large screen TV is needed. The TV requires a cable connection, a DVD player, a Playstation and so on endlessly. The one purchase of a house led to other purchases, which led to other purchases and so on. This is nothing but the upside down tree of samsaara playing out in our lives.
 
So this tree of samsaara, made up of the three gunas of Prakriti, grows and expands through repetitive chasing of sense objects. Each sense object generates desires, desires generate actions to get those sense objects, and attainment of sense objects creates further desires. Actions bind us by making us giving importance to the branches of the tree, by making us run away from Ishvara, who is at the root of the tree. How do we tackle this problem? Shri Krishna gives the solution in the next shloka.
 
Notes
1. Computer scientists will recognize the tree of samsaara as a recursive process.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 15

06 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.1, adhahashaakham, ashvattham, avyayam, chapter 15 verse 1, chhandaamsi, oordhvamoolam, parnaani, praahuhu, sahe, tam, veda, vedavita, yaha, yasya

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 15

Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
oordhvamoolamadhahashaakhamashvattham praahuravyayam |
chhandaamsi yasya parnaani yastam veda sa vedavita || 1 ||
 
Shree Bhagavaan said:
With roots above and branches below, the Ashvattha tree is said to be imperishable, with the Vedas as its leaves. He who knows this, knows the Vedas.
 
oordhvamoolam : roots above
adhahashaakham : branches below
ashvattham : Ashvattha tree
praahuhu : is said
avyayam : imperishable
chhandaamsi : Vedas
yasya : of whose
parnaani : leaves
yaha : who
tam : that
veda : knows
sahe : he
vedavita : Vedas
 
Shri Krishna begins the fifteenth chapter describing an unusual sort of tree. It is “oordhvamoolam adhahashaakham”. It is upside down, with roots above and branches below. It is not as unusual as it sounds, because we encounter several trees that are inverted in our lives. A family tree, the map of an organization with the CEO on top, a decision tree in management sciences, all of these trees are upside down, with their root on top and branches below.
 
Such inverted trees have some interesting characteristics. The farther away one goes from the root, the greater is the loss of the substance or the essence. A junior employee has far less power than the CEO in an org chart, for instance. Also, these trees are never static. They keep changing. Hence, the tree described in this illustration is called “ashvattha”, which means not lasting for long. This is also the name of the tree known as ficus religiosa, or the Peepul tree in India.
 
Now, let us examine the metaphors used in this illustration. The root of this tree is Ishvara, the saguna brahman, the eternal essence with form. Its branches have evolved from Ishvara, and are nothing but the hardening of Prakriti, the hardening of the three gunas due to their permutations and combinations. The process of the creation of the universe has been explained in detail in prior chapters. It is similar to a tender, subtle sapling hardening into a robust tree as it grows over time. It is termed as avyayam or imperishable because it is permanent after its reality has been ascertained, like the illusion of the blue sky. Even when we come to know that the sky is not really blue, but just looks that way, we still perceive the illusion.
 
In any complex system, there are rules that tell how what to do and what not to do. The Vedas are the rules of this universe, and are metaphorically represented as the leaves of this ashvattha tree. Just like there are rules on how to get promoted in a corporation, there are rules in the Vedas that give us instructions on how to act in life, and how not to commit sins or errors. They are the storehouse of knowledge and actions needed to thrive in this world. One who knows the functioning of the universe in this manner, one who knows how to get to the source which is Ishvara, needs to know nothing else.
 
We now come to the fundamental question. Why has Shri Krishna started talking about this tree now? It is to cultivate dispassion or vairagya in us. Even a tinge of attachment to the world can derail our spiritual progress. Over the next few shlokas, we will learn more about this tree so that we can understand our entanglement in it, and consequently, learn how to release ourselves from it through dispassion.

Summary of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on Summary of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14

In the thirteenth chapter, we leaned that our existence in this world is the result of a two-step problem. First, ignorance of our real nature creates this illusory but distinct entity called the Purusha or the jeeva. The jeeva gets trapped as a result of its attachment to the three gunas of Prakriti. In order to provide the means by which we can detach ourselves from the three gunas, Shri Krishna reveals this teaching in the fourteenth chapter.
 
He begins by glorifying this knowledge, and by revealing its fruit as fruit as liberation or moksha. He reiterates that the combination of the awareness aspect and the material aspect of Ishvara gives rise to this entire universe. The jeeva, the awareness aspect of Ishvara present in each of us, identifies with Prakriti, the material aspect. This identification, a product of ignorance, ensnares us in the endless cycle of birth and death in various kinds of wombs.
 
Next, we are led through a detailed analysis of Prakriti. Like the driver who erroneously identifies with someone else’s car and bears the consequences of that identification, we identify with the three gunas erroneously and are bound by their characteristics. Sattva binds through attachment to joy and knowledge. Rajas binds through attachment to action. Tamas binds through attachment to heedlessness, laziness and sloth. Only one guna dominates at one time. When one guna is strong, it overpowers the others.
 
Shri Krishna gives us the effects of each guna so that we can look within to understand the proportion of gunas within us. If we are full of radiance and knowledge, sattva prevails. If we are greedy all the time, and it results in desire and action, rajas prevails. If we are full of ignorance, heedlessness and error – tamas prevails.
 
Our fate after death is also determined by our predominant mental state at the time of death. A sattvic state leads a jeeva to come into a family of knowledge and improve its chance of liberation. A rajasic state leads it into a materialistic and action oriented family. A tamasic state leads a jeeva to take birth as animals or plants, hurting its chances of liberation. But to achieve liberation, we need to transcend all the three gunas.
 
Arjuna asks the question – what are signs of one who has transcended the three gunas? Shri Krishna replies – it is one who is not impacted, affected or attached to any of the gunas. Such a person views the entire universe, including his body, as gunas acting upon gunas. How does such a person behave in the world? He shows complete and utter equanimity towards objects, situations and people at all times. And how does one transcend the gunas in practice? Only through single pointed devotion to Ishvara, since Ishvara is the abode of nirguna brahman, the unconditioned and pure eternal essence. We need to detach from Prakriti and attach ourselves to Ishvara.