The fourteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga. In this chapter, Krishna reveals the three gunas (modes) of the material nature - goodness, passion and ignorance which everything in the material existence is influenced by. He further explains the essential characteristics of each of these modes, their cause and how they influence a living entity affected by them. He then reveals the various characteristics of the persons who have gone beyond these gunas. The chapter ends with Krishna reminding us of the power of pure devotion to God and how attachment to God can help us transcend these gunas.
O descendant of the Kuru dynasty, when tamas predominates these surely come into being: non-discrimination and inactivity, inadvertence and delusion.
OPEN VERSEWhen an embodied one undergoes death while sattva is exclusively predominant, then he attains the taintless worlds of those who know the highest (entities).
OPEN VERSEWhen one dies while rajas predominates, he is born among people attached to activity. Similarly, when one dies while tamas predominates, he takes birth among the stupid species.
OPEN VERSEThey say that the result of good work is pure and is born of sattva. But the result of rajas is sorrow; the result of tamas is ignorance.
OPEN VERSEFrom sattva is born knowledge [Knowledge acquired through the sense-organs.], and from rajas, verily, avarice. From tamas are born inadvertence and delusion as also ignorance, to be sure.
OPEN VERSEPeople who conform to sattva go higher up; those who conform to rajas stay in the middle; those who conform to tamas, who conform to the actions of the lowest quality, go down.
OPEN VERSE