Verse 9
Sattwam sukhe sanjayati
rajah karmani bhaarata;
Jnaanamaavritya tu tamah
pramaade sanjayatyuta.
Sattwa attaches to happiness, Rajas to
action, O Arjuna, while Tamas, shrouding knowledge, attaches to heedlessness
only!
The predominating
effect of sattwa guna or mode of goodness is that it instills in
the jiva or embodied being the attraction for happiness even though the seeds
of misery and sorrow are also inherent.
So sattwa
guna by such natural but strong attraction for happiness binds the
jiva to material existence and raja guna the mode of passion
binds one by the work and effort constantly undertaken to achieve such
happiness and tama guna or mode of ignorance binds one to
material existence by distorted delusions and perverted perceptions of
knowledge even if heard from liberated beings.
Tamas also manifests as neglecting the teachings of great liberated
beings or by acting contrary to these teachings because such teachings differ
from one’s personal understanding.
The word uta means and
so forth and indicates that tamas binds one as well
to lethargy, listlessness and laziness.
When sattwa has the upper hand in us, we feel satisfied, contented, relieved,
and happy.
Rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata:
When rajas is preponderating, we feel like getting up and doing this work and
that work, and never want to sit quiet. This is what rajas does.
Jjñānam āvṛtya tu
tamaḥ pramāde
saṁjayatyuta:
When tamas is predominating, we have no idea as to what to do and what not to
do.
There is
confusion about the pros and cons of things. There is no proper judgment as to
the way any step has to be taken in a given direction; and even if some step is
taken, it will be a wrong step and it will end in some fumbling and
catastrophic conclusion. This is what tamas does.
Sattwa leads to happiness and satisfaction, rajas to intense activity, and tamas to ignorance and inability to decide what is proper and what is
improper.
Verse 10
Rajastamashchaabhibhooya
Sattwam bhavati bhaarata;
Rajah Sattwam tamashchaiva
tamah Sattwam rajastathaa.
Now Sattwa prevails, O Arjuna,
having overpowered Rajas and Tamas; now Rajas, having overpowered Sattwa and
Tamas; and now Tamas, having overpowered Sattwa and Rajas!
Now Lord Krishna explains the relationship and
interaction between the three gunas which are sattwa guna or
the mode of goodness, raja guna or the mode of passion
and tama guna or the mode of ignorance. All three gunas
inexplicably locked to all jivas or embodied beings throughout material
existence.
No particular guna can
be operating always in any person. They have a cyclic movement, as it were.
Partly due to their fickleness and partly due to some karmas that a person has
done in a previous birth, certain gunas operate for a shorter
period or a longer period; but no guna can operate
continuously throughout the life of a person. There is a coming and going of
the gunas.
When sattwa rises
up into action, it suppresses rajas and tamas for
the time being.
When rajas rises
into action, it suppresses sattwa and tamas.
When tamas is
predominant, it suppresses rajas and sattwa.
It does not mean that the
suppressed qualities are destroyed. They are only made inoperative for the time
being on account of the vehemence of the activity of a particular guna.
Love.
