विवेचन सारांश

Bhagavān teaches us to identify the binding force of Nature - the Three Guṇas - Sāttvik, Rājasik and Tāmasik

Bhagavān starts by telling Arjuna that HE was going to reiterate the supreme knowledge to him since HE loves Arjuna and feels he should understand this important knowledge very well. HE says that though this knowledge has already been told to Arjuna many times previously, HE will continue to reiterate it since it is the supreme knowledge and hence difficult to comprehend and assimilate into one’s life.

This is similar to how our parents give us good advice and guidance all the time.

When we go on a school trip, our mothers remind us again and again: "Pack this, don’t forget that, stay with your teacher, don’t wander off,” and so forth. Even if we say, ‘I know!’, they continue to repeat.

Why is that? This is because our parents love us.

Likewise, Yogeśvara Śrī Krishna keeps repeating certain instructions for Arjuna, so that he remembers them not only on the battlefield but beyond it. What is this knowledge that Bhagavān wants Arjuna not to forget under any circumstances?

We have all heard about Rishis and Munis. Though similar, they are not exactly the same. A Rishi is a wise seer or Vedic sage who receives spiritual knowledge and reveals it to the common people, often through hymns and teachings. A Muni, on the other hand, is a contemplative saint who embraces silence (Mauna) and a withdrawn lifestyle mostly spent in meditation to achieve profound inner realisation and detachment from worldly desires. Through this process, they attain Siddhi or superpowers.

Bhagavān wants Arjuna too to have these superpowers through repeatedly listening to the supreme knowledge from HIM and contemplating on them.  Most important amongst these superpowers is that we become best friends with the Bhagavān Śrī Krishna.

There are innumerable kinds of knowledge in this world. Every field carries its own unique treasure of understanding. An artist possesses the knowledge of painting, a dancer masters the knowledge of rhythm and movement, a narrator cultivates the knowledge of storytelling, and so on. Such knowledge enriches life, uplifts the human spirit, and brings joy, beauty, and inspiration to society.

However, not all knowledge serves a noble purpose. There also exists destructive knowledge, the kind that causes harm rather than good. For example, terrorists may possess the technical knowledge to make bombs, but such knowledge is misused to destroy lives and spread fear. In such cases, knowledge, instead of being a light to humanity, becomes a weapon of darkness.

Therefore, it is essential for us to develop the wisdom to distinguish between good knowledge and evil knowledge, between that which benefits humanity and that which harms it. True knowledge is not only about acquiring information or skills, but also about knowing how to use them responsibly. Knowledge guided by ethics, compassion, and the desire for upliftment becomes a blessing, while knowledge driven by hatred, greed, or destruction becomes a curse.

We know the doctor, while operating, cuts the human body. He, however, does this with the good intention to heal the person. A killer, on the other hand, cuts a person with the evil intention to hurt and kill the person. It is therefore important to know how the same knowledge is being used to do either good or harm to people. This understanding comes to us through the study of Bhagavad Gītā, and hence, this is the supreme knowledge.

It is very good that our young Sadhakas are reading the Bhagavad Gītā at this tender age and hence acquiring the knowledge to differentiate the virtue from the sinful.

In the next Shlōka, Bhagavān talks about the personal improvements we may receive from having this supreme knowledge.

Bhagavān, in this Shlōka, elaborates on HIS process of creation. HE says that HE instructs Prakṛiti on Creation and imbues Chetana or consciousness into the Creation.

In the process of Creation, Prakṛiti partners with Bhagavān for the creation of all living beings (sarva-bhūtānāṁ) that live on this earth.

We find Bhagavān calling Arjuna by a different name in this Shlōka. Vanshika Ji correctly said that it is Bhārata.

The formal Sanskrit designation for our nation is Bhārat, although commonly referred to as India.

We will all feel proud when we know why our country is called Bhārat. The word Bhārat refers to one who is engaged in the pursuit of knowledge or light. Thus, Bhārat is the name of the country whose citizens are said to be devoted to the quest for knowledge, be it scientific knowledge or spiritual knowledge.

From ancient times, this spirit of knowledge has been deeply rooted in our culture. For instance, Maharshi Kanad Ji, who proposed the atomic theory, and Bhaskaracharya, the famous Mathematician and Astronomer. Our Vedas, Vedantām and Upanishads have such advanced knowledge of Physics that even today, NASA refers to them for its research.  

Isn’t that a matter of great pride, and should we not call our country Bhārat instead of India?

Referring to this, Śrī Krishna tells Arjuna that since he comes from a lineage of such people who are in pursuit of knowledge, he has the eligibility and every right to know the supreme knowledge.

In this Shlōka, Bhagavān has declared that HE is the father and Prakṛti the mother of all the creatures in this universe. HE calls HIMSELF the bīja-pradaḥ pitā, the seed-giving Father from whom all the creatures on this earth have come into existence.

It is amazing that though Bhagavān resides equally in every creature, each develops their unique personalities, choices, and temperaments. Even siblings born to the same set of parents and growing up in the same household have different natures. While one may like to eat sweet, the other likes tangy; while one loves to gain spiritual knowledge like reading the Bhagavad Gītā, the other's interest may lie in sports. Even two similar plants, grown from the same seeds, in the same soil, with equal sunlight and water, may bloom differently.

More amazing is the fact that across billions of people through history, no two fingerprints are identical. Every fingerprint is unique to each individual in this world. Bhagavān thus has shown uniqueness in every being in this universe, though seemingly they appear to be the same.

One may ask, why such an immense variety? Why so many differences in thought, behaviour, and nature?

Bhagavān answers in the next Shlōka.

All Sadhaks will study Science in school, so they will understand that the fundamental building block of everything on Earth is an Atom, which consists of a Proton, an Electron, and a Neutron.

Protons are still in their place and have a positive charge akin to Sato Guṇa. Electrons that busily revolve around the Proton are like Rajo Guṇa, and Neutrons, which have no charge and lazily lie in the Nucleus or centre of the atom, are similar to Tāmo Guṇa.

Just as an atom is formed, Bhagavān explains that all beings in our universe are made up of the three Guṇas. We all possess the three Guṇas within us.

• Sattva or Sato Guṇa is that of calmness, joy, and knowledge.
• Rājas or Rajo, on the other hand, is the Guṇa of action and restlessness.
• Tāmas or Tāmo is the Guṇa of inertia and ignorance. It brings laziness and traps us in sleep-like living.

The three Guṇas can be well understood through the following three characters of the Ramayana:

• Kumbhakaran exhibits Tāmo Guṇa. He is lazy, sleeps for six months and wakes to eat.
• Ravana exhibits Rajo Guṇa. He is focused on getting what he desires, even if he has to take it by force, as he took away Golden Lanka from Kuber Ji because he coveted it.
• Vibhishan exhibits Sato Guṇa. He is pious and objects to any wrongdoing of his brother Ravana, like he did when Ravana kidnapped Sita Mata. He sides with the virtuous, like he did with Bhagavān Śrī Ram.

Bhagavān tells us that everything in this universe happens due to the actions of these three fundamental Guṇas.

It is essential to recognise that we also require Tāmo Guṇa in our lives, even though it embodies inertia and ignorance, just as we need sleep to refresh our bodies for our everyday tasks.

We should therefore learn to balance the presence of the three Guṇas in ourselves to maximise the presence of Sato Guṇa in us.

We had briefly learnt in Chapter 17 that Sato Guṇa is for goodness and simplicity, Rajo Guṇa is for action, passion, and attachment, while Tāmo Guṇa is for evilness, ignorance, and laziness.

In this verse, Bhagavān calls Arjuna Anagha, a point that Shikhar Ji accurately noted.

It means sinless, pure-hearted, and untainted. HE addresses Arjuna so that Arjuna does not have any ill feelings towards anyone else.

This verse explains the nature of Sattva Guṇa, one of the three fundamental modes (Guṇas) that govern all of nature and the human mind.

Bhagavān says, the state of Sattva is Nirmala, pure, and it brings Prakāśa that is filled with clarity, wisdom, and light.

Before the Kurukshetra war, Duryodhana and Arjuna went to Bhagavān Śrī Krishna to ask for his help in the battle. Bhagavān was resting when they arrived at his abode. Duryodhana, with pride and arrogance, sat near Śrī Krishna's head, while the humble Arjuna sat by Śrī Krishna's feet. On waking up, Bhagavān first saw his favourite Arjuna sitting near his feet.

On hearing Duryodhana and Arjuna’s request, Śrī Krishna laid two offers in front of them. On one side was his huge, famous, and powerful Narayani sena, specially trained for warfare by Bhagavān HIMSELF. On the other side was HE, unarmed and not even ready to be in active participation in the war. 

He granted Arjuna the initial choice because it was Arjuna that Bhagavān noticed upon waking. Duryodhana was displeased with this choice, worried that Arjuna would select the strong Narayani Sena. However, Arjuna opted for Bhagavān, despite Śrī Krishna stating that HE would remain unarmed and not take an active role in the fight.

When Bhagavān inquired about Arjuna's choice, Arjuna replied that he just wished for his friend Śrī Krishna to be his charioteer in the battle. Consequently, Arjuna essentially entrusted the direction of his life to Śrī Krishna. Duryodhana was pleased with how things unfolded, as his true desire was the Narayani Sena.

This explains why Śrī Krishna called Arjuna Anagha and talked about Sato Guṇa. It was because Arjuna only wanted the presence and friendship of Bhagavān in his life.

Rajo Guṇa can be seen through intense activity and passion of action. It is the passion to take action to fulfil one’s desires and wants.

Sometimes, despite having a perfectly working Compass box, we crave to have a Compass box like our friends, which may be shiny with multiple decks. This is the effect of the Rajo Guṇa within us.

Most of us would have heard the story about the woodcutter and the axe.

Once, there was a woodcutter. One day, while chopping wood, his axe accidentally fell into a well nearby. He sat crying by the well when a Devata emerged from the river. On hearing what had happened, the Devata assured the woodcutter that he would bring the axe back to him. The Devata then went back into the river and emerged from the water with an axe made of gold and offered it to the woodcutter. The woodcutter, however, said that it was not his axe and hence, he could not keep it. He did the same with the silver axe that the Devata brought up next. Finally, the Devata went back into the well and emerged with his wooden / iron axe. The woodcutter was extremely happy and accepted
it as his axe. The Devata, pleased with the woodcutter’s sincerity and honesty, rewarded him with all three axes.

The woodcutter went back home and narrated his experience to his friend. His friend was greedy and desired to obtain the axe made of gold and silver to make more money.

The woodcutter's friend went near the well and pretended that the axe slipped from his hands accidentally and fell into the well. He pretended to cry loudly so that the Devata could hear him. Like before, the Devata emerged from the water and asked why the friend was crying. On hearing his story, the Devata went back into the well and emerged with an axe made of gold. The greedy man replied that it was his axe. Seeing the man's greed and dishonesty, the Devata disappeared without giving him any axe, even his wooden one. He lost even the axe that he had due to his greed.

This story teaches us that we need to have a pure and honest intention for every activity that we do. If we are honest and have a pure intention, the results will be good.

There is also the story of King Midas.

King Midas was a wealthy and powerful king who loved gold more than anything. He was granted a power with which everything he touched turned to gold. At first, he was delighted, turning everything in the palace to gold. However, his delight turned to dismay when he realised he could not eat or drink anything as food and water turned to gold with his touch. Worse still, when he hugged his daughter, she too turned into a golden statue.

This story shows the terrible effect that greed can have on a person.

There are instances where children go abroad, leaving their ageing parents behind or placing them in old-age homes in order to earn more money. This reflects the influence of Rajo Guṇa. This mode is driven by ambition, desire, and personal success, sometimes at the cost of deeper human values.

On the other hand, when Sato Guṇa guides our lives, we gain clarity about what truly matters. It helps us recognise that the love and presence of the parents who raised us are far more meaningful than worldly achievements. Living with them, caring for them, and being present in their later years becomes a blessing, not a burden.

By addressing Arjuna as Bhārata, Bhagavān Śrī Krishna clarifies to Arjuna that he is not the possessor of the dark Tāmo Guṇa.

In this Shlōka Bhagavān explains Tāmo Guṇa, the symbol of darkness, sloth, and ignorance. Tāmasik Guṇa ties the strap of ignorance over our eyes of knowledge and good actions.

At times, we might feel lazy and choose to sleep instead of doing our homework. After we wake up, we opt to play with our friends in the park, which means we delay our homework once more. When we get back, we feel exhausted, so we enjoy the delicious dinner our mother might have prepared and then go to bed. As a result, we show up to class the next day without having completed our homework. All of this stems from laziness and lack of attention.

We must always be alert to avoid getting trapped in actions governed by Tāmo Guṇa.

Instead, we should always be guided by Sato Guṇa and do our duties with diligence and on time.

We are all bound by the three Guṇas. Sato Guṇa, in the morning, makes us get up, go to school and study well. Rajo Guṇa makes us want to go and play, or gives us desire and ambition to excel and stand first in class. Such Rajo Guṇa are friends with Sato Guṇa and have a positive effect on our lives. We should encourage having such Rajo Guṇa in ourselves. We should, however, be cautious and ensure that Rajo Guṇa does not become friends with Tāmo Guṇa, which may lead to bad results.

This Shlōka explains how the three Guṇas or qualities of nature bind us:

• Sattva (goodness) binds by attachment to happiness, helpfulness, and knowledge.
• Rājas (passion) binds through restless activity and desire for many things.
• Tāmas (ignorance) binds by clouding understanding and leading to laziness or carelessness.

This Shlōka explains the constant tug-of-war between the three Guṇas, Sattva (goodness), Rājas (passion) and Tāmas (ignorance). Each Guṇa tries to dominate the mind and behaviour. At different times, one becomes more powerful, suppressing the other two:

• When clarity, peace, and knowledge dominate, Sato Guṇa is ruling.
• When there is activity, ambition, restlessness, Rajo Guṇa is in charge.
• When there is inertia, confusion, or laziness, Tāmo Guṇa has taken over. An example is when early in the morning, our mother tells us to wake up, but we keep procrastinating by saying, ’another five minutes.’

As mentioned earlier, we aim to practice and increase the presence of Sato Guṇa while controlling our Rajo and Tāmo Guṇas.

This Shlōka describes the signs by which one can recognize the predominance of the mode of Sato Guṇa or goodness in a person.

Sarva-dvāreṣu refers to all the gates or senses of the body through which we perceive, namely, eyes (sight), ears (hearing), nostrils (smell), the mouth (speech and taste), the anus (excretion), and the genitals (reproduction). These are the pathways through which we perceive and interact with the world.

Bhagavān tells us that when Prakāśa upajāyate, or the gates of perception are alight with knowledge, that is when wisdom and understanding awaken in us. In such a state, a seeker naturally desires to see only what is pure and sacred, to hear only what is auspicious and uplifting, and to speak only words that carry goodness.

A story about Swami Vivekananda illustrates this point very well.

Swami Vivekananda went to America and gave the famous speech on 11th September that changed the way people in Western countries perceived our Bhāratvarsh. It is interesting to note that he did not address the congregation as ‘Ladies and Gentlemen,’ but he addressed them as ‘Brothers and Sisters.’

During his visit, he was walking on a riverbank where he saw some young boys doing target shooting with an air rifle, aiming at things floating in the sea. One of the boys invited him to join them. Swami Ji, though never trained in shooting, agreed. The boys had been practicing for weeks but kept missing the target. Swami Ji picked up the rifle, aimed once, and hit the target with the first shot. Then again. And again. Every shot was perfect. Amazed, the boys asked Swami Ji, how he did that without any practice.

Swami Ji smiled and said that whatever one does, they should do it with their whole heart and soul in it. They need to concentrate on it completely. Controlling one’s mind is the secret of success in anything that one does.

Swami Ji himself was the epitome of unwavering concentration in whatever he did. He is a true representation of a person having Sato Guṇa. Having such steadfast concentration is nothing but a superpower, as mentioned by Bhagavān in the first Shlōka of this chapter.

The session concluded with singing of the Hari Nama Sankirtana, followed by a Questions and Answers session, and chanting of Hanuman Chalisa.

Questions and Answers

Reyansh Ji

Q: Can you please give a summary of Chapter 14?

A: The chapter's title, Guṇatraya-Vibhāga-Yoga, reveals its focus. It discusses the three Guṇas and their impact on our lives. You can rewatch the session on YouTube for more information.

Nishita Dhanoliya Ji

Q: I was unable to take the exam on the previous chapters. Can I give it now?

A: If it is about the Jijyasu exam that you are asking about, you can give it every month. It is held on the first Sunday of every month, and the exam schedule is published in the participants' group.

Vriti Vaibhav Ji

Q: How can I become a better person, and how can I handle a situation where someone is trying to distract me from following the righteous path?

A: Let us address the first part of your question. This can be done by making small positive changes in our daily habits. That’s how great people like Shivaji Maharaj achieved what they set out to do. It could be small things; reading something good every day, eating Sattvik food cooked at home or reading at least one chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā every day and so forth. This will help us enhance our concentration power, and that will ensure we do not get distracted from the path we wish to follow.

Q: I get very stressed before exams, even though I study hard for them. How can I control this?

A: It is not how long you study, but with how much concentration you study. Stay fully focused when you study, like Swami Vivekananda Ji did when shooting from the rifle. Learning to chant the BhagavadGītā is a definite way to increase our concentration power.  Also, as we have learnt in Chapter 12, we should put in our best effort and offer our efforts on the lotus feet of Bhagavān and leave the rest to him. HE will definitely do what is right and the best for us.