यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते। सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथात्मा नोपलिप्यते
Just as the all-pervading space, because of its subtlety, is not tainted, so too, the self, though present in every body, is not tainted.
यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः । क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत
As the one sun illumines this entire world, so the knower of the field illumines the whole field, O Bharata.
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा । भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम्
Those who, with the eye of knowledge, discern the distinction between the field and the knower of the field, and the liberation of beings from nature, they attain the supreme.
परं भूयः प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानानां ज्ञानमुत्तमम् । यज्ज्ञात्वा मुनयः सर्वे परां सिद्धिमितो गताः
I will again declare the supreme knowledge among knowledges, by knowing which all sages have attained the highest perfection from here.
इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः। सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च
Relying on this knowledge, those who have become like me are not born at creation, nor do they suffer at dissolution.
मम योनिर्महद्ब्रह्म तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम् । संभवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत
My womb is the great Brahman; in that I place the seed. From that, O Bharata, the birth of all beings arises.
सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तयः संभवन्तिः याः । तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रदः पिता
Whatever forms arise in all wombs, O Kaunteya, the great Brahman is their womb, and I am the seed-giving father.
सत्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसंभवाः । निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम्
Goodness, passion, and darkness—these qualities, arising from nature, bind the imperishable embodied one to the body, O mighty-armed.
तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम् । सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ
There, sattva, being pure, is illuminating and free from affliction; it binds, O sinless one, by attachment to happiness and by attachment to knowledge.
रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् । तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम्
Know rajas to be of the nature of passion, arising from craving and attachment; it binds the embodied being, O son of Kunti, by attachment to action.
तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् । प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत
But know tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings; it binds, O Bharata, through negligence, indolence, and sleep.
सत्वं सुखे संजयति रजः कर्मणि भारत । ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तमः प्रमादे संजयत्युत
Sattva leads to happiness, rajas to action, O Bharata; but tamas, covering knowledge, leads to negligence.
रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्वं भवति भारत। रजः सत्वं तमश्चैव तमः सत्वं रजस्तथा
When sattva prevails, having overcome rajas and tamas, O Bharata, then rajas overcomes sattva and tamas, and tamas overcomes sattva and rajas likewise.
सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्राकाश उपजायते। ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्वमित्युत
When, in this body, light arises in all the gates, then one should know that sattva has increased.
लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा । रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ
Greed, activity, undertaking of actions, restlessness, and longing—these arise when rajas increases, O best of the Bharatas.
अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च । तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन
Darkness, inactivity, negligence, and delusion—these arise when tamas increases, O joy of the Kurus.
यदा सत्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत् । तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते
When, at the time of death, sattva is predominant in the embodied one, then he attains the pure worlds of those who know the highest.
रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते । तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते
Having died in rajas, one is born among those attached to action; likewise, dying in tamas, one is born in the wombs of the deluded.
कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्विकं निर्मलं फलम्। रजसस्तु फलं दुःखमज्ञानं तमसः फलम्
They say the fruit of good action is pure and sattvic; the fruit of rajas is pain, and ignorance is the fruit of tamas.
सत्वात्संजायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च। प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च
From sattva arises knowledge, from rajas only greed; from tamas arise negligence, delusion, and indeed ignorance.
ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः । जघन्यगुणवृत्तस्था अघो गच्छन्ति तामसाः
Those established in sattva go upward; those in rajas remain in the middle; those abiding in the lowest quality, tamas, go downward.
नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टाऽनुपश्यति । गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छति
When the seer perceives no other agent than the qualities, and knows that which is beyond the qualities, he attains my state.
गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान् । जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्रुते
Transcending these three qualities, which arise from the body, the embodied one is freed from birth, death, old age, and sorrow, and attains immortality.
कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानीतो भवति प्रभो । किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते
By what marks, O Lord, is one known who has transcended these three qualities? What is his conduct, and how does he go beyond these three qualities?
प्रकाशं च प्रवृत्तिं च मोहमेव च पाण्डव। न द्वेष्टि संप्रवृत्तानि न निवृत्तानि काङ्क्षति
He neither hates the presence of light, activity, or delusion, O Pandava, nor longs for them when they have ceased.
उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते । गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येव योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते
He who sits indifferent, unmoved by the qualities, who knows that the qualities act and does not waver—such a one abides.
समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः । तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः
He who is the same in pain and pleasure, self-composed, who regards a lump of earth, a stone, and gold alike, who is steady in mind toward both the pleasant and the unpleasant, and who is unmoved by praise or blame—
मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः । सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यते
Who is equal in honor and dishonor, the same toward friend and foe, who has renounced all undertakings—he is said to have transcended the qualities.
मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते । स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान्ब्रह्म भूयाय कल्पते
And he who serves Me with unwavering devotion, surpassing these qualities, is fit to become one with Brahman.
ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहममृतस्याव्ययस्य च। शाश्वतस्य च धर्मस्य सुखस्यैकान्तिकस्य च
For I am the foundation of Brahman, of the immortal and the unchanging, of the eternal law and of absolute bliss.