Garuda Purana

राशिभूतं गुणानां तु दर्शयिष्ये स्थितिं च वै । राशीभूतस्य तसमः सकाशाद्विनतासुत ॥ ३,४.

I will show you the state of the qualities when they have become aggregated, and also their condition, O son of Vinata, when they are in aggregate form.

राशीभूतं रजो ज्ञेयन्द्विगुणं तत्तु नान्यथा । राशीभूतस्य रजसः सकाशाद्विनतासुत ॥ ३,४.

Know that the aggregated rajas is double; it is not otherwise. From the aggregated rajas, O son of Vinata—

राशीभूतं तथा सत्त्वं द्विगुणं समुदाहृतम् । मूलप्रकृतिजा ह्येते न मूला प्रकृतिः स्मृता ॥ ३,४.

Similarly, the aggregated sattva is said to be double; these are born from the root-prakriti, but the root itself is not called prakriti.

यतः प्रकृतिरूपाणां परिच्छेदो न विद्यते । अतः प्रकृतिजा ज्ञेया न मूलास्ते खगेश्वर ॥ ३,४.

Because there is no delimitation of the forms of prakriti, therefore, those born from prakriti are to be known as not the root, O king of birds.

एवं तव गुणानाञ्च परिमाणं खगेश्वर । उक्तं स्वरूपं तेषां तु तव सम्यक्खगेश्वर ॥ ३,४.

Thus, O king of birds, the measure of the qualities has been told to you; their nature has been properly explained to you, O king of birds.

तत्र राशित्रये सत्त्वं केवलं समुदाहृतम् । रजस्तमोभ्यां गरुड ह्यविमिश्रं ह्यतस्तु तत् ॥ ३,४.

There, in the three aggregates, sattva alone is declared; but, O Garuda, it is unmixed with rajas and tamas, and thus it is so.

केवलं सत्त्वमित्युक्तं न तु श्रेष्ठत्वतः प्रभो । सृष्टिकाले केवलं स्यात्प्रलये मिश्रितं भवेत् ॥ ३,४.

It is called pure sattva, not because of superiority, O lord; at the time of creation it is pure, but at dissolution it becomes mixed.

सर्वदाप्यविमिश्रं च सत्त्वराशिं खगेश्वर । सर्वदापि विमिश्रं च सत्त्वराशिं द्विजोत्तम ॥ ३,४.

Always, O king of birds, the aggregate of sattva is unmixed; yet always, O best of twice-born, the aggregate of sattva is mixed.

ये विजानन्ति ते सर्वे विशन्ति ह्यधरं तमः । रजस्तमोगुणौ वीन्द्र इतराभ्यां विमिश्रितौ ॥ ३,४.

All those who know enter the lower darkness; the qualities of rajas and tamas, O Indra among birds, are mixed with the other two.

सृष्टौ प्रलयकालेपि मिश्रावेव खगेश्वर । राशिभूतेपि रजसि रजोभागाच्छताधिकम् ॥ ३,४.

Even at the time of creation and dissolution, O king of birds, they are mixed; even in the aggregate of rajas, the portion of rajas exceeds a hundredfold.

सत्त्वं च मिश्रितं ज्ञेयं नान्यथा पक्षिसत्तम । रजसः शतभागानां मध्ये तु विनतासुत ॥ ३,४.

Know that sattva is mixed, O best of birds; among the hundred portions of rajas, O son of Vinata—

य एको भाग उद्दिष्टस्तावत्परिमितं तमः । राशिभूतेपि रजसि मिश्रितं परिकीर्तितम् ॥ ३,४.

That one portion which is specified is the measure of tamas; even in the aggregate of rajas, it is said to be mixed.

रजोराशिस्थितिस्त्वेवं तात व्याप्तं तमोगुणैः । राशिभूतेपि तमसि सत्त्वं च विनतासुत ॥ ३,४.

Thus, O dear one, the aggregate of rajas is pervaded by the quality of tamas; even in the aggregate of tamas, O son of Vinata, sattva is present.

तमः सकाशाद्गरुड दशभागाधिकेन च । मिश्रितं भवतीत्येवं ज्ञातव्यं नात्र संशयः ॥ ३,४.

O Garuḍa, from tamas, when mixed with a portion greater by one-tenth, this is to be understood—there is no doubt in this matter.

तमसो दशभागानां मध्ये तु विनतासुत । य एको भाग उद्दिष्टस्तावत्परिमितं रजः ॥ ३,४.

Among ten parts of tamas, O son of Vinatā, when one part is specified, that is the measure of rajas.

राशिभूतेपि तमसि मिश्रितं भवति ध्रुवम् । तमोराशिस्थितिस्त्वेवं ज्ञातव्या पक्षिसत्तम ॥ ३,४.

Even when tamas is in aggregate, it is certainly mixed; thus, the state of the mass of tamas is to be known, O best of birds.

गरुड उवाच । रशिभूतेपि रजसि राशिभूते तमस्यपि । सत्त्वांशा ह्यधिकाः संतीत्येवमुक्तं मयानघ ॥ ३,४.

Garuḍa said: Even when rajas is in aggregate, and likewise when tamas is in aggregate, the portions of sattva are greater—thus I have stated, O sinless one.

तत्र मे संशयो ह्यस्ति शृणु त्वं सात्त्वतां पते । यद्राश्यां यद्रा शिभागा ह्यधिकाः संति यावता ॥ ३,४.

There is a doubt in me regarding this; listen, O lord of those endowed with sattva: in each aggregate, by how much are the portions greater?

तावता व्यवहारः स्यात्क्षीरनीरमिव प्रभो । श्रुत्वा स गरुडेनोक्तं भगवान्पुरुषोत्तमः ॥ ३,४.

By that much is the distinction, just as with milk and water, O Lord. Having heard this spoken by Garuḍa, the blessed Supreme Person—

उवाच पर मप्रीत्या संस्तुवन् गरुडं हरिः । श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । रजोराश्या तमोराश्या सत्त्वराश्यधिका सदा ॥ ३,४.

—spoke with great affection, praising Garuḍa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: In the aggregate of rajas and the aggregate of tamas, the portion of sattva is always greater.

मिश्रितं चापि पक्षीन्द्र न सत्तवमिति कीर्त्यते । रजोराशिस्तमोराशिरित्येवं विबुधा विदुः ॥ ३,४.

And when mixed, O king of birds, it is not called sattva; the wise know it as the aggregate of rajas or the aggregate of tamas.

विषं तु चरुदुग्धस्थं विषमित्युच्यते यथा । एवं मयोक्ता गरुड गुणानां निजसंस्थितिः ॥ ३,४.

Just as poison present in charming milk is still called poison, in the same way, O Garuḍa, I have described the inherent state of the guṇas.

साम्यावस्थां गुणानां च शृण्विदानीं खगेश्वर । राशीकृताच्च रजसः जन्यं यच्च कगेश्वर ॥ ३,४.

Now hear, O lord of birds, about the state of equilibrium of the guṇas, and also about the origin from the aggregate of rajas, O lord of birds.

महत्तत्त्वे प्रविष्टं च यद्रजः परिकीर्तितम् । प्रलये समनुप्राप्ते महत्तत्त्वे स्थितं रजः ॥ ३,४.

That rajas which is said to have entered the great principle (mahat-tattva), at the time of dissolution, remains established in the great principle.

द्वादशांशेन तु ह्यद्धा विभक्तं भवतिं प्रभो । राशीभूते हि सत्त्वे तु दशभागेन मिश्रितम् ॥ ३,४.

O Lord, it is divided into twelve parts; and when sattva is in aggregate, it is mixed with one-tenth part.

सम्यक्भवति पक्षीन्द्र तथैकांशेन चाण्डज । तमोराश्या मिश्रितं च भवत्येव न संशयः ॥ ३,४.

Thus, O king of birds, it is properly so, and with one part, O egg-born, it is mixed with the aggregate of tamas—there is no doubt about this.

अन्येनैकेन भागेन रजोराश्या खगेश्वर । मिश्रितं भवतीत्येवं ज्ञातव्यं नान्यथा क्वचित् ॥ ३,४.

With another single part, O lord of birds, it is mixed with the aggregate of rajas; this is to be known, and never otherwise.

गुणत्रयेपि भगवान्महत्तत्त्वस्य चाण्डज । एवं लयस्तु ज्ञातव्यो हृदि तत्त्वार्थवोदिभिः ॥ ३,४.

O egg-born, the dissolution of the three guṇas and of the great principle is to be understood in this way by those who know the truth in their hearts.

एवं गुणत्रयाणां च मिश्रितत्त्वात्खगेश्वर । गुणसाम्यमिति प्राहुरेवं जानीहि वै खग ॥ ३,४.

Thus, O lord of birds, because of the mutual mixing of the three guṇas, it is called the equilibrium of the guṇas; know this, O bird.