Garuda Purana

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.

अन्यथा ये विजानन्ति ते यान्ति ह्यधरं तमः । गरुड उवाच । राशीकृतगुणानां च त्रयाणां परमेश्वर ॥ ३,४.

Those who understand otherwise go to the lowest darkness. Garuḍa said: O Supreme Lord, regarding the three guṇas in their aggregate—

विशालानां परं ब्रह्मन्प्रलये गुणसाम्यता । कथं ब्रूहि महाभाग एतत्तत्त्वं समासतः ॥ ३,४.

O supreme Brahman, how does the equilibrium of the guṇas occur at the dissolution among the vast ones? Tell me, O greatly fortunate one, this truth in brief.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । राशीभूतगुणानां तु त्रयणामपि सत्तम । तदा विमिश्रितत्वेन ह्यवस्थानं विदुर्बुधाः ॥ ३,४.

Śrī Krishna said: O best of beings, the wise know that when the three qualities are combined together, they exist in a mixed state.

इदानीं गुणवैषम्यं शृणु सम्यङ्मम प्रिय । सृष्टिकाले तु संप्राप्ते यत्पूर्वं प्रलये खग ॥ ३,४.

Now, my dear, listen carefully to the inequality of the qualities as I explain; at the time of creation, what was previously during dissolution, O bird,

दशभागैश्च सत्त्वे तु मिश्रितं यद्र जस्तथा । तमस्यप्येकभागेन प्रविष्टं यत्तु तद्रजः ॥ ३,४.

In sattva, it is mixed with ten parts, and likewise with rajas; and in tamas, rajas enters with one part.

रजस्यप्येकभागेन प्रविष्टं यच्च तद्रजः । एवं द्वादशभागैश्च प्रविष्टं सर्वशो रजः ॥ ३,४.

And in rajas, rajas enters with one part; thus, in total, rajas is present with twelve parts everywhere.

सत्त्वस्तैर्दशभागैश्च तथैकेन रजोंशिना । एवमेकादशैर्भागैस्तमस्थांशेन वै व्दिज ॥ ३,४.

Sattva is with those ten parts, and with one part of rajas; likewise, with eleven parts, tamas is present, O twice-born.

मिश्रितं भवति ह्यद्धा महत्तत्त्वं तदा स्मृतम् । एतदन्यो विशेषश्च मन्तध्यो विनतासुत ॥ ३,४.

Thus, when mixed, it indeed becomes the great principle, which is then remembered as such; this is another distinction, O son of Vinatā, who is thoughtful.

एकांशस्तामसो ज्ञेयो महत्तत्त्वे न संशयः । एवं त्रयोदशैर्भागैर्मिश्रितं तच्च सत्तम ॥ ३,४.

In the great principle, one part is known as tamas, without doubt; thus, it is mixed with thirteen parts, O best of beings.

एवमेतद्विजानीयान्नान्यथा तु कथञ्चन । गरुड उवाच । चतुर्मुखाच्छ्रुतं पूर्वं भगवन्सात्त्वतां पते ॥ ३,४.

Thus, one should understand this and not otherwise, in any way. Garuḍa said: O Lord, leader of the Sāttvatas, this was formerly heard from the four-faced one.

चतुर्भागात्समुत्पन्नं महत्तत्त्वमिति प्रभो । तत्रैकांशस्तमः प्रोक्तः त्रिभागो रज एव च ॥ ३,४.

O Lord, it was said that the great principle arises from four parts; among them, one part is called tamas, and three parts are rajas.

तदाहुर्ब्रह्मणो रूपं गुणवैषम्यनामकम् । चतुर्भागात्मकं प्रोक्तं महत्तत्त्वं श्रुतं मया ॥ ३,४.

They say that is the form of Brahmā, known as the inequality of the qualities; the great principle is said to consist of four parts, as I have heard.

त्रयोदशांशैः संभूतमिति प्रोक्तं त्वयानघ । तदेतत्संशयं छिन्धि कृपालो भक्तवत्सल ॥ ३,४.

You have said that it is formed from thirteen parts, O sinless one; please resolve this doubt, O compassionate one, who is affectionate to devotees.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । ब्रह्मोक्तम्य मयोक्तस्य विवादो नास्ति सर्वथा । मूलसत्त्वे मिश्रितं च दशभागेन यद्रजः ॥ ३,४.

Śrī Krishna said: There is absolutely no contradiction between what Brahmā said and what I have said; in the root sattva, rajas is mixed with ten parts.

तत्सर्वं च मिलित्वैव त्वेको भागस्तु कीर्तितः । मूले रजसि यच्चोक्तो रजोभागः खगेश्वर ॥ ३,४.

All of that, when combined, is said to be one part; and in the root rajas, what is called the portion of rajas, O lord of birds,

भागे द्वितीये विज्ञेयस्तद्रजो नात्र संशयः । मूले तमसि यच्चोक्तो रजोभागस्तथैव च ॥ ३,४.

In the second part, that is to be known as rajas, there is no doubt; and in the root tamas, what is called the portion of rajas is likewise so.

तृतीयभागो विज्ञेयो नात्र कार्या विचारणा । तथा मूले च तमसि ह्येको भागस्तमः स्मृतः ॥ ३,४.

The third part is to be understood as such; there should be no further inquiry. Likewise, in the root tamas, one part is remembered as tamas.

एवं त्रिभागो रजसः एकांशस्तमसः स्मृतः । तदाहुर्ब्रह्मणो देहं गुणवैषम्यनामकम् ॥ ३,४.

Thus, three parts are of rajas, and one part is of tamas; they say that is the body of Brahmā, known as the inequality of the qualities.

गरुड उवाच । महत्तत्त्वस्य चत्वारो भागास्तेषु रजस्त्रयः । तमसस्त्वेक एवेति त्वयोक्तं गरुडध्वज ॥ ३,४.

Garuḍa said: Of the four parts of the great principle, three are rajas and one is tamas—thus you have said, O bearer of Garuḍa.

रजोभागात्मको देहोः ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः । इति प्रतीयते ब्रह्मन्वचनात्तव माधव ॥ ३,४.

The body of Brahmā, the supreme creator, is composed of the portion of rajas—so it is understood, O Mādhava, from your words and from Brahmā's.