Chapter 14 · Verse 21

Yoga through Understanding the Three Modes of Material Nature

अर्जुन उवाचकैर्लिंगैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो।किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते

arjuna uvācha kair liṅgais trīn guṇān etān atīto bhavati prabho kim āchāraḥ kathaṁ chaitāns trīn guṇān ativartate

Word Meanings

arjunaḥ uvācha — Arjun inquired; kaiḥ — by what; liṅgaiḥ — symptoms; trīn — three; guṇān — modes of material nature; etān — these; atītaḥ — having transcended; bhavati — is; prabho — Lord; kim — what; āchāraḥ — conduct; katham — how; cha — and; etān — these; trīn — three; guṇān — modes of material nature; ativartate — transcend

Language:

Translation

Arjuna said: By what signs is one known who has transcended these three gunas, O Lord? What is their conduct, and how does one rise beyond these three gunas?

Commentary

कैः by what? लिंगैः by marks? त्रीन् three? गुणान् Gunas? एतान् these? अतीतः crossed? भवति becomes? प्रभो O Lord? किमाचारः what (is his) conduct? कथम् how? च and? एतान् these? त्रीन् three? गुणान् Gunas? अतिवर्तते goes beyond.Commentary Arjuna said O Lord? by what characteristics may a man be recognised as having gone beyond the three alities What is the behaviour of that Trigunatita sage (one who has gone beyond the three alities) and how does he go beyond the world and is above the Gunas Tell me that.These are the characteristics of the sage who has gone beyond the Gunas others should cultivate them.Just as a king is able to remove the grievances and sorrows of his servants? so also the Lord is able to remove the sorrows of His devotees. That is the reason why Arjuna addresses Sri Krishna as Lord and uses the term Prabhu. By using this word? Arjuna hinted to the Lord that He alone was capable of relieving his sorrows and pains. (Cf.II.54)