Chapter 7 · Verse 12

Self-Knowledge and Enlightenment

ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये। मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि नत्वहं तेषु ते मयि

ye chaiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasās tāmasāśh cha ye matta eveti tān viddhi na tvahaṁ teṣhu te mayi

Word Meanings

ye cha eva sāttvikāḥ bhāvāḥ rājasāḥ tāmasāḥ cha ye mattaḥ eva iti tān viddhi na tu aham teṣhu te mayi

Translation

Know that all states of being — whether born of goodness, passion, or ignorance — arise from Me alone. Yet I am not in them; they are in Me.

Commentary

ये whatever? च and? एव even? सात्त्विकाः pure? भावाः natures? राजसाः active? तामसाः inert? च and? ये whatever? मत्तः from Me? एव even? इति thus? तान् them? विद्धि know? न not? तु indeed? अहम् I? तेषु in them? ते they? मयि in Me.Commentary This is a world of the three Gunas? viz.? Sattva (purity)? Rajas (passion) and Tamas (inertia). All sentient and insentient objects are the aggregate of these three alities of Nature. One ality predominates in them and the predominant ality imparts to the object its distinctive character or definite properties.In the gods? sages milk and green gram? Sattva is predominant. In Gandharvas (a class of celestials)? kings? warriors and chillies? Rajas is predominant. In demons? Sudras? garlic? onion and meat? Tamas is predominant.Though these beings and objects proceed from Me? I am not in them they are in Me. I am independent. I am the support for them they depend on Me just as the superimposed snake depends on the rope. The snake is in the rope? but the rope is never in the snake. The waves belong to the ocean but the ocean does not belong to the waves. (Cf.IX.4and6)