Chapter - XIV
THE UNITIVE WAY OF TRANSCENDING THE THREE NATURE-MODALITIES
(Gunatrayavibhaga Yoga)
The three gunas or nature-modalities with which this Chapter is concerned belong to human nature as expressed clearly in the previous Chapter. It has also been clearly stated in XIII.26 that whatever moving and non-moving things are there in the universe, they have been created because of union with field (body comprising of nature and its modalities) and the knower of the field (the manifest form of God through the 14 Devatas together). It has been further clarified in the last Chapter (XIII. 21) that attachment to the modalities of nature was the cause of birth in “good or bad wombs”. Moreover, verses 5-6 have described the great elements, ego-sense, reason, also the Unmanifest, the ten senses, and the one (mind) and the five conceptual aspects of the senses, along with wish-dislike, pleasure-pain, the organic aggregation, vital intelligence, firmness as field along with its modifications and it has been said that nature is beginningless (XIII.19) and modifications and their intrinsic modalities are born of nature. We have proved in the book the five great elements, ego-sense, reason refer to the 7 names of the 14 Devatas. Verse XIII.21 states that the extent to which the spirit, which appreciates the modalities born of nature, gets associated with the modalities, becomes the cause of births in good or evil wombs. Spirit is the supervisor, permitter, supporter and experiencer whereas nature together with the intrinsic modalities, try to affect the spirit (XIII.22). If the modality is pure or sattvik, the spirit remains pure, if the modality is rajasik or tamasik, the spirit also shows similar traits, and depending on the state of the spirit when the body dies, it is decided whether it is pure enough to get united with the Divine Spirit or whether it has to take birth in good or bad wombs. This has been elaborately described in this Chapter. One who knows this relationship between spirit and nature, together with the intrinsic modalities, gets free from the cycle of rebirth (XIII.23). In fact, he becomes one with the Absolute Himself.
Surah Waqiya of Quran talks of three types of people, viz. people who moved ahead, people with actions in right hand and people with actions in left hand. Gita talks of the self getting united with the Divine Self and spirit taking birth in good or evil wombs. While ‘those who moved ahead’ of the Quran is same as those who are able to unite their self with the Manifest Self, people with actions in right and left hand should not be confused with those who were to take birth in good and bad wombs because of modalities of their actions. By the time the Divine Spirit of Truth, as prophesied by Jesus, descended on earth, which means to say that all the 14 Devatas who came into being from the One Noor created by Manifest Self descended one after another in the same region, the world had already entered the kaliyuga (the black age). The obedient atmas (selfs) had by this time already attained salvation by attuning their selfs to the Divine Self and those who were left on earth were the atmas which kept moving in good and bad wombs but could never attain the stage of purity that is necessary to attain union with Divine Self.
Atmas have been sent on earth with mission to get out of the world through purifying the self and uniting it with the manifest self. The other way in which atma gets out is when it reaches such a nadir from where there can be no comig back and such an atma is removed from the world. What remains on earth are the atmas that have been unable to attain salvation and because of their afflictions to rajasik and tamasik modalities, about which we will read in this chapter, they continue to move between good and bad wombs, i.e. they continue taking birth in the form of various beings, depending on the state or level of the atma when it left the previous body. Since kaliyuga is to be succeeded by the end of the world, a special gift was given to Prophet Mohammad whereby there was to be no rebirth among those who accepted his true teachings. Such people, who accepted his true teachings, too remain afflicted to modalities. While some of these people must have surely attained the required purity and attained salvation, a lot many atmas surely must have been left behind who couldn’t attain the purity level that is necessary for salvation. Such people – at the time when their atma will leave the body - will be of two type viz. those whose good deeds outweigh the bad deeds (people with actions in right hand) and whose bad deeds outweigh the good deeds (people with actions in left hand). Such people will be tried on the Day of Judgment and sent to heaven or hell depending on their deeds.
What is most important is to perform actions while keeping the remembrance of God alive. Such actions, performed under the influence of Forces of Noor or Light are said to be sattvik in nature. Actions performed with material intent are rajasik while those performed under the influence of Forces of Darkness are called tamasik in nature. These are the modalities of nature.
There is another point that we need to bring forth! Take the case of the creation of Adam, which has been described in Old Testament (sacred to Jews and Christians) and Quran (sacred to Muslims). Hindu commentators claim that there is no concept of Adam given in their scriptures and their scriptures talk of higher concept. The higher concept they boast off is the presence of Paramatma, the Devatas, apsaras, etc. What we are seeing in our study is that these concepts are described in the books of Jews, Christians and Muslims as well, though not that elaborately. If the creation of Adam has not been described elaborately in Hindu scriptures, this does not mean that man was not created. Whoever was the first of man was Adam and his progeny was called Aadmi (mankind).
If we read the description in Old Testament and Quran, we find that when Adam was to be created, first his mould or skeleton was created from mud. It was left to dry. When it dried sufficiently, the spirit was blown into him, and Adam got up. Hindus might say why they should believe in the story when it is not given in their scriptures? They will have to believe when they see what happens to the body when the spirit leaves the body. It becomes a useless body, incapable of moving or even preserving for some time. After some time, it degrades to mix with soil once again. Therefore, it is essential to remember, for all times, that the real value is of the spirit inside us. The spirit leaves the body when the body becomes incapable to hold it and provide it the necessary nourishment. It could be due to some illness, failure of some organ, too much flow of blood or any such reason. When the body becomes incapable of holding the spirit, it is left with no choice but to find another body. The next body that the spirit chooses for itself depends on the state in which the spirit was at the time of leaving the previous body.
Thus, it is clear that spirit is more important than the material body. Our mind or intellect makes the decisions; it decides whether the soul attaches itself to the spirit or it becomes attached to the material world outside the body. On this will depend whether the spirit in us remains move on the path of attaining purity or not.
Coming back to this Chapter, what we find is that the outline of the theory, which is going to be discussed in the present Chapter, was laid in the last Chapter. What follows in this Chapter is a further clarification of this theory of modalities of nature, and it may be said to be one of the important contributions of the Gita.
In this Chapter, there is not much discussion on the spirit in the body or its relationship with the Paramatma or the Supreme Spirit, whose role has already been elaborately defined in the previous Chapters. Instead, the modalities of nature are talked about in detail, which have a greater role to play, because whether the spirit remains pure at death and goes to unite with the Absolute or whether it has to take birth in good or bad wombs, depends on the modalities of nature that it is associated with. NG has described these modalities of nature as lower or bodily self: “This lower or bodily Self belongs to the domain of nature and necessity rather than to the free contingent spirit. As such it is subject to the modalities of nature as implied in the theory here. These modalities have, all of them, the effect of binding or conditioning the self. The self which is subject to natural bondage is not the higher self but one that is merely a “dweller in the body” or the “body owner” which is subject to birth, death, old age and sorrows. The three modalities refer only to this lower Self and, what is more, a man who conforms to the descriptions given in verses 22 to 25 at the end of this Chapter transcends the three modalities and becomes released from their binding force, and gains full spiritual status. The requirement laid down in verse 19 for crossing over the domain of the lower self, which is under the influence of the modalities to the higher, free and eternal Self, is very simple. He has only to see that there is no agent other than the modalities of nature, which keep him bound. Knowledge thus affects ready release. How a simple knowledge of this kind could win such a precious release is further explained in the last section of this Chapter as consisting of a certain attitude of neutrality or balance between opposites. The lower self which is given primacy in this Chapter and even referred to as the “basis of the Absolute” in verse 27 interacts with the higher or intelligent Self, and the overall wisdom about the two selfs establishes an equilibrium between them. This is the yoga or unitive discipline implied here. The primacy given to the lower self in this Chapter for purposes of discussion is quickly corrected, as we shall see in the next Chapter, where both the selfs are revalued in terms of a supreme Self called the Purushottama.”
If anybody had any more doubts, they get erased through the discussion in this Chapter. We have mentioned in our commentary of previous Chapter that even Dua-e-Kumayl – the supplication attributed to Imam Ali – talks of the Noors occupying the higher portions of all beings. This is the Supreme Self called the Purushottama, whose role in showing us the way has already been discussed. Our own self has two parts - higher or the intelligent self and lower or the animal self. In the book Bihar-ul-Anwar, there are sayings of the Ahlulbayt, wherein they talk of an extremely white part inside our body, which keeps getting blackened, with increasing number of sins. Ahlulbayt have also talked in detail about the animal self and the need to firmly keep it in control. Only then, movement to the higher self is possible.
Now, Gita is talking of the lower self and how it gets attached to the three modalities. Need is to understand that it is the modalities of nature that do not allow a person to move to the higher self, even though this should be the ultimate aim of each person. Upanishads too have talked of the role of the fourteen Devatas inside us and said that they occupy the higher portions of the Self. Consciousness has been related to the Devatas - described as Purushotamas. This means that the person who performs actions or inactions that enable him to live in the higher self builds a direct relationship with the Devatas and through the Devatas, with the Manifest Self.
This makes it clear that the higher self inside us is directly attached to the fourteen Devatas, who form a link with the Manifest Self of God. Any person who is able to realize this relationship attains union with the Absolute. But to do so, it is utmost necessary to subdue the lower half of the self, which is governed by the modalities in nature.
This lower self and its relationship with the modalities in nature, anger, greed and other material tendencies, is described in greater detail in this Chapter.
[1]
Sribhagavan said:
I shall again declare that superior wisdom, the best of all wisdom, by knowing which all sage-recluses (munis) have passed to transcendental perfection from here.
ACBSP writes in translation:
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Again I shall declare to you this supreme wisdom, the best of all knowledge, knowing which all the sages have attained the supreme perfection.
We have seen that wisdom was the virtue that was associated with the Divine Spirit in the human body and all else was called ignorance in verse 11 of the previous Chapter. A man possessing wisdom alone is sure to know the relationship that exists between field and the knower of the field. It is expected that a wise man, who is aware of the virtues to be desired, will work towards achieving them. But the man is still governed by the modalities of his nature, which have the ability to sway his behaviour and lead him towards a path that is destructive for the well-being of his spirit.
Superior wisdom talked about here means the ability of the man to cognize the various modalities of nature and then act, while keeping the modalities in check, so that the knowledge of the spirit that has been termed as wisdom is fully put to use and his self (atma) is able to attain the supreme perfection. But it is not an easy task as we have repeatedly said the atmas that remain are afflicted to one ailment or other.
Writes NG: “After the thirteen Chapters have been covered, how such an important aspect of wisdom has been so far neglected, can only be explained by the fact that we are here entering into the domain of what was referred to as vijnana (specific or specialized aspect of wisdom) in IX.1. This specific quality of wisdom has now attained a maturity in the last four Chapters, so that the author is now able in this Chapter to confront the modalities of natural expression in the actual world of human values, which are not necessarily spiritual in the best or usual sense of the term, but yet deserve attention as belonging to the principle of a necessity which is also eternal.”
[2]
Having resorted to this wisdom, and having attained to conformity in (express) features pertaining to Me, they are neither born at creation nor are they adversely affected at dissolution.
ACBSP writes:
By becoming fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental nature like My own. Thus established, one is not born at the time of creation or disturbed at the time of dissolution.
The logic described is simple. God created a manifest nature of Himself in the form of a Manifest Self or the Higher Spirit (Paramatma), and all the rest of moving and non-moving creatures were created out of this Manifest Self. The Manifest Self or Higher Spirit is directly related to the higher portion of self in our bodies. This Self or Spirit has been described as the knower of the field and wisdom is linked to it. The lower self is governed by nature and its modalities. Those who are able to acquire the superior wisdom mentioned in verse 1 get free from repeated cycles of birth and their self gets united with the Supreme Self. Once the self gets united, the person cannot die, as the Self of the Supreme is eternal in nature. And even when the dissolution of the entire world will take place, that self or spirit of ours will continue to exist as part of the Supreme Self of God.
Question is how are they to acquire the superior wisdom that enables them to get freedom from repeated cycles of birth. It has been explicitly stated that it can be achieved by controlling the organs of senses and action, by controlling anger, lust, greed and other such illness that afflict the self. This Chapter also says that it can be achieved by recognizing the modalities of nature which do not allow us to come out of the lower self.
However, there is another important point that should not be missed. Mere attaining of wisdom as regards to the relationship between one’s self and that of the Manifest Self of God is not enough. One has to attain conformity with the features pertaining to God, which have been described in the previous Chapter. Any one, who is able to accomplish these two things, attains union with the Manifest Self.
This conformity with the features pertaining to God is talked about on other occasions as well. Any person who reaches a certain degree of closeness with the Manifest Self of God starts showing the attributes of the Paramatma (Manifest Self) itself. The same is said in Hadees-e-Qudsi, wherein the God says:
O My creation, follow my path. I will make you like Myself. I am Immortal. I will give you life that you will not die. I am Powerful. I will give you power that you won’t ever be dependent.
Is it not the fact that Hadees-e-Qudsi is referring to the same subject that Gita is addressing here? Important to note is that salvation is dependent on two things: knowledge of the Divine Creation Plan that passes from Devatas to Manifest Self to Absolute God and purity of self through subduing the modalities of nature and reaching a certain level of purity. This purity could be attained through various methods described earlier in Gita.
[3]
My womb is great Brahma (supreme deity); in that I place the germ; thence is the birth of all beings, O Bharata (Arjuna).
What we have been talking about till this stage, about the Manifest nature of God, is being mentioned explicitly here. Brhad-aranyaka Upanishad, Isa Upanishad, Paingala Upanishad and several other religious scriptures sacred to the Hindus have mentioned this process elaborately. God decided to have a manifest form and created the Manifest Self. This Self underwent a process to create Brahma from whom the hiranyagarbha (the golden germ or embryo) evolved, which grew in size and then split into two – siva (masculine principle of the Absolute) and sakti (feminine principle of the Absolute) whose interaction led to creation of Devatas. It was due to the enormous devotion and worship that Devatas did, they were bestowed with the power of creating the phenomenal world. Thereafter they took the task of leading the entire mankind to the worship of the Absolute God, from whom the Devatas themselves had originated.
We have proved in the BOOK that Brahma is nothing but the original, undivided Noor created prior to all creations, which Mohammad called his own Noor. It is interesting to note that Mohammad was referring to that one Noor created before all creation and Ali being the other half of the Noor when Muslims knew nothing about the present of the same concepts in the books of the Hindus. Mohammad said on several occasions that his Noor was created before the creation of all beings. He has said that Ali and he himself were identical divisions of the same Noor. All through his life, he stressed that Fatima was part of him. In the BOOK, we have shown how the Upanishad too has used similar wordings to describe the origin of the Devatas. Thereafter, Upanishads talk of siva and sakti uniting to produce the rest of the Devatas, who became the guardians of the 14 spheres. The rest of the beings were created after the guardians had been appointed; what role the guardians had in this creation is not known as per the knowledge available to us. We have also seen that the Vedas have used Sakti, Parvati and several similar names for the Devi (Fatima). Time and again, we have also shown in the BOOK that Siva is none else but Ali’s Noor that got created from the original Noor, viz. Brahma. Since Siva had not taken birth in human form till then and the material tendency of men wanted something to worship, they started worshipping the linga, as they knew Noor of Siva was instrumental in the creation of the cosmos. Since Siva presided over 11 more Imams or Adityas (there are twelve Imams or Adityas in all), twelve such lingas were created.
We have also said time and again that there was a particular period of evolution of mankind when these Devatas were introduced in all major civilizations of the world. Therefore, the same were introduced in the Greek, the Egyptian, the Mesopotamian and the Chinese civilizations, apart from introducing them among the Indo-Aryans. Most interestingly, even the Egyptian ancient folklore talks of a god with lingas all over his body. The same Egyptian folklore also talks of a Devi with two kids in her arms and more visible inside her enlarged belly, while the stories of Greek gods are very similar to the myths associated with characters of the Vedas.
It is this creation of fourteen beings from the parabrahma (supreme aspect of the Absolute) that is being talked about here. They all were alike to each other and also alike to the Brahma, from whom they originated. That is why Mohammad said on countless occasions that all of Ahlulbayt were Mohammad.
[4]
Whatever tangible forms are produced in all the wombs, O Son of Kunti (Arjuna), great Brahma (supreme deity) is their (common) womb and I am the seed-bestowing Father.
In the previous Chapter, it was mentioned that the Supreme Spirit remains associated with the spirits in all the animate and inanimate bodies. This verse makes it further clear how it is possible. Everything owes its origin to Brahma and is born of a common womb; the Manifest Self of God is the seed-bestowing father, who even created Brahma - the one Noor - which is called Noor-e-Mohammadi by the Muslims. The self in our bodies is a part of the Divine Self of Brahma, in such a manner that the Divine Self neither decreases when more selfs are born nor increases in size when a self comes back to get united with it. Ultimate aim of all spirits or selfs that have been created is to get united with the Divine Self. If a self is unable to reach a level that it gets united with the Divine Self upon the death of the body in which it remained, it has to take birth in good or bad wombs in future births.
[5]
The pure-clear (sattva), the affective-active (rajas), and the inert-dark (tamas); these nature-necessity-born modalities (gunas) bind, O Mighty-armed (Arjuna), the imperishable embodied one.
ACBSP translates:
Material nature consists of three modes – goodness, passion and ignorance. When the eternal living entity comes in contact with nature, O might-armed Arjuna, he becomes conditioned by these three modes.
The content of this verse has already been elaborated upon in our description of the previous Chapter and this Chapter up to this stage. If we go on to write about it again, it will merely be repetition of what has already been said.
NG writes that in Gita “these three modalities are applied not only to the subject of psychological types and problems of vocational guidance, but to schools of philosophic thought and to contemplative disciplines and attitudes in general. Even diet is not omitted.”
Unfortunately these three modalities are used to describe the four varnas (colours, divisions of society) and this has vitiated popular thought in India through centuries. What the people have not understood though is that the three modalities can never be passed on by birth. Each one of us is born carrying certain degrees of all three modalities viz. sattvik, rajasik and tamasik. The real test of the person is to transcend these modalities and acquire unity with the Higher Self. At all times, the Higher Self, which plays the role of providing consciousness, tries to show the right path to the person, whereas the natural forces tend to take the person from Higher Self to sattvik to rajasik to tamasik mode. If the Higher Self emerges victorious, the person attains salvation. On the other hand, if the natural forces emerge victorious, the person is unable to attain salvation. Majority of people fluctuate between sattvik and tamasik mode, while performing more of their acts in rajasik mode.
Fact is that those who prove the Varna system to be existing out of these modalities are themselves either in rajasik or tamasik mode but surely not in any higher mode.
Writes NG: “When we include deeper traits of the personality, to arrive at any such classification, we see in common life that the modalities mentioned here alternate and change over in the same person during the course of his growth or development as an individual, and even from moment to moment in his daily behaviour. Moreover, if we take the case of Arjuna’s own kshattriahood (warrior status) we find it true and valid only when the occasion of a righteous or absolutist war is present. Killing would be right for Arjuna at best for a few hours…
The three gunas (nature-modalities) should be viewed dynamically and not statically, as a triple-stranded regulative necessary principle which interferes with the flux of becoming and above all as something that still pertains to the relative side of life only, without having anything to do with spirituality properly understood. They are normative and not experimentally fixed in character. Above all they have to be understood only in conjunction with the objective counterparts belonging to each, without which they are absurd in themselves.
Such is the only sense of II.45 where Arjuna is asked to transcend the three nature-modalities and not to cultivate them. We can also see in this Chapter in verse 25 the recommending reference to gunatitah (one who has transcended the three modalities of nature).
We have already drawn attention to the fact that the Self is bound to necessity as implied in the word nibadhnanti (bind). Anything tending to bind the Self, however, even if the bondage is with a golden thread, cannot be called truly spiritual, because all spirituality implies release or freedom.
Even a person conforming to the highest or the purest modality of the three, the sattva guna, can lay claim at best only to an exalted form of holiness and not to true spirituality which is quite another thing.”
[6]
Of these, the pure-clear modality (sattva) from its purity, causing brightness and expressing normal well-being, binds by pleasure-conditioning and by knowledge-conditioning, O Sinless-One (Arjuna).
ACBSP has translated this as follows:
O sinless one, the mode of goodness, being purer than the others, is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode become conditioned by a sense of happiness and knowledge.
Stating in more precise terms what sattva (pure-clear modality or goodness) means, is the object of this verse. The word anamayam (normal well-being) suggests that the spirit conditioned by sattva (pure-clear modality or goodness) more or less shows the normal behaviour expected of a person. You may say this is the behaviour of a child, which shows tendency of justice, truthfulness, etc. Such a person conditions his self, either because of teachings or knowledge, to remain in that state itself. If you look around you will find several persons who dwell in this modality. They appear happy and contented, not because of their effort but because of the conditioning of their nature. The pull of the tamasik and rajasik modalities must surely be there but they are so conditioned that they continue to remain in sattvik mode. Since it has been said that the sattvik modality too is related to the lower self, it means that they still have to make effort to transcend this sattvik modality. This will be possible, as it has been said earlier, only when the person attains conformity in features pertaining to the Manifest Self. When this attempt is made, Zulmat uses it forces to pull the person back to lower modality.
There is one very interesting observation we wish to make. Outside of these modalities, we know now that there are two forces working on us, both from inside and outside. These are the Forces of Noor and Zulmat. The forces of Noor work on our consciousness and if they find a sincere will within us, as well as wisdom, they work to pull the person from being in tamasik mode to rajasik mode to sattvik mode and even higher. At all times, Zulmat works to pull the person from higher self to sattvik mode, then to rajasik and tamasik mode.
While many of us continue to act in the mode in which our spirit is conditioned. For instance, we see a lot many people who spend their entire lives in rajasik mode with no attempt to perform certain actions in higher mode. There may be others who lead their lives in tamasik mode. Only when the person uses his intellect and start performing acts in higher mode than the status in which his self is that the self starts moving towards purity. That is due to the pull of the Noor or the higher self. When this happens, Zulmat too uses its forces to pull the self towards performing actions in the lower mode.
From outside, it cannot be said what level the person is. Two persons may appear performing actions in rajasik mode, but it is possible that one is performing the action while on course to his ascent towards sattvik mode while the other may be performing action in rajasik mode while on course to his decline towards tamasik mode. Moreover, we also do not know how much of force Zulmat is using on which person. It is possible a person is in sattvik mode and Zulmat knowing fully that this person is incapable of moving ahead has left him there while it is possible a person appears to be performing acts in sattvik mode but Zulmat is using all its forces to pull him back and despite all those forces, he still stays in sattvik mode.
But the real test of humanity to defeat all these negating forces and move on path that even transcends the modalities. We must however remember that it is even possible for Zulmat, at all the times, to pull back the person from the highest level, as it has been the case of Vishwamitra. Therefore, it is essential for the wayfarer of spiritual path not to allow even a bit of complacency so that Zulmat succeeds in pulling him back.
This logic further leads us to another observation, something that we have mentioned earlier as well. Lot many veils get removed from the eyes of a person who has transcended the modalities. There are some people who, when they reach this state, start claiming ‘An al-Haq’ (I am truth) or I am Brahman. If Rishis of yore made such statements, they surely were the guided ones. But today if someone makes a statement of this sort, even it is made after sincere realization that the person’s self has got united with truth, he should refrain as there is no guarantee that in future this person won’t be pull back from that lofty position. Zulmat is sure to use its maximum forces on pulling such a person back.
[7]
Know you the affective-active modality (rajas) as being of the nature of attachment, conditioned by thirst for life and the adhering tendency; it binds fast, O Son of Kunti (Arjuna), the embodied one, by action-association.
ACBSP writes:
The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kunti, and because of this the embodied living entity is bound to material fruitive actions.
A man in rajasik (affective-active modality or passion) is attached to materialistic enjoyments and wishes to enjoy this life as full. This has a binding impact and it is difficult for such a person to come out of his attachment for material things. This is a person of the world and thinks of nothing more than benefits for this world alone. At no time does he realizes that all these associations are worldly in nature and the person is to leave them and move to the next life in the near future.
An increasingly large number of people are found attached to this modality.
[8]
But the inert-dark modality (tamas) know you, is born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings; it binds, O Bharata (Arjuna), by delusion, lassitude and somnolence.
ACBSP writes:
O son of Bharata, know that the mode of darkness, born of ignorance, is the delusion of all embodied living entities. The results of this mode are madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned soul.
The phrase sarvadehinam (all embodied beings) indicates that the tamasik modality too has a binding quality. This is perhaps the pure animal nature and is consequence of ignorance and of delusion, lassitude and somnolence. Animals and men can be equally included as representing this modality in nature. Even a brahmin or a saiyad, if he does not make an effort against natural inertia, is likely to get bound by it.
A man who performs actions in tamasik modality has been described to be dead. This is the reason why Gita described those in the opposite camp, in the battle of Mahabharata, as already dead. Quran too has described such people as dead and it is stated that such people are deaf, dumb and blind and there is only a remote chance of them getting out of this modality.
Not that it is impossible to come out of this modality. In the BOOK, we have shown from the Vedas, the example of Hur in the battle of Karbala, who is a classic case of a person who came out of tamasik modality. However, there is not much chance of this happening in normal cases, as this modality is the consequence of ignorance, that too because the person does no attempt to come out of that ignorance. Violence, rape and other gross evils are inevitable consequences of being in this modality. Even if one kills or plunders in the name of religion, there is a greater chance that such a person is acting in tamasik modality even though he might be considering himself to be deeply religious. In fact, apparently the most piety filled religious rituals performed with great zeal and fervour can be in either of the three modalities. Even the religious priests, preachers and sadhus could be performing their actions in either of the three modalities.
[9]
The pure-clear modality (sattva) conduces to pleasure, and the affective-active modality (rajas) to action, O Bharata (Arjuna), while the inert-dark modality (tamas), shrouding wisdom, conduces to delusion.
ACBSP’s translation is as follows:
O son of Bharata, the mode of goodness conditions one to happiness; passion conditions one to fruitive action; and ignorance, covering one’s knowledge, binds one to madness.
NG elaborates: “Each modality is referred to here more briefly from the side of its expression rather than from its source, for diagnostic purposes. The confusion or delusion caused by the modality called tamas is here further explained. Mistaking one value for another, or getting confused generally through appearances and not being guided by realities which correct knowledge alone can bring – such is the expression by which this modality is to be recognized.”
One remarkable thing that is mentioned here is that the mode of ignorance even covers the person’s knowledge or wisdom, and despite his learning, he is unable to distinguish between good and bad.
Let us give an example to show how a person may perform a same action in various modalities. Any action can fall into any of the three modes, depending on the thinking of the individual. Take for instance the example of a man performing exercise in the morning. This exercise can fall into any of the three modes. If the man performs the exercise keeping in mind that it is good for a long life and if he lives for a longer period, he would be able to take care of his children better – something that God has ordained for him - and might even live till the time of the arrival of the last Devata, his action will fall in the mode of sattvik. On the other hand, if he feels that he will look better and will consequently look more attractive to the opposite sex, this action will fall in the mode of rajasik. Likewise, if he feels that through exercise he will become powerful enough to suppress the people or kill a person from another community, the action falls in tamasik mode.
There is another category though, which is beyond these three modalities of nature. A person who has transcended the three modalities, will perform or not perform exercise but only for God.
[10]
Now the pure-clear modality (sattva) dominates, overpowering the affective-active (rajas) and the inert-dark (tamas); and the affective-active (rajas) over the pure-clear (sattva) and the inert-dark (tamas); likewise the inert-dark (tamas) over the pure-clear (sattva) and the affective-active (rajas), O Bharata (Arjuna).
ACBSP translates:
Sometimes the mode of goodness becomes prominent, defeating the modes of passion and ignorance, O son of Bharata. Sometimes the mode of passion defeats goodness and ignorance, and at other times ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way there is always competition for supremacy.
We have already mentioned that the three modes are not of permanent nature and one keeps dominating the other at different times. All three modalities are present in a person and only difference between one and another is which modality is dominating in which person.
The real test of a being is to transcend these modes, by completely subduing the modalities of nature. Once the modalities are transcended, then the Manifest Self within our self starts showing its effect. The consequence of this is that the person starts showing the virtues that God possesses.
[11]
When light which is wisdom streams forth from all the doors of the body, then it may be understood that the pure-clear modality (sattva) is predominant.
ACBSP translates:
The manifestations of the mode of goodness can be experienced when all the gates of the body are illuminated by knowledge.
To transcend the modalities of nature is not easy. For those who are unable to do so, it is always better to remain in the pure-clear (sattvik) modality. Such a person appears to be full of wisdom and knowledge.
NG says: “The gates of the body referred to here are the indriyas (sense organs) which put the body in living touch with their corresponding objects of perception. Consciousness consists of both subject and object and, as consciousness is comparable to light, here it is stated that when the healthy spirit belonging to nature and pertaining to necessity, expresses itself normally there is a fullness of consciousness in relation to the various senses which may be said to be doors or windows of the soul.”
ACBSB has equated the nine gates to the nine openings in the body. This appears incorrect! Because he has counted nostrils as two, ears as two, but genitals as one, both for men and women. However, NG’s arguments equating the gates with indriyas appear to be correct.
See how ACBSP describes this: “There are nine gates in the body: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, the mouth, the genitals and the anus. When every gate is illuminated by the symptoms of goodness, it should be understood that one has developed the mode of goodness. In the mode of goodness, one can see things in the right position, one can hear things in the right position, and one can taste things in the right position. One becomes cleansed inside and outside. In every gate there is development of the symptoms of happiness, and that is the position of goodness.”
It is also possible that the nine gates are those which are described in verses 5-6 of the previous Chapter which talks about the ten senses, and the one (mind) and the five conceptual aspects of the senses, wish-dislike, pleasure-pain, the organic aggregation, vital intelligence and firmness. God knows better!
In the properly human context sattvik (pure-clear) well-being, though it applies to the bodily side, can reflect on the mind and be conducive to brilliancy of intelligence and keeping the doors mentioned above illuminated.
At this juncture, we are reminded of a saying of the Prophet Mohammad who said: “I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate”, thereby meaning anybody seeking knowledge will have to come through Ali. Likewise, anybody seeking to remain in sattvik mode will have to keep the aforementioned gates of the body pure and illuminated. Knowledge and wisdom to do so will come from the Devatas, including Ali.
[12]
When the affective-active modality (rajas) dominates, there arises greed, activity, initiation of works, impatience, and covetousness, O Best of Bharatas (Arjuna).
ACBSP’s translation:
O chief of the Bharatas, when there is an increase in the mode of passion the symptoms of great attachment, fruitive activity, intense endeavour, and uncontrollable desire and hankering develop.
From the enumeration of the symptoms of a man in whom rajas (affective-active modality) is dominant, we find qualities that involve a relation with an outside object or value. The interest here may be said to be horizontally directed towards things in the world, such as goods or possessions.
Says ACBSP: “One in the mode of passion is never satisfied with the position he has already acquired: he hankers to increase his position. If he wants to construct a residential house, he tries his best to have a palatial house, as if he would be able to reside in that house eternally. And he develops a great hankering for sense gratification. There is no end to sense gratification. He always wants to remain with his family and in his house and to continue the process of sense gratification. There is no cessation of this. All these symptoms should be understood as characteristics of the mode of passion.”
[13]
When the inert-dark modality (tamas) dominates, dullness, lack of initiative, delusion, infatuation arise, O Joy of the Kurus (Arjuna).
ACBSP translates:
When there is an increase in the mode of ignorance, O son of Kuru, darkness, inertia, madness and illusion are manifested.
Writes NG: “Even here we can see that the diagnostic qualities of a tamasik (inert-dark) person do not conform even to the minimal requirements of a good servant, who cannot be at least without some initiative in his work.” On the contrary, Gita wants each of its believers to constantly perform actions even for the betterment of the society. It goes to the extent of even calling its adherents to wage a righteous war on all kinds of evil, inhuman, unjust and non-righteous thinking and forces.
Judging by the lofty standards that Paramatma wants us to maintain, we are sure that he would not have allowed anybody, but the Purushottams, or at best those in the sattvik mode, to be on his side in the war of Mahabharata. How sorrowful that the commentators call Mahabharata a war for acquiring the lost kingdom, which is altogether against the values taught by Gita.
Let us all introspect and see whether we are worthy of being on the side of Krishna, if he decides to come again in this world, to lead us to the right path. Kalki Avatar or Mahdi is about to come. Let’s prepare for his coming!
[14-15]
If the body-bearer goes to dissolution when the pure-clear modality (sattva) predominates, then it attains to the pure worlds of those who understand the best (values).
Meeting with dissolution when the affective-active modality (rajas) dominates, he is born among those attached to action; and likewise if dissolved in (a state of) inert-dark modality (tamas) he is born in the wombs of the foolish.
ACBSP has translated these two verses as follows:
When one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains to the pure higher planets of the great sages.
When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities and when one dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom.
NG comments: “In the case of rajasik (affective-active) and the tamasik (inert-dark) men, the worlds in which they are to be born seem to be the earth that we are familiar with, but in the case of the man in whom sattva (pure-clear) predominates, it is not clear whether the superior values attained in the pure worlds belong to the immanent or the transcendent order.”
We differ with NG here! The test is here in this world and not in any other world. If the person has been able to transcend the modalities, even then he will live and die in this world alone. It’s true that when the spirit leaves his body, it is in a stage where it has transcended the modes, then there will be no coming back for him. For someone who dies with self in either of sattvik, rajasik or tamasik mode, there is no salvation. Such a spirit will need a body until it is ready for exit or the world ends.
The highest position, as per Gita, is to attain the state where the self gets united with the Manifest Self. Such a self never dies because it has become one with the Divine Self. Only those who have transcended the three modalities would fall into this category.
[16]
The benefit of good action is said to be pure-clear (sattvik) and pure; while the benefit of the affective-active modality (rajas) is pain; and ignorance the benefit of the inert-dark modality (tamas).
ACBSP has translated this as follows:
The result of pious action is pure and is said to be in the mode of goodness. But action done in the mode of passion results in misery, and action performed in the mode of ignorance results in foolishness.
Instead of going from effect to cause, here we trace the effect from the cause. Otherwise, the meanings are same as discussed before.
ACBSP has here given a long narration about ignorance being killing animals or particularly the cows and even goes on to prove that just as the human law gives death as penalty for killing man, there must be some punishment for killing animals in the state controlled by the Supreme Lord. “So indulgence in animal killing for the taste of the tongue is the grossest kind of ignorance,” says he.
It is sad indeed that in spite of talking about serious subjects that Gita dwells in, ACBSP continues to dwell on lesser significant aspects. Killing an innocent animal is surely wrong. Ali has strongly advised his followers to desist from making their stomachs a storehouse of dead animals. Prophet Mohammad has even refrained his followers from plucking leaves unnecessarily. Yet he has not stopped animal killing altogether. This is so because Islam was presented as a law for the entire humanity, who are living in all regions of the world, and not just for those living in the Gangetic plains of India.
Tell a Brahmin from Kashmir to desist from eating meat and he might say it is not about religion but about the conditions in which he lives. Likewise, tell somebody in Rajasthan or the desert of Arabia, and he might even be ready to leave your company than accept what you are saying. Read Robinson Crusoe and you will realize that there can be situations when one has no option but to eat meat. Crusoe had to plan to kill animals even when the place abounded in grapes, because he had read that merely eating the grapes could make a man insane. Moreover, poor people have no source of nourishment but through easily available meat.
However, this does not mean this writer is supporting consumption of meat. If at any stage of his spiritual elevation, if the wayfarer feels becoming vegetarian would help him attain his objective, he should surely do so. But more than being vegetarian or non-vegetarian, there are other factors which are essential for attaining self-realization and it is within reach for people of both these habits to attain salvation, if they really strive for it.
It is sad that ACBSP talks about such subjects and ignores the real issues that Gita points out. Do not be unjust to others, don’t get involved in theft even if it is white collared theft, don’t promote corruption, be humane in approach, don’t kill others, don’t usurp other’s property, don’t fall for materialistic desire, and so on. People who themselves would have been removed from their company by Krishna due to their unrighteous deeds, had they lived in Krishna’s time, are considered acceptable because it is from amongst them that the major donors come to organizations like ISKCON and others.
A sincere attempt is needed to take the people back to righteousness and leading a way of life authenticated by Gita. But that is missing! And mere chanting of ‘Hare Krishna’, preferably while dancing or sitting in a trance, is being projected as bhakti (devotion), which has to be necessarily accompanied by gifts to the institution or acquiring its membership by paying a fixed fee. If you are too poor to do all this, there are other temples where you can go and show your devotion. Decide for yourself in which mode will all this fall?
[17]
From the pure-clear modality (sattva) arises wisdom; as also from the affective-active modality (rajas) greed; and both delusion and infatuation and also ignorance from the inert-dark modality (tamas).
ACBSP translates:
From the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops; from the mode of passion, greed develops; and from the mode of ignorance develops foolishness, madness and illusion.
The same operation of equating the three modalities with their counterparts is carried out here as a slight variant to the others. Cause and effect are treated more unitively.
[18]
Those who abide in the pure-clear modality (sattva) go upwards; the affective-active (rajasik) dwell in the middle, and the inert-dark (tamasik) abiding in the function of the lowest modality of nature, go downwards.
See ACBSP’s translation:
Those situated in the mode of goodness go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the abominable mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.
Writes NG: “This verse restates the same verity in terms of high and low values. The ambivalence represented by the three modalities of nature which were somewhat veiled by being judged in the light of their diagnostic marks or expressions, now emerges in its proper symmetry of opposition.
There are ordinary middle-state values from which we could have arrows representing a series of sattvik (pure-clear) values that may be said to ascend a scale upwards; and correspondingly there is a downward scale, reaching to the lowest values known to man, here referred to by the expression jaghanyagunavrittistha (abiding in the function of the very lowest modality of nature). It goes without saying that the middle values belong to the rajasik (affective-active) modality.”
But what does all this mean? Does the person who abides in the pure-clear modality climb some stairs? No! The person who abides in the pure-clear modality gets a better birth in the next life. If you recall, the earlier Chapters have even said that getting birth in the family of the Devatas is extremely rare. That is perhaps the highest climb of a person who has spent his life in sattvik mode. Those who die in the rajasik mode continue to take birth in middle societies, while those who perform more of tamasik deeds take birth in inferior castes or bodies. That is why, it was said in one of earlier chapters that the wise treat the Brahman as well as a dog and a dog-eater equally. You never know what a Brahman of this birth would become in the next.
Those who created caste system should know that all men are equal in the sense that everybody who is living, even if he is a brahmin or a saiyad, has not been able to attain salvation until now. None of us have cause to rejoice. We should feel sorry that our selfs are afflicted with one or the other disease, which has not allowed us to attain salvation, despite the fact that so many Messengers and Avatars have arrived in the past. Likewise, we should know that it is possible for a person in the lowest birth to attain salvation within this birth itself while it is possible for a Brahmin to fall to the level that he gets birth of a dog or a dog-eater in the next life.
Ultimate aim is not to live life in sattvik mode but to transcend this as well and attain union with the Manifest Self of God. This state is described as nijaat by Prophet Mohammad. What does this mean when we have already said that the Manifest Self of God continues to remain present in all beings? This means that the person transcends the modalities of nature, which are present in his lower self, and aligns his lower self with the Higher Self inside him. Once the person is able to do so, he starts showing the characteristics of God in his acts and deeds. Such a person attains union with the Absolute through acquiring union with the Manifest Self inside him.
Such persons reach such high level of spirituality that they start showing superhuman characteristics. But that does not mean we start worshipping them, as it happened with the case of people like Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Nizamuddin Aulia or Sai Baba. All that they did was for their own good. They might or might not have attained union with the Absolute. We are not in position to comment on that as this is something that only God and the Devatas know. However, considering the fact that prayers are heard even at their doorsteps make us conclude that they must have attained the cherished goal. For us, it is in our interest that we try to attain that union for ourselves, so that we too are able to transcend repeated rebirths and attain a permanent place in the highest levels of heaven. Instead of seeking from them, the desired way is that our self reach a level of purity where what we wish comes true.
[19]
When the seer beholds no other agent than the modalities of nature, and knows that which lies beyond the modalities, he attains to My state of being.
ACBSP translates:
When one properly sees that in all activities no other performer is at work than these modes of nature and he knows the Supreme Lord, who is transcendental to all these modes, he attains My spiritual nature.
The Chapter had started with conversation about superior wisdom, by knowing which all sage-recluses have passed to transcendental perfection from this world. Such men are neither born at creation nor are they adversely affected at dissolution. This is so because they attain union with the Absolute.
Then conversation moved to those who worship the Manifest form of God and it was said that all beings are created from one womb and possess nature-necessity-born modalities (gunas). These were the lesser mortals, who were subjected to the modalities of nature.
Conversation now again moves to that cherished state belonging to the transcendental aspect of attaining union with the Absolute, referred to here as gunebhyah param (lying beyond the modalities).
It is said that the seer beholds no other agent than the modalities of nature, and knows that which lies beyond the modalities. Purport is that a man who considers all actions as belonging to the modalities and knows that salvation in the form of attaining union with the Manifest form of God and the Absolute exists beyond it, will only perform the actions that are necessary, that too with a degree of detachment and not seeking any fruit of actions. When he is conscious of the material body, he acts only for sense gratification, but when he has realized only the Supreme God as truth, sense gratification automatically stops. He does not need this material body and he does not need to accept the dictates of the material body. He does not desires to enjoy the body, nor does he desires to get out of it. Thus transcendentally situated, the devotee becomes automatically free.
Such a person realizes the Supreme God and attains to the state of being united with the Absolute God. And does not have to take birth again, neither in good nor in bad wombs.
[20]
The embodied, having transcended these three modalities of nature, originating in the body, is freed from sufferings of birth, death and old age, and enjoys immortality.
See ACBSP’s translation:
When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes associated with the material body, he can become free from birth, death, old age and their distresses and an enjoy nectar even in this life.
This is what each of us should aspire for.
[21]
Arjuna said:
By what marks, O Master, does he who has transcended those three modalities of nature become (recognized)? What (is his) conduct and how does he transcend those three modalities of nature?
ACBSP’s translation:
Arjuna inquired: O my dear Lord, by which symptoms is one known who is transcendental to these three modes? What is his behaviour? And how does he transcend the modes of nature?
Arjuna asks a question on the same topic which has been partially covered already, for a fuller philosophical discussion of the implications of the theory of the three modalities of nature when it is given its proper place in the larger context of wisdom. He asks for the signs or marks of a person who has transcended the three modalities.
[22-25]
Sribhagavan said:
Light and activity and delusion when present, O Pandava (Arjuna), he is not dissatisfied nor hankers for them when absent.
He who, seated as a neutral, is not moved by the modalities of nature; who, thinking that the modalities of nature operate in rotation, who, standing apart is unmoved;
the same in pain and pleasure, at rest in himself, to whom a clod of earth and a stone and gold are alike; firm in attitude (alike) to loved and unloved; who regards his being blamed or praised equally;
the same in honour and disgrace; taking no sides as between friends or foes, abandoning all initiation of works – he is said to have transcended the modalities of nature (gunas).
Now see how ACBSP has translated these verses;
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O son of Pandu, he who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present or long for them when they disappear; who is unwavering and undisturbed through all these reactions of the material qualities, remaining neutral and transcendental, knowing that the modes alone are active; who is situated in the self and regards alike happiness and distress; who looks upon a lump of earth, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye; who is equal toward the desirable and the undesirable; who is steady, situated equally well in praise and blame, honour and dishonour; who treats alike both friend and enemy; and who has renounced all material activities – such a person is said to have transcended the modes of nature.
Commenting on these verses, NG writes: “Light, energy and delusion are the conditioning factors of the bhutatman (existential or elemental Self). The yogi under reference here who has transcended the gunas (nature-modalities) is able to deal with that aspect of his own self which is under sway of these modalities, together with the other higher aspect of his own Self independent of these modalities, he latter being merely perceptual in its character. By treating these two aspects on an equal footing it is suggested in this verse that a yogi transcends the modalities. He is indifferent to the working of the modalities and to whatever conditionings or necessary types they might imply.”
This explains why Krishna talks of peace and harmony all through Gita, then leads Arjuna to the recognition of the Absolute God and then asks him to fight telling that it is his duty to fight and he will be committing sin if he shirks the responsibility. He asks Arjuna to fight while remaining neutral and unconcerned about consequences, detached from emotions and without considerations of reward or fame and remaining disaffiliated from all material attractions. This is so because God wants the believers of Gita to live within this world and not to go to remote places as sanyasins, as the present-day concept is, work ceaselessly to remove injustice, evil and disharmony from the face of this world, and personally take refuge only and only in the Absolute God.
These three verses together constitute what might be called a full definition of one who has transcended the three gunas (modalities).
[26]
He also serves me with a yoga of devotion, never deviating from the proper path, transcending these modalities of nature, he is considered fit for becoming the Absolute.
ACBSP’s translation is as follows:
One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.
NG here deviates from the true meaning as implied by Gita when he says: “This verse hearkens back from the discussion of the modalities to the familiar note of bhakti (devotion) pertaining to the Bhagavatas of the Vasudeva religion. The strict bipolar relation to be established with Krishna as a representative of the Absolute is the teaching running through the Gita as a kind of refrain.”
Those reading this commentary must have surely realized by now that all that is happening in the name of religion is not correct or sanctified by religion. The mistake that NG has committed here is to try to understand the word ‘devotion’ from the devotion that is practiced today. How can we be sure that this is the right form of devotion?
In fact the highest form of devotion which is performed today pertains to inflicting injuries on the body, going without food for days, or doing tapasya while standing on a feet, or remaining standing or sitting in a particular position for months. All these are severally criticized by God later in Gita and referred to as tamasik modality. What NG is saying is akin to giving milk to the idols to drink when Krishna talks of serving the Absolute God as well as the Manifest Self, with a yoga of devotion. In fact, never deviating from the proper path and transcending the modalities of nature itself will be acts of serving the Manifest Self. This is so because we have already seen that this alone was the purpose of creation of the Manifest Self.
Devotion applied in Gita means sincerity or continuity. The devotee serves the Absolute God with sincerity, never deviating from the proper path, and transcending the modalities of nature, as has been talked about. Such a person is considered fit for becoming one like the Absolute. Consequently, he starts showing the characteristics of God in his personality.
[27]
For I am the basis of the Absolute and the unexpended nectar of immortality, and the eternal way of right conduct, and of lonely final happiness.
ACBSP translates as follows:
And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable and eternal and is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness.
Absolute God alone has to be the final goal. Only in Him should one take refuge. Only then will a person attain immortality upon death or will ceaselessly remain on the right path performing the right deeds while alive. God alone is the ultimate source of all happiness. Come, we welcome all of you! Come under the refuge of the Absolute; come to the fold of the religion of the Absolute; bow down only to Him; worship Him alone and perform all your worldly acts while realizing Him and remembering that it is to Him that we have to return.
To Him, all are His creations; if you love Him truly see to it that the rights of some are not being trespassed by others. His soul dwells in all, if you believe in it, see to it that no soul is given cause to lament. He is just and expects you to not only do justice to all but raise your voice against all forms of injustice. If the atma gets corrupt He does not allow it to come back to Him; consequently the atma has no choice but to continue dwelling in the bodies of others, yet you have accepted corruption as a way of life. He has created harmony in every aspect of nature, therefore don’t allow anybody to create disharmony amongst human beings. If you allow all this to happen, and yet wish yourself to be called a devotee of God, read Gita again, because Krishna won’t accept you on his side.
Come, let’s work to make this world a better place to live so that even if we were to be the unfortunate ones to be born again in good or bad womb, we won’t be treated as badly as several men of our period are being treated today, without having any resource to plea for justice or fair treatment, nobody to care for them, nobody to give them food or shelter, and nobody to wipe out tears from their eyes in the name of humanity.
Thus ends in the Upanishads of the Songs of God, in the Science of the Wisdom of the Absolute, in the Dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, the Fourteenth Chapter entitled The Unitive Way of Transcending the Three Nature-Modalities.
