Bhagavad Geetha Chapter 14: Gunatraya Vibhagha Yoga — The Three Gunas

Chapter 14: Gunatraya Vibhagha Yoga

The Three Gunas — Division by Three Traits

Part of the Bhagavad Geetha — Complete Commentary by Guruji M. Mohan Sundar

Arjuna, by knowing which the saints get relieved from the attachment to this world, such a Supreme Wisdom once again I AM going to give you now (because of which, you will also be relieved from the attachment towards this world). Those who realise through this knowledge and always donning this knowledge will realise MY nature and will not be born even in the beginning of the new creation, and they will never be subjected to sufferings during the Armageddon (Pralaya) too. Lord Brahma is the expressed form of MY nature, and he is the womb for all the creation and I place the seed of Consciousness in many fold in it and in association with the matter (which is MY inertia form) all the items of the creation are created.

Note: Both living and non living beings are the expressed forms of the same Supreme Consciousness, however in the living beings it is dynamic and in the non living matter it is static in its nature. The Supreme Consciousness / God did not pick up the infinite items of the creation from various places and put them together to make this manifest creation. If this is so then there are many creators creating various items of the creation and God has borrowed from them, which is not the truth. IT is one Single Supreme Consciousness which manifested as infinite number of Nebulas, Galaxies and Brahmandas, planets and the living beings and the non living matter too. The variety of creation in the form of living beings are carried by the nature and nature is the mother. And I place the seed of creation in her, as father (i.e. fusion of energy and consciousness into one and the energy emerges from the very consciousness itself. Therefore energy and consciousness together constitutes that ONE Supreme Being ). There are three traits known as Positive (Sathwa Guna), Semi-positive (Rajo Guna), and Negative (Thamo Guna). All these three traits are born out of the nature and they bind the indestructible Individual Consciousness into the body.

Note: The Nature which is the Mother for all the variety of creations also within itself has fundamental traits known as Satwa Guna, Rajo Guna and Tamo Guna. These three traits tie down the Individual Consciousness which is a part of the Supreme Being and free from three traits, into the play of three traits. Of the three traits, the Positive trait known as Sathwa Guna is pure, vibrant and free from any negative influences. It binds the Individual Consciousness (Soul) through happiness, through knowledge and produces positive ego in human beings. The Semi-Positive trait known as Rajo Guna is the producer of desires and attachments. And it binds the Soul with these two aspects and make the person to do such actions which binds the entity to the creation for the purpose of receiving the fruits of such actions. The negative trait known as Thamo Guna, increases the infatuation towards one's own body and it suppresses the traits of the Consciousness deep inside which would result in laziness, unreasonable sleep and negative thinking. Through these attitudes the bondage of the Consciousness/ Soul becomes strongest with the body to the extent that the person believes body itself is the ultimate truth.

Note: The Thamo Guna is the main cause for the general thinking in the world that body is the only truth and one birth and death is the end of life. Thus, evolved one life philosophies in the world which drives people towards unrighteous way of life and enjoy life to a maximum through negative means and thereby making people not to believe in re-birth and the continuum of life through several birth and death cycle to work-out the accumulated Karma of past lives in each birth. It is necessary to understand the principle of karma to understand life itself. Some philosophies have the concept of only one birth and no more. If that is so, then GOD/ Supreme Being is a highly discriminating entity and there will be no explanation why a human being is born blind by birth, physically handicapped by birth. Some born as rich, some born as extremely poor, some born in fair color, some born in dark color, some as tribes, some with various talents like singing, dancing, painting etc.. some are born with unknown deadly diseases, some are born healthy, some in life become achievers and some others as great failures in life etc.. This discrimination of God makes him cruel and against human beings because he has discriminated against various human beings not treating them alike, but this is not the truth. Supreme Being (GOD) has Equanimity towards all Beings and HE is the epitome of Supreme Kindness and Equity. Therefore, here comes the principle of Karma (accumulated action and reaction of past lives). Unless we realise the existence of past lives and good and bad actions in those lives, this disparity mentioned above can never be understood. This principle of Karma can alone explain why each individual is differently born as mentioned earlier. In Sanathan philosophy the entire life and the happenings in life are based on one's own Karma only. Similar to Karma is emotional relationships in each one's life which is called as Runa (emotional debt) to each other in past lives. If we accept there is only one life and no more rebirth then beings taking birth as mentioned above become meaning less. If there is only one birth when and where did the soul find the time to commit sins, when it is called born sinner by birth ( as per some philosophies). Arjuna, Sathwa Guna gives happiness. Rajo Guna drives for action, and Thamo Guna blocks the wisdom resulting in difficulties and disbelief of truth. The Sathwa Guna (Positive trait) suppresses the Rajo Guna. Rajo Guna (Semi-positive trait) suppresses the Thamo Guna. But the Thamo Guna (Negative trait) being gross and harder reverses Rajo Guna and Sathwa Guna and finally becomes dominant. When inner-self becomes active and senses become refined, wisdom increases, then one can understand that Sathwa Guna has blossomed in the person. Arjuna, when there is increase of Rajo Guna a person shows selfishness, doing actions with desires, a constricted state of mind, restlessness and more interested in worldly affairs. Similarly, when the Thamo Guna increases, inner-self is covered with more negativity and senses become blunt, and lack of driving force, not interested in doing duties and responsibilities, negligence, irrational behaviour and predominantly lazy attitude. When a person of Sathwa Guna leaves his body at old age, he goes into the heavenly planes because he has done actions for the well-being of the world i.e., divine in nature. When one dies with increased Rajo Guna, he will take birth in such families where actions are being done with great desires and selfishness. When a person of Thamo Guna leaves his body (dies), he takes birth as insects or of animal species. The actions of Sathwa Guna results in the dawn of knowledge, happiness and a kind of detachment which are holy in nature. The actions of Rajo Guna results in worldly pleasures leading to unhappiness. The actions of Thamo Guna increases ignorance and drive towards spiritual darkness. Sathwa Guna sprouts knowledge leading towards the Supreme Being. Rajo Guna definitely leads to lower levels of mind increasing greed. Thamo Guna leads towards doing dangerous actions, attachments and leading to ignorance thereon. People with positive traits (Sathwa Guna) do positive actions and thereby go to higher (divine) planes of existence after death. The people with Semi-positive trait (Rajo Guna) do good and bad actions, and bind themselves in Karma and remain in this world (i.e. on earth, going through the cycle of births and deaths ). The people with Negative trait (Thamo Guna) descend to the levels of animals and insects and move towards hellish planes. The seeker (true spiritual practitioner) becomes a witness to all actions of the three traits, and he feels, he is not doing any action and transcends the three traits and he would realise the Supremely blissful Supreme Being virtually experiencing ME. The realised will transcend the three traits which are the cause for birth, old age, and death, and overcomes all sufferings, and thereby attain Moksha. Arjuna questions, " O' LORD, tell me the person who has transcended all the three traits, what type of traits he is endowed with and what type of behavioural attitude he shows. What are the methods through which a human being can transcend these three traits ? ".

Lord Krushna said, "Arjuna, a person of Sathwa Guna always tries to see the light of GOD. A person of Rajo Guna, prefers doing actions with attachments and desires. A person of Thamo Guna does actions of infatuation. A person who has overcome all the three traits will no longer desire them, nor hate them ( because he understands the play of three traits/ Maaya)".

Note: The three traits are the propeller of this material world and even the heavenly planes. A person who overcomes this three traits through Right Spiritual Practises and righteous way of life, becomes aware that these three traits are the play of GOD which makes the creation to move on, and therefore, he does not prefer to have them or hate them. A person who establishes his mind firmly on the Supreme Being without getting disturbed (through Meditation on the Supreme Being , Naama Japa, remembering Divine Names, listening to Divine Bhajans, etc..) and sees himself as a mere witness of the play of the three traits which interact with themselves, and thereby he will not be affected by the three traits. He who is established in his own-self (Individual Consciousness) develop EQUANIMITY between happiness and sorrows, between stone and gold, between the likes and dislikes, between praises and contempt, between honour and disgrace, between friend and foe and sees himself as the one who is not performing the action but does only as a witness. Such a person is said to be a person who has transcended the three traits (Three Gunas). He who devotes himself to ME with unflinching loyalty and devotion to ME, such a person can gradually overcome the three traits and attain ME. I AM THAT Indestructible Supreme Being who is the Embodiment of Dharma (Comprehensive Righteousness inclusive of Justice and Morality) and the unbreaking Supreme Bliss. HERE ENDS THE GUNATRAYA VIBHAGHA YOGA