Chapter 14 Shlokas 17, 18

सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च।

प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च।।१७।।

ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः।

जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः।।१८।।

Knowledge emerges from sattva; from rajas, greed. Similarly from tamas emerge sloth, moha and ignorance. Those established in sattva proceed on the northward path, those who abide in rajas live in the middle realms and those who are entrenched in tamas attain the nether worlds.

Chapter 14 Shlokas 17, 18

सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च।

प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च।।१७।।

ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः।

जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः।।१८।।

Bhagwan tells Arjuna to become acquainted with the effects of these attributes:

Knowledge emerges from sattva; from rajas, greed. Similarly from tamas emerge sloth, moha and ignorance. Those established in sattva proceed on the northward path, those who abide in rajas live in the middle realms and those who are entrenched in tamas attain the nether worlds.

Little seeker of the Truth, the Lord now says:

1. The attribute of sattva leads one towards knowledge.

2. The attribute of rajas leads the individual towards greed and covetousness.

3. The attribute of tamas leads the individual towards sloth, moha and ignorance.

Sattva leads northwards

The Lord reiterates that the attribute of sattva leads an individual towards the upper spheres.

1. It eradicates the body idea.

2. It leads one towards greatness.

3. It enables one to proceed northwards to the purer strata.

4. It attracts one towards the path of righteousness and Truth – the shreya path.

5. It leads to the spiritual uplift of the ordinary mortal.

Rajas leads to the attainment of the middle realms

The attribute of rajas halts the individual in the middle strata.

a) It turns the individual into a combination of attributes.

b) It brings about degraded tendencies in the individual and imbues him with evil attributes.

c) It engages the individual in acts of virtue and vice as any other ordinary being.

Tamas leads downward

The attribute of tamas ensures a strong attachment with the body self and therefore the germination of moha and ignorance is inevitable. Carelessness and confusion automatically follow.

Pramaad

(See also Chp.14, shloka 13 for an elucidation of this word)

1. Lack of vigilance.

2. Taking the wrong decision.

3. To remain intoxicated.

4. To be intoxicated with attachment to the body.

5. To perform every inappropriate action instigated by the madness of body attachment and yet justify oneself as correct.

Bhagwan says that such people tend to fall to greater depths and are reborn in degraded homes. Thus they attain even more depraved attitudes and the darkness of ignorance grows unabated. Such people develop animal-like traits and they fall into abysmal depths of degradation. Little one, such people can no longer discern the difference between Truth and falsehood. They cannot endure any afflictions. They indulge in innumerable untruths in order to hide one lie. They are prepared to ruin everyone in order to save their own home. “The enemy must be destroyed – no matter if we too, die in the bargain,” such is their philosophy.