Chapter 7 Shloka 12

ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये।

मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि न त्वहं तेषु ते मयि।।१२।।

The tendencies that arise from

the attribute of sattva, and of rajas and tamas,

know that these arise from Me.

However, I am not in these, nor they in Me.

Chapter 7 Shloka 12

ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये।

मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि न त्वहं तेषु ते मयि।।१२।।

Bhagwan continues:

The tendencies that arise from the attribute of sattva, and of rajas and tamas, know that these arise from Me. However, I am not in these, nor they in Me.

The Lord says:

1. I am the support of the attributes of sattva, rajas and tamas.

2. The qualities that inhere in all beings have been wrought by Me and are supported by My Prakriti.

3. All those attributes with which each object is replete, know all these to be created by Me.

However, I am a Gunatit – unaffected by all attributes; I am Nirguna – the attributeless One; I am the Lord of all attributes, yet I am not affected by them. Though I am replete with all qualities, yet I am not any of these attributes; I am not bound by these gunas.

Revealing His true essence, the Lord says that He is:

a) untouched by all attributes;

b) completely detached;

c) the essence of gunas, yet beyond them;

d) the essence of gunas, yet totally devoid of gunas;

e) the creator of the gunas, yet devoid of any connection with them;

f) ever distant from the gunas of Prakriti even though these threefold gunas are dependent upon Him;

g) this entire Creation wherein each object is wrought by and constituted of the three gunas. Yet the Lord Himself is a Gunatit – ever untouched by any of these attributes.

In other words:

a) He is not affected either by His own qualities or by the qualities of others.

b) He does not take pride in His qualities.

c) He is not sorrowful on account of the qualities of others.

The Essential Core or Swaroop is devoid of all gunas. Energy is also devoid of gunas. Qualities or gunas inhere in objects.

One who is unaffected by objects is a gunatit. The Lord says these gunas spring forth from Him, but the Atma Self – that Supreme Essence – does not inhere in those qualities or gunas.

An analysis of the gunas

Little one, first understand what gunas are.

1. Each object of the world attains a distinctive characteristic on account of the guna that inheres it.

2. Every object in this world manifests an original nature, which is its natural guna.

3. Whatever capability any object possesses is its guna.

4. Its basic utility or talent is its guna.

5. Its natural mode of action is defined by its gunas.

6. Basic characteristics are also gunas.

7. Natural inclinations are also based on gunas.

8. The effect each object has is also its guna.

9. Underlying tendencies are also replete with gunas.

My little one,

a) Gross objects possess gunas;

b) Mental subtleties and traits are also moulded in accordance with the qualities they possess;

c) Situations and circumstances are also characterised by gunas.

There is nothing in this entire universe which is devoid of gunas.

1. Gunas can be noble or degraded;

2. Gunas can be auspicious or inauspicious;

3. Enmity and friendship are both gunas;

4. The energy that creates luminescence and darkness is also characterised thus by gunas;

5. Death is a guna, as is birth;

6. Temper is also a guna.

The body has several qualities or gunas, as does a person’s nature. The intellect, the mind, one’s actions and words are all differentiated by various gunas. Virtue is a guna and vice is also a guna. All gross objects possess certain natural gunas and the nature of a community is also marked by some common characteristic or guna.

Now understand what is meant by the phrase ‘It is gunas which interact with gunas’. Various traits of one individual influence the traits or attributes of another and are conversely affected by the gunas of the other as well. Now understand the effects that occur through the interaction of gunas.

1. Gunas or qualities that support

    Supporting gunas aid in mutual enhancement. These are:

­­–  supportive,

­­–  partial,

­­–  dependable,

­­–  protective,

­­–­­  helpful,

­­–  sustaining,

­­–  and participatory attributes.

2. Gunas or qualities that attract

    It is said that opposites attract. Opposite or different gunas:

­­–  entice,

­­–  hypnotise,

­­–  control,

­­–  tempt,

­­–  and also satisfy.

    Attributes that attract thus give pleasure and joy. In this way one person can affect another.

3. Gunas or qualities that repel

         Such gunas generate hatred, opposition, non-acceptance, disinclination, rejection, enmity, ill will, contentiousness, offensiveness and pretence. These attributes give rise to the tendency of renunciation and produce vairaagya or detachment. Qualities clash with qualities, leaving people rudderless, exiling them from their homes, putting them through great sorrow and difficulty. Such a clash can even lead to the desire to kill someone.

4. Gunas or qualities that separate:

         Gunas could be divisive, causing disunity and differences among people; increasing the propensity to deviate from the path of duty; encouraging non-acceptance of the other and differences in thinking; and promoting non co-operation. They are the qualities that are responsible for the breaking of relationships, discordancy and disruption.

5. Gunas or qualities that influence

­­–  Such gunas bring about change.

­­–  They can inspire and rouse one.

­­–  They can incite and provoke.

­­–  Gunas can establish one’s leadership

­­–  Gunas can also intimidate others to enforce one’s overlordship.

­­–  Gunas can enthuse and gunas can bewilder.

­­–  Gunas could lead to mildness and also to cruelty.

­­–  Gunas can compel one to do certain things.

­­–  Gunas can lead to pursuance of action and could also produce abstinence from action.

­­–  Gunas can produce the deep sleep of moha and gunas can also awaken the intellect.

    In other words, the gunas of one person keep influencing the gunas of another and thus bring about a mutual change.

6. Parallel Gunas

         Such gunas promote unity, a natural attraction, and mutual support. People who possess such attributes generally unite and follow each other. Such gunas bring about a feeling of equality and generate a climate of positiveness. These gunas give rise to a similar point of view and eliminate all differences.

The effect of gunas uniting with one another

The effect of the mergence of gunas can be varied. The Lord has said that the source of the creation of gunas is Brahm’s threefold Energy. Each individual is born with the sanskars or the latencies of previous births, imbued with the threefold gunas. He then continues to imbibe other gunas during the course of his life amidst varied circumstances and depending on his environment and company.

Bound by gunas himself, the individual:

a) is attracted by some;

b) is repelled by others;

c) turns away from some;

d) becomes a helper and co-operates with some others;

e) becomes disturbed by some people;

f) receives joy and peace from some others.

All this is dependent on gunas. These attributes are blind. If the individual does not learn how to discern, he is ruled by these gunas and thus remains blind. Fettered by his attractions and interests, he:

a) likes some people;

b) dislikes others;

c) is filled with hatred for some;

d) is excessively attached to others.

His intellect is ever influenced by gunas – especially those attributes towards which he is attracted.

Now understand the nature of the gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas.

Attributes of Sattva

1. Promote knowledge in the life of the individual.

2. Divert the inclination and attraction of the individual towards that knowledge.

3. Engage the individual in noble acts.

4. Inspire the individual to imbibe divine qualities.

5. Induce purity of mind and heart.

6. Direct the individual towards happiness and peace.

7. Remove a man’s negativity and lead him towards light and luminescence.

8. Inspire the individual to perform actions full of gentleness, compassion, mercy, gratitude, service, charity etc.

9. Encourage the individual towards the fulfilment of his duty and the path of dharma.

10. Lead the individual towards divinity.

11. Inspire the individual to perform selfless actions.

12. Ignite within him the strong desire for emancipation or moksha.

Attributes of Rajas

1. Attract the individual towards carnal desires.

2. Ignite avarice and greed.

3. Make the individual work hard for accomplishment of his desires.

4. Teach a person to hate.

5. Inspire overwhelmingly strong, irresistible attractions and attachments.

6. Prompt anger and selfishness in the person.

7. Encourage the individual to work for the fulfilment of sense enjoyment.

8. Arouse violence, pride, vanity and egoism in the individual.

9. Make the individual a stranger to the distinction between dharma and adharma.

10. Terrorism and violence become the creed of such individuals. They become unjust, deceitful, unmerciful and perpetrators of atrocities.

11. Such attributes can take an individual to the gates of hell.

12. They make him a thief, and prompt him to inflict sorrow upon others.

13. They shatter one’s peace and create misery.

Attributes of Tamas

1. Promote pride in one’s body, thus creating moha in the individual.

2. Increase a person’s ignorance.

3. Encourage laziness.

4. Take the individual towards darkness.

5. Encourage escapist tendencies.

6. Such tendencies lead the individual towards lethargy and sleep.

This guna prevents the individual from forgetting past grievances and grudges.

a) It fetters the individual with past enmities.

b) It snatches away the internal freedom of the individual by creating mental knots.

c) It actually makes the individual believe that renunciation of duty is in fact conducive to his dharma!

d) The individual thus whiles away his life in futile works and principles.

e) This guna instigates the individual towards darkness and abstinence from action.

The Lord says, “Know that all these attributes originate from Me. Yet, I am beyond all these gunas.”