Chapter 14. The Three
Modes Of Material Nature
Chapter 14,
Verse 1.
 The Blessed
Lord 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.
Chapter 14,
Verse 2.
By becoming
fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental nature, which
is like My own nature. Thus established, one is not born at the time of
creation nor disturbed at the time of dissolution.
Chapter 14,
Verse 3.
The total
material substance, called Brahman, is the source of birth, and it is that
Brahman that I impregnate, making possible the births of all living beings,
O son of Bharata.
Chapter 14,
Verse 4.
It should
be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible
by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.
Chapter 14,
Verse 5.
Material
nature consists of the three modes--goodness, passion and ignorance. When
the living entity comes in contact with nature, he becomes conditioned
by these modes.
Chapter 14,
Verse 6.
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
develop knowledge, but they become conditioned by the concept of happiness.
Chapter 14,
Verse 7.
The mode
of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kunti, and
because of this one is bound to material fruitive activities.
Chapter 14,
Verse 8.
O son
of Bharata, the mode of ignorance causes the delusion of all living entities.
The result of this mode is madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the
conditioned soul.
Chapter 14,
Verse 9.
The mode
of goodness conditions one to happiness, passion conditions him to the
fruits of action, and ignorance to madness.
Chapter 14,
Verse 10.
Sometimes
the mode of passion becomes prominent, defeating the mode of goodness,
O son of Bharata. And sometimes the mode of goodness defeats passion, and
at other times the mode of ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this
way there is always competition for supremacy.
Chapter 14,
Verse 11.
The manifestations
of the mode of goodness can be experienced when all the gates of the body
are illuminated by knowledge.
Chapter 14,
Verse 12.
O chief
of the Bharatas, when there is an increase in the mode of passion, the
symptoms of great attachment, uncontrollable desire, hankering, and intense
endeavor develop.
Chapter 14,
Verse 13.
O son
of Kuru, when there is an increase in the mode of ignorance, madness, illusion,
inertia and darkness are manifested.
Chapter 14,
Verse 14.
When
one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains to the pure higher planets.
Chapter 14,
Verse 15.
When
one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in
fruitive activities; and when he dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes
birth in the animal kingdom.
Chapter 14,
Verse 16.
By acting
in the mode of goodness, one becomes purified. Works done in the mode of
passion result in distress, and actions performed in the mode of ignorance
result in foolishness.
Chapter 14,
Verse 17.
From
the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops; from the mode of passion,
greed develops; and from the mode of ignorance, foolishness, madness and
illusion develop.
Chapter 14,
Verse 18.
Those
situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets;
those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in
the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.
Chapter 14,
Verse 19.
When
you see that there is nothing beyond these modes of nature in all activities
and that the Supreme Lord is transcendental to all these modes, then you
can know My spiritual nature.
Chapter 14,
Verse 20.
When
the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes, he can become
free from birth, death, old age and their distresses and can enjoy nectar
even in this life.
Chapter 14,
Verse 21.
Arjuna
inquired: O my Lord, by what symptoms is one known who is transcendental
to those modes? What is his behavior? And how does he transcend the modes
of nature?
Chapter
14, Verse 22-25.
The Blessed
Lord said: He who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when
they are present, nor longs for them when they disappear; who is seated
like one unconcerned, being situated beyond these material reactions of
the modes of nature, who remains firm, knowing that the modes alone are
active; who regards alike pleasure and pain, and looks on a clod, a stone
and a piece of gold with an equal eye; who is wise and holds praise and
blame to be the same; who is unchanged in honor and dishonor, who treats
friend and foe alike, who has abandoned all fruitive undertakings--such
a man is said to have transcended the modes of nature.
Chapter 14,
Verse 26.
One who
engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance,
at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level
of Brahman.
Chapter 14,
Verse 27.
And I
am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is the constitutional position
of ultimate happiness, and which is immortal, imperishable and eternal.
  
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