Chapter 14–Gunatrayavibhag Yoga | SHRIMAD BHAGWAD GITA

THREE SHADES OF NATURE

Krishna added further, ‘O Arjun! After knowing the three basic properties (shades or instincts) and the sublime knowledge a man attains divinity. Vested in that knowledge a man gains divine nature like I do. Then, he does not come into existence at creation or gets destroyed at doom. O son of Bharat, I myself seed the soul in the womb and creatures are born. This union of soul and physical nature is worked by me. Every
soul gets life according to the karma of previous life.

The physical nature shapes it in body form. The nature is the mother and I am seeding sire of all. O son of Kunti, physical nature is bound by three shades of properties—‘Sat’ (White), ‘Raj’ (Grey) and ‘Tam’ (Dark). At birth the creature gets bound to these properties. The white is light provider. It cleanses one of all the sins. It begets happiness and knowledge. Grey produces limitless desires and lusts. It binds a creature to selfish karma. Dark is born of ignorance. It condemns a creature to infatuations and generates sleep, laziness and crazes which defile the life.

SATOGUN (WHITE SHADE)

Krishna explained the property of Satogun as, ‘O Parth! The expression of Satogun (the property of truth-white shade) can only be realised when all the doors of the body are lighted up (whitened) with knowledge. The truthful person gains the domain of Brahma after death and enjoys divine pleasures. The knowledge gained by this way is the real knowledge.

The karma inspired by it beget pure and pious fruits. In a creature
the proportion of the development of this quality determines its fate in the after world and the following lives. The ‘World of Truth’ is where such a person goes. O Arjun, there is constant struggle amongst these three different properties or shades to run down one another or each tries to displace the other two and prove its superiority. The ones with this property having in full ascendency become saintly characters. They always work for the good of others.’

RAJOGUN (GREY SHADE)

Krishna continued, ‘O Savyasachi, son of Kunti! The man with Rajogun in ascendency becomes very attached to material objects, his desires multiply and ambitions keep roaring. He indulges in carnal pleasures, luxuries, sexual excesses and acquires costly goods to make life comfortable. Rajogun person takes rebirth in the families of the people who are bound to selfish karmas.

The acts done under the influence of this property begets nothing but woes. It gives rise to limitless greed. Lust and passion burn him like fire. His thirst is insatiable. His mind is always agitated thinking of ways to fulfil the desires. On the earth he lives as a rich man or a King. O Parth! A Rajogun infected person always remains on the earth. There is no salvation. The person’s downfall is certain if Tamogun also finds space in his mind.’

TAMOGUN (DARK SHADE)

Krishna carried on his sermon, ‘O son of Kunti! When Tamogun influence seizes a person he shows evil signs of self conceit, ignorance, angst, laziness, infatuations, madness fits etc. Evil ideas shadow his mind and he is no more able to discern right from wrong. He begins to consider himself a great one out of self-conceit and madness. A Tamogun overtaken person takes rebirth in lowly life forms like a beast or a worm.

Again and again he is born and dies besides suffering long periods in the burning hell. All the karma done under the power of this only bring troubles and miseries. The acts inspired by it are examples of crass foolishness. Ignorance is the companion of the one with propensity of this kind. The man sinks to the bottom by and by.’

BEYOND THE THREE PROPERTIES

After hearing the exposition of the three properties of basic nature from Krishna, Arjun asked, ‘O Lord! What is beyond these three shades? How do we know about it? What is the nature as the conduct of a person who has gone beyond? In fact, O Krishna, I want to know about that person who has conquered the natural tendencies?’ Krishna provided the explanation, ‘O Parth! When a person through practice and determined meditation conquers these three properties, he gets delivered of metempsychosis, old age, sickness and other mundane miseries.

O son of Pandu, due to the three properties or tendencies during the periods of enlightenment, attachment and infatuations as the nature of the sensory organs, who does not hate them or does not wish for them when they are gone, one who remains equanimous through joy or grief and adverse or favourable situations, who remains unaffected by praise or criticism, who does not differentiate between friend or foe and of course, who has gotten rid of physical tendencies; such a person gains the beyond zone where he can join me with his devotion and reach the level of divinity.

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