Chapter XIV Sloka 5

स वं रज तम इित गुणाः कृ ितसंभवाः।

िनब ि त महाबाहो देहे देिहनम यम्।।14.5।।

Bhagavan Sri Krishna again states that He would teach the Ultimate
Knowledge, the most superior Knowledge, the Knowledge of All
Knowledge.
Bhagavan said:
Munis have attained moksha by acquiring this Knowledge, while
living in this body itself in this Universe. By this Knowledge, they have
attained My swarupa. They do not become attached to this body or
to this world around.
Creation originates from Maya, with the blessings received by My
grace. I bless Maya with My power of existence (and consciousness).
In this sloka, Bhagavan talks about His three gunas.
In Bhagavan, there are two aspects –Pure Consciousness and Maya
or matter. Similarly, we also have two aspects – Consciousness
principle and body-mind complex. The aspect of Maya similar to the
body-mind complex is called Prakrti, since it is the cause of creation.
The creation is called Vikriti.
If jewellery is made from a golden bar, all the jewellery is vikriti and
the golden bar is prakrti. This is an example. Similarly, three gunas
are well expressed by Prakriti.
Sattvam Rajaha Tamaha iti gunaahaa prakrti sambhavaaha
He would have explained the nature of these gunas which we shall
discuss later.
Sattvam means peace and clear knowledge.
Rajaha means being restlessness, sorrow and confusion or unclear
knowledge.
Tamaha is none of these- it is being very lazy and sleepy.
We will see these more in detail.
In brief, it is clear knowledge, half knowledge (which is a mix of clear
and unclear knowledge) and total ignorance.
These are visible to the naked eyes, but from the expressions we
need to infer these Gunas. From the function, we need to
understand that this guna is predominant in us at any given time.
In the next line, He says:
Hey Mahabaho! – Oh, The one with strong shoulders, stamina! The
enthusiastic and motivated Arjuna!
Avyayam dehinam –
Avyayam – unchanging Jivatma
Dehinam – one who has a body. It refers to the Jivatma.
Avyayam dehinam Dehe nibadnanti – It binds the Jivatma to the
body, to the mind and to the worldly things- especially to the body.
It creates bondage to the gross and the subtle bodies.
Badnanti – means binds.
Nibadnanti – means binds well.
This sloka tells the names of the three gunas, and that these three
gunas originate from Prakrti, and that these three gunas strongly
bind the Jivatma to the body and the mind.
The word ‘Guna’ itself has another meaning, which is rope. Just as
the rope can tie a thing, the gunas tie the Jiva to the body.
He continues to explain the meaning in the next sloka, which we can
study in the next session.
स वं रज तम इित गुणाः कृ ितसंभवाः।
िनब ि त महाबाहो देहे देिहनम यम्।।14.5।।

My prayerful blessings and best wishes to all of you. Hari Om!