Timeless Wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita

14.11 When through every gate (sense) in this body, the wisdom-light shines, then it may be known that Sattva is predominant.

सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते | ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत ||१४-११||

14.12 Greed, activity, the undertaking of actions, restlessness, longing these arise when Rajas is predominant, O Arjuna.

लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा | रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ ||१४-१२||

14.13 Darkness, inertness, heedlessness and delusion these arise when Tamas is predominant, O Arjuna.

अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च | तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन ||१४-१३||

14.14 If the embodied one meets with death when Sattva is predominant, then he attains to the spotless worlds of the knowers of the Highest.

यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत् | तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते ||१४-१४||

14.15 Meeting death in Rajas, he is born among those who are attached to action; and dying in Tamas, he is born in the womb of the senseless.

रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते | तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते ||१४-१५||

14.16 The fruit of good action, they say, is Sattvic and pure, verily the fruit of Rajas is pain, and ignorance is the fruit of Tamas.

कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम् | रजसस्तु फलं दुःखमज्ञानं तमसः फलम् ||१४-१६||

14.17 From Sattva arises knowledge, and greed from Rajas; heedlessness and delusion arise from Tamas, and also ignorance.

सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च | प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च ||१४-१७||

14.18 Those who are seated in Sattva go upwards; the Rajasic dwell in the middle; and the Tamasic, abiding in the function of the lowest Guna, go downwards.

ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः | जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः ||१४-१८||

14.19 When the seer beholds no agent other than the Gunas and knows That which is higher than they, he attains to My Being.

नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति | गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छति ||१४-१९||

14.20 The embodied one having crossed beyond these three Gunas out of which the body is evolved, is freed from birth, death, decay and pain, and attains to immortality.

गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान् | जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते ||१४-२०||