Timeless Wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita

14.1 The Blessed Lord said I will again declare (to thee) that supreme knowledge, the best of all knowledge, having known which all the sages have gone to the supreme perfection after this life.

श्रीभगवानुवाच | परं भूयः प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानानां ज्ञानमुत्तमम् | यज्ज्ञात्वा मुनयः सर्वे परां सिद्धिमितो गताः ||१४-१||

14.2 They who, having taken refuge in this knowledge, have attained to unity with Me, are neither born at the time of creation nor are they disturbed at the time of dissolution.

इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः | सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च ||१४-२||

14.3 My womb is the great Brahma; in that I place the germ; thence, O Arjuna, is the birth of all beings.

मम योनिर्महद् ब्रह्म तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम् | सम्भवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत ||१४-३||

14.4 Whatever forms are produced, O Arjuna, in any womb whatsoever, the great Brahma is their womb and I am the seed-giving father.

सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः | तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रदः पिता ||१४-४||

14.5 Purity, passion and inertia these alities, O Arjuna, born of Nature, bind fast in the body, the embodied, the indestructible.

सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः | निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ||१४-५||

14.6 Of these, Sattva, which from its stainlessness is luminous and healthy, binds by attachment to happiness and by attachment to knowledge, O sinless one.

तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम् | सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ ||१४-६||

14.7 Know thou Rajas to be of the nature of passion, the source of thirst (for sensual enjoyment) and attachment; it binds fast, O Arjuna, the embodied one by attachment to action.

रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् | तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् ||१४-७||

14.8 But know thou Tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings; it binds fast, O Arjuna, by heedlessness, indolence and sleep.

तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् | प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत ||१४-८||

14.9 Sattva attaches to happiness, Rajas to action, O Arjuna, while Tamas verily shrouding knowledge attaches to heedlessness.

सत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रजः कर्मणि भारत | ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तमः प्रमादे सञ्जयत्युत ||१४-९||

14.10 Now Sattva arises (prevails), O Arjuna, having overpowered Rajas and Tamas; nor Rajas, having overpowered Sattva and Tamas; and now Tamas, having overpowered Sattva and Rajas.

रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत | रजः सत्त्वं तमश्चैव तमः सत्त्वं रजस्तथा ||१४-१०||