अर्जुन उवाच
कैर्लिंगैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो।
किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते।।14.21।।
।।14.21।।अर्जुन बोले -- हे प्रभो इन तीनों गुणोंसे अतीत हुआ मनुष्य किन लक्षणोंसे युक्त होता है उसके आचरण कैसे होते हैं और इन तीनों गुणोंका अतिक्रमण कैसे किया जा सकता है
।।14.21।। अर्जुन ने कहा -- हे प्रभो इन तीनो गुणों से अतीत हुआ पुरुष किन लक्षणों से युक्त होता है वह किस प्रकार के आचरण वाला होता है और? वह किस उपाय से इन तीनों गुणों से अतीत होता है।।
।।14.21।। व्याख्या -- कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो -- हे प्रभो मैं यह जानना चाहता हूँ कि जो गुणोंका अतिक्रमण कर चुका है? ऐसे मनुष्यके क्या लक्षण होते हैं तात्पर्य है कि संसारी मनुष्यकी अपेक्षा गुणातीत मनुष्यमें ऐसी कौनसी विलक्षणता आ जाती है? जिससे साधारण व्यक्ति समझ ले कि यह गुणातीत पुरुष हैकिमाचारः -- उस गुणातीत मनुष्यके आचरण कैसे होते हैं अर्थात् साधारण आदमीकी जैसी दिनचर्या और रात्रिचर्या होती है? गुणातीत मनुष्यकी वैसी ही दिनचर्यारात्रिचर्या होती है या उससे विलक्षण होती है साधारण आदमीके जैसे आचरण होते हैं जैसा खानपान? रहनसहन? सोनाजागना होता है? गुणातीत मनुष्यके आचरण? खानपान आदि भी वैसे ही होते हैं या कुछ विलक्षण होते हैंकथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते -- इन तीनों गुणोंका अतिक्रमण करनेका क्या उपाय है अर्थात् कौनसा साधन करनेसे मनुष्य गुणातीत हो सकता है सम्बन्ध -- अर्जुनके प्रश्नोंसे पहले प्रश्नके उत्तरमें भगवान् आगेके दो श्लोकोंमें गुणातीत मनुष्यके लक्षणोंका वर्णन करते हैं।
।।14.21।। दर्शनशास्त्र के प्रारम्भिक अध्ययन के समय की अपरिहार्य कठिनाई और थकान दूर करने तथा अध्ययन को और अधिक मनोरंजन बनाने के लिये गीता की रचना संवाद शैली में की गई है। यह स्पष्ट है कि पूर्ण ज्ञानी भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण और मोहित पुरुष अर्जुन के इस संवाद में? कवि व्यास जी को तात्त्विक विवेचन के समय भी मानव स्वभाव का विस्मरण नहीं हुआ है। ज्ञानियों की किसी भी सभा में अर्जुन के प्रश्न बालसुलभ कौतूहल अथवा केवल बुद्धिचातुर्य के समान प्रतीत होंगे। तथापि जिस धैर्य के साथ भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण मध्यम बुद्धि के शिष्य के प्रश्नों का उत्तर देते हैं उससे ज्ञात होता है कि एक ब्रह्मनिष्ठ ज्ञानी पुरुष का यह कर्तव्य है कि उसको संयमी अथवा नास्तिक लोगों के द्वारा पूछे गये प्रश्नों के उत्तर भी विस्तारपूर्वक देने चाहिये।यदि ज्ञानदान की ऐसी स्वस्थ परंपरा को प्राप्त करने का सौभाग्य हमें मिला है? तथापि किसी कारण से? इसे रहस्य बनाये रखने की एक दुष्टभावना हमारी गौरवमयी संस्कृति की एक स्वस्थ परम्परा को लूटे लिये जा रही है। तत्त्वज्ञान के सिद्धान्तों को विचार मन्थन के द्वारा जब प्रकाश में नहीं लाया जाता? तब वे नष्टप्राय होने लगते हैं। प्रत्येक जिज्ञासु शिष्य को यह स्वतंत्रता है कि सर्वप्रथम तत्त्वज्ञान के सिद्धान्तों को भलीभाँति समझने के लिये प्रश्न पूछ सके। उन्हें समझने पर ही उनके महत्त्व को पहचाना जा सकता है। जब तक इस प्रकार की समझ और पहचान नहीं होती तब तक हम उन सिद्धान्तों को अपने दैनिक जीवन में नहीं जी सकते। हिन्दू दर्शन एक जीवनपद्धति है? न कि जीवन की ओर देखने का केवल एक दृष्टिकोण। इसलिए आवश्यक है कि इस ज्ञान को हम अपने जीवन में जियें।यहाँ अर्जुन ने तीन प्रश्न पूछे हैं (1) तीनों गुणों से अतीत हुये पुरुष के लक्षण क्या हैं जिनसे उसकी पहचान हो सकती है (2) उसका आचरण किस प्रकार का होगा और (3) किस प्रकार वह ज्ञानी पुरुष त्रिगुणों से अतीत होकर अपने आत्मवैभव को प्राप्त होता है इनके उत्तर में भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण सर्वप्रथम त्रिगुणातीत पुरुष के लक्षण बताते है
14.21 Arjuna said O Lord, by what signs is one (known) who has gone beyond these three alities? What is his behaviour, and how does he transcend these three alities?
14.21 Arjuna said What are the marks of him who has transcended the three alities, O Lord? What is his conduct and how does he go beyond these three alities?
14.21. Arjuna said O Master ! with what characteristic marks does he, who has transcended these three Strands, exist ? Of what behaviour is he ? And, how does he pass beyond these three Strands ?
14.21 कैः by what? लिंगैः by marks? त्रीन् three? गुणान् Gunas? एतान् these? अतीतः crossed? भवति becomes? प्रभो O Lord? किमाचारः what (is his) conduct? कथम् how? च and? एतान् these? त्रीन् three? गुणान् Gunas? अतिवर्तते goes beyond.Commentary Arjuna said O Lord? by what characteristics may a man be recognised as having gone beyond the three alities What is the behaviour of that Trigunatita sage (one who has gone beyond the three alities) and how does he go beyond the world and is above the Gunas Tell me that.These are the characteristics of the sage who has gone beyond the Gunas others should cultivate them.Just as a king is able to remove the grievances and sorrows of his servants? so also the Lord is able to remove the sorrows of His devotees. That is the reason why Arjuna addresses Sri Krishna as Lord and uses the term Prabhu. By using this word? Arjuna hinted to the Lord that He alone was capable of relieving his sorrows and pains. (Cf.II.54)
14.21 Prabho, O Lord; kaih, by what; lingaih, signs; bhavati, is one (known); atitah, who has gone beyond; etan, these; trin, three; gunan, alities that have been explained? Kim, what; is his acarah, behaviour; ca, and; katham, how, in what way; ativartate, does he transcend; [Ast. adds here, atitya vartate, (in what way) does he exist after transcending (the three alities)?-Tr.] etan, these; trin, three; gunan, alities? In this verse the signs of one who has gone beyond the alities, and the means of transcending them have been asked by Arjuna. By way of replying to the two estions, the Lord said: As for the estion, With what sings does one who has gone beyond the alities become endowed with?, listen to them:
14.21 Kaih etc. But, if he has a body then how could he have transcended the Strands ? He lives certainly in one way or other with some mental modification, which is necessarily one a among the three Strands, With this intention Arjuna raises the estion. Now [by way of giving] answer -
14.21 Arjuna said By what signs, namely, distinguishing features, is a man who has crossed beyond these three Gunas, Sattva and the rest, characterised? What is his behaviour? With what kind of behaviour is he associated and how does it serve as a sign for knowing his state? Such is the meaning. How does he, i.e., by what means does he cross beyond the three Gunas, the Sattva and the rest?
This is the same question asked in chapter two: sthita prajnasya ka bhasa (please describe the sthita prajna). However out of extreme desire to know, Arjuna asks again. One question is “By what symptoms one should understand a person is beyond the gunas?” (kair lingaih) The second question is “What is his behavior?” (kim acarah) The third question is “What is the means of attaining transcendence of the gunas?” (katham ca etan) When Arjuna asked his question in chapter two, he did not ask how a person could transcend the gunas. But now, knowing this, he asks this question. That is the difference.
Excited from hearing Lord Krishna reveal that by transcending the three gunas or modes of material nature one attains immortality; many questions arose in the mind of Arjuna. With a view to more comprehensively understand the characteristics and conduct of such a great being and also to learn the direct means they used to achieve immortality he humbly requests Lord Krishna to reveal it. By what characteristics means what distinguishes such a one and by what symptoms can such a one be perceived? By what conduct is meant how does such a one live and how does such a one behave? Then in conclusion he asks by what means is such phenomenal feat possible.
The word lingais means symptoms. By what symptoms can a liberated being be perceived? What distinguishes them from others? The word acarah means conduct. By what means does such a liberated being conduct themselves? How does one transcend the three gunas or modes of material nature. These questions will be answered by Lord Krishna next.
The word lingais means symptoms. By what symptoms can a liberated being be perceived? What distinguishes them from others? The word acarah means conduct. By what means does such a liberated being conduct themselves? How does one transcend the three gunas or modes of material nature. These questions will be answered by Lord Krishna next.
Arjuna Uvaacha: Kairlingais treen gunaanetaan ateeto bhavati prabho; Kimaachaarah katham chaitaam streen gunaan ativartate.
arjunaḥ uvācha—Arjun inquired; kaiḥ—by what; liṅgaiḥ—symptoms; trīn—three; guṇān—modes of material nature; etān—these; atītaḥ—having transcended; bhavati—is; prabho—Lord; kim—what; āchāraḥ—conduct; katham—how; cha—and; etān—these; trīn—three; guṇān—modes of material nature; ativartate—transcend
