सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसंभवाः।
निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम्।।14.5।।
।।14.5।।हे महाबाहो प्रकृतिसे उत्पन्न होनेवाले सत्त्व? रज और तम -- ये तीनों गुण अविनाशी देहीको देहमें बाँध देते हैं।
Having thus declared that the origins of all jivas or embodied beings is from the combination of prakriti or the material substratum pervading all existence and purusa the Supreme Being as eternal consciousness and that they are both manifestations of the Supreme Lord Krishna. The resulting situation of the purusas conjunction with prakriti is elaborated upon in fourteen verse beginning with this one is described in relationship to the gunas or three modes of material nature: sattva or goodness, rajas or passion and tamas or nescience which all arise from prakriti. The source and foundation of these gunas is only from prakriti and are dependent upon it. The physical body is a product of the three gunas. Everything in material existence is under the influence of the three gunas which binds fast the jivas by connecting the effect of actions to the results of reactions. Due to accepting the illusions of happiness, distress, exhilaration, delusion, etc. The jivas believe that they are physical beings because of identifying with the senses and the physical body. So much so that the eternal part within which is the atma or the immortal soul is completely forgotten even though it is a direct manifestation of the Supreme Lord and in reality immutable and eternal.
The forms and accruements of attachment obstructing the jiva or embodied being in relation to atma tattva or realization of the immortal soul is indicated in this verse. The words sattva, rajas and tamas are usually depicted as goodness, passion and nescience. But there are other interpretations of the same. Sattva is luminous because goodness illuminates. Rajas is exuberance giving passion to the ego and momentum to activity. Tamas is nescience the degenerative utilization of rajas and the total antithesis of sattva.
The three gunas or modes of material nature are sattva or goodness, rajas or passion and tamas or nescience and all arise from prakriti the material substratum pervading physical existence. The gunas in actual fact are the attributes and qualities of prakriti and their existence can be discerned from the effects that they are responsible for producing such as intelligence, dimwittedness or beautiful, ugly, etc. These attributes and qualities are in a latent state within material nature when it is unevolved but manifests themselves when in an evolved state. The results of their effects is that the immutable atma or immortal soul is nibadhnanti which means enslaved by material sentiments of the mind. Due to this the atma is impounded in a body as a captive, forced to be manufactured as a jiva or an embodied being and subject to birth and death within the body of a demigod, human, animal, fish, etc. The characteristics of the individual gunas along with their method of imprisoning the jiva is given by Lord Krishna next.
The three gunas or modes of material nature are sattva or goodness, rajas or passion and tamas or nescience and all arise from prakriti the material substratum pervading physical existence. The gunas in actual fact are the attributes and qualities of prakriti and their existence can be discerned from the effects that they are responsible for producing such as intelligence, dimwittedness or beautiful, ugly, etc. These attributes and qualities are in a latent state within material nature when it is unevolved but manifests themselves when in an evolved state. The results of their effects is that the immutable atma or immortal soul is nibadhnanti which means enslaved by material sentiments of the mind. Due to this the atma is impounded in a body as a captive, forced to be manufactured as a jiva or an embodied being and subject to birth and death within the body of a demigod, human, animal, fish, etc. The characteristics of the individual gunas along with their method of imprisoning the jiva is given by Lord Krishna next.
