Bhagavad Gita 14.15रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते।तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते ॥
rajasi pralayaṁ gatvā karma-saṅgiṣhu jāyate
tathā pralīnas tamasi mūḍha-yoniṣhu jāyate
Sanskrit recitation
Three moods of nature · 14.1–14.18 · Teaching
Translation
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 thoughtless.
Hindi translation
रजोगुणके बढ़नेपर मरनेवाला प्राणी मनुष्ययोनिमें जन्म लेता है तथा तमोगुणके बढ़नेपर मरनेवाला मूढ़योनियोंमें जन्म लेता है।
Meaning
Meeting with death in Rajas If he dies when Rajas is predominant in him, he is born among men who are attached to action. If he dies when Tamas is fully predominant in him, he takes birth in ignorant species such as cattle, birds, beasts or insects.He may take his birth amongst the dull and the stupid or the lowest grades of human beings. He need not take the body of an animal. This is the view of some persons.
After Swami Sivananda
Three moods of nature· 14.1–14.18→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 14.1The Blessed Lord said, "I will again declare to thee that supreme knowledge, the best of…
- 14.2Those who, having taken refuge in this knowledge, have attained unity with Me, are neither…
- 14.3My womb is the great Brahma; in it I place the germ; thence, O Arjuna, is the birth of all…
- 14.4Whatever forms are produced, O Arjuna, in any womb whatsoever, the great Brahma is their…
- 14.5These qualities, O Arjuna, born of Nature, bind fast in the body of the embodied, the…
- 14.6Of these, sattva, which is luminous and healthy due to its stainlessness, binds one by…
- 14.7Know, O Arjuna, that Rajas is of the nature of passion, the source of thirst and…
- 14.8But know thou Tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings; it binds fast,…
- 14.9Sattva attaches to happiness, Rajas to action, O Arjuna, while Tamas, verily shrouding…
- 14.10Now, O Arjuna, Sattva prevails, having overpowered Rajas and Tamas; then Rajas, having…
- 14.11When the wisdom-light shines through every gate of this body, then it may be known that…
- 14.12Greed, activity, the undertaking of actions, restlessness, and longing—these arise when…
- 14.13Darkness, inertia, carelessness, and delusion—these arise when Tamas is predominant, O…
- 14.14If the embodied one meets death when Sattva is predominant, then they attain the spotless…
14.15Meeting death in Rajas, he is born among those who are attached to action; and dying in…
- 14.16They say that the fruit of good action is Sattvic and pure; indeed, the fruit of Rajas is…
- 14.17From Sattva arises knowledge, and greed from Rajas; heedlessness and delusion arise from…
- 14.18Those seated in Sattva ascend; those of Rajasic nature dwell in the middle; and those of…
Word-by-word→
- gatvā
- attaining
- rajasi
- in the mode of passion
- tamasi
- in the mode of ignorance
- tathā
- likewise
- jāyate
- takes birth
- pralayam
- death
- pralīnaḥ
- dying
- karma-saṅgiṣhu
- among people driven by work
- mūḍha-yoniṣhu
- in the animal kingdom
Related verses
- 17.2The Blessed Lord said, "There are threefold faiths inherent in the nature of the embodied:…
- 18.28Unsteady, vulgar, inflexible, deceitful, malicious, lazy, despondent, and…
- 1.39Why should we not, who clearly see the evil in the destruction of families, learn to turn…
- 6.9He who is of the same mind towards the good-hearted, friends, enemies, the indifferent,…