Bhagavad Gita 14.20गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान्।जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते ॥
guṇān etān atītya trīn dehī deha-samudbhavān
janma-mṛityu-jarā-duḥkhair vimukto ’mṛitam aśhnute
Sanskrit recitation
Rising above the gunas · 14.19–14.27 · Teaching
Translation
The embodied one, having crossed beyond these three Gunas from which the body is evolved, is freed from birth, death, decay, and pain, and attains immortality.
Hindi translation
देहधारी (विवेकी मनुष्य) देहको उत्पन्न करनेवाले इन तीनों गुणोंका अतिक्रमण करके जन्म, मृत्यु और वृद्धावस्थारूप दुःखोंसे रहित हुआ अमरताका अनुभव करता है।
Meaning
Just as a river is absorbed in the ocean, so also he who has, while still alive, gone beyond the alities which form the seed from which all bodies have sprung and of which they are composed, is absorbed in Me. He ever enjoys the bliss of the Eternal. He attains release or Moksha. He attains to My Being.When the Lord said that the wise man crosses beyond the three alities and attains immortality, Arjuna became inspired with the desire of learning more about it. Just as he has asked a question about the sage of steady wisdom in chapter II, verse 54, he now asks Lord Krishna about the characteristics of a sage who has crossed over the three alities. How does he act What is his conduct or behaviour How has he gone beyond the alities
After Swami Sivananda
Rising above the gunas· 14.19–14.27→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 14.19When the seer beholds no agent other than the Gunas and knows that which is higher than…
14.20The embodied one, having crossed beyond these three Gunas from which the body is evolved,…
- 14.21Arjuna said, "What are the marks of one who has transcended the three qualities, O Lord?…
- 14.22The Blessed Lord said, "When light, activity, and delusion are present, he does not hate…
- 14.23He who, seated like one unconcerned, is not moved by the dualities, and who, knowing that…
- 14.24Who is the same in pleasure and pain, who dwells in the Self, to whom a clod of earth, a…
- 14.25Who is the same in honor and dishonor, the same to friend and foe, abandoning all…
- 14.26And he who serves Me with unwavering devotion, he, crossing beyond the dualities, is fit…
- 14.27For I am the abode of Brahman, the immortal, immutable, and everlasting Dharma, and…
Word-by-word→
- deha
- body
- dehī
- the embodied
- etān
- these
- janma
- birth
- jarā
- old age
- trīn
- three
- atītya
- transcending
- aśhnute
- attains
- guṇān
- the three modes of material nature
- mṛityu
- death
- amṛitam
- immortality
- vimuktaḥ
- freed from
- duḥkhaiḥ
- misery
- samudbhavān
- produced of
Related verses
- 8.10At the time of death, with an unwavering mind, endowed with devotion, by the power of…
- 9.19As the sun, I give heat; I withhold and send forth the rain; I am immortality and also…
- 2.20It is not born, nor does it ever die; after having been, it again does not cease to be;…
- 1.43By these evil deeds of the destroyers of the family, which cause confusion of castes, the…