Tamas: darkness, inertia, and delusion

Taught by Swami Sarvapriyananda, this episode is part of a series of talks that unfold the highest truths of Vedanta through the study of the Bhagavad Gita, "The Song of God".

Chapter 14 is devoted to an understanding of the Gunatreya Vibhaga Yoga, or the three qualities/components of Maya. The entire universe is created by a projection of the three gunas - satva, rajas, and tamas. Understanding the science of the three gunas and how we can apply it to our lives is the focus of Chapter 14.

In this episode, Swami Sarvapriyananda teaches chapter 14, verses 11-15, of the Bhagavad Gita. These verses describe what happens when one guna predominates over another. Swami Sarvapriyananda explains how we can observe this in ourselves but notes that the gunas are part of the material world and, as such, are constantly changing within us, whereas Consciousness, which is what we really are, is pure and constant.

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Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 11

सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते |

ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत || 11||

sarva-dvāreṣhu dehe ’smin prakāśha upajāyate

jñānaṁ yadā tadā vidyād vivṛiddhaṁ sattvam ity uta

⧫ When, through all the sense openings in this body, the light of knowledge radiates, then indeed one should know that satva predominates.

Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 12

लोभ: प्रवृत्तिरारम्भ: कर्मणामशम: स्पृहा |

रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ || 12||

lobhaḥ pravṛittir ārambhaḥ karmaṇām aśhamaḥ spṛihā

rajasy etāni jāyante vivṛiddhe bharatarṣhabha

⧫ Greed, activity, undertaking of works, restlessness, desire - these prevail, oh best of the Bharatas, when rajas predominates.

Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 13

अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च |

तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन || 13||

aprakāśho ’pravṛittiśh cha pramādo moha eva cha

tamasy etāni jāyante vivṛiddhe kuru-nandana

⧫ Darkness, inactivity, inadvertence, as also delusion, these prevail, oh descendant of Kurus, when tamas predominates.

Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 14

यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत् |

तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते || 14||

yadā sattve pravṛiddhe tu pralayaṁ yāti deha-bhṛit

tadottama-vidāṁ lokān amalān pratipadyate

⧫ If the embodied self meets with death when satva is predominant, then it attains the pure spheres of the worshippers of the highest dietes.

Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 15

रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते |

तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते || 15||

rajasi pralayaṁ gatvā karma-saṅgiṣhu jāyate

tathā pralīnas tamasi mūḍha-yoniṣhu jāyate

⧫ If it [sentient beings] meets with death when rajas is predominant, then it is born among those who are attached to work; likewise, when it meets with death when tamas is predominant, then it is born in the wombs of irrational species.