Word meanings
- rajaḥ
- mode of passion
- tamaḥ
- mode of ignorance
- ca
- and
- abhibhūya
- prevails
- sattvam
- mode of goodness
- bhavati
- becomes
- bhārata
- Arjun, the son of Bharat
- rajaḥ
- mode of passion
- sattvam
- mode of goodness
- tamaḥ
- mode of ignorance
- ca
- and
- eva
- indeed
- tamaḥ
- mode of ignorance
- sattvam
- mode of goodness
- rajaḥ
- mode of passion
- tathā
- also
Translations
Now, O Arjuna, Sattva prevails, having overpowered Rajas and Tamas; then Rajas, having overpowered Sattva and Tamas; and then Tamas, having overpowered Sattva and Rajas.
O Prince! Purity prevails when passion and ignorance are overcome; passion, when purity and ignorance are overcome; and ignorance when it is overcome by purity and passion.
O scion of the Bharata dynasty, sattva increases by subduing rajas and tamas; rajas increases by overpowering sattva and tamas; and tamas increases by dominating over sattva and rajas.
हे भरतवंशोद्भव अर्जुन ! रजोगुण और तमोगुणको दबाकर सत्त्वगुण सत्त्वगुण, और तमोगुणको दबाकर रजोगुण, वैसे ही सत्त्वगुण और रजोगुणको दबाकर तमोगुण बढ़ता है।Commentary
Just as winter has its sway when summer and autumn have gone, just as sleep has its sway when a man is neither dreaming nor waking, so also Sattva has its sway when Rajas and Tamas are suppressed and makes people say that they are happy. The Sadhana for increasing Sattva is given in the 17th and 18th chapters. Each ality acts in its own turn at different times. All the three alities cannot operate at one and the same time. When one ality asserts itself or prdominates by overpowering or suppressing the other two, it produces its own effect.
Sattva produces knowledge and happiness Rajas action Tamas veiling of knowledge, inertia, error, indolence, sloth and sleep. When Sattva is in the ascendant in a man, he is endowed with discrimination. Sublime thoughts roll in his mind. He has pure understanding. His mind turns away from sensual pleasures and moves inward towards the Self. What is the characteristic mark by which you can know that a particular ality is predominant or is in the ascendant The answer is given in the following three verses.