Word meanings
- na
- no
- tat
- that
- asti
- exists
- pṛthivyām
- on earth
- vā
- or
- divi
- the higher celestial abodes
- deveṣu
- amongst the celestial gods
- vā
- or
- punaḥ
- again
- sattvam
- existence
- prakṛti-jaiḥ
- born of material nature
- muktam
- liberated
- yat
- that
- ebhiḥ
- from the influence of these
- syāt
- is
- tribhiḥ
- three
- guṇaiḥ
- modes of material nature
Translations
There is no being on earth or in heaven among the gods that is liberated from the three qualities born of Nature.
There is nothing anywhere on earth or in the higher worlds that is free from the three Qualities, for they are born of Nature.
There is no entity in the world, nor among the gods in heaven, that can be free from these three gunas born of Nature.
पृथ्वीमें या स्वर्गमें अथवा देवताओंमें तथा इनके सिवाय और कहीं भी वह ऐसी कोई वस्तु नहीं है, जो प्रकृतिसे उत्पन्न इन तीनों गुणोंसे रहित हो।Commentary
The Gunas form the warp and woof of everything as threads do in the case of cloth. Here in the world of mortals or there in the heavenworld, there is no creature that is not bound by the three alities of Nature. Can there be a cloth without threads Can there be a man without blood and bones Can there be a mountain without stones Even so there is not a single creature in the whole universe into whose composition the three alities of matter do not enter. The whole of creation is wrought of these three alities.
They have given rise to the Trinity (Brahma? Vishnu and Siva). In the world of mortals the triplicity of agent, action and fruit owe their origin to them. They are the cause of the different functions of the four castes. This Samsara has been compared to the peepul tree in chapter XV.1. This Samsara is made up of the three alities and is kept up by the force of ignorance. Action, instruments of action and fruits have set the wheel of Samsara in motion and this wheel is revolving from beginningless time.
It is only a liberated sage who has attained knowledge of the Self who puts a check to this wheel, goes beyond the cause and the effect, and breaks the bonds of Karma. Cut this mysterious tree of Samsara with the strong sword of nonattachment, transcend the three Gunas and rest in your own essential divine nature as Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute.