Word meanings
- ye
- whatever
- ca
- and
- eva
- certainly
- sāttvikāḥ
- in the mode of goodness
- bhāvāḥ
- states of material existence
- rājasāḥ
- in the mode of passion
- tāmasāḥ
- in the mode of ignorance
- ca
- and
- ye
- whatever
- mattaḥ
- from me
- eva
- certainly
- iti
- thus
- tān
- those
- viddhi
- know
- na
- not
- tu
- but
- aham
- I
- teṣu
- in them
- te
- they
- mayi
- in me
Translations
Whatever beings (and objects) that are pure, active, and inert, know that they proceed from Me. They are in Me, yet I am not in them.
Whatever be the nature of their life, whether it be pure, passionate, or ignorant, they are all derived from Me. They are in Me, but I am not in them.
Those things that are made of the quality of sattva, and those things that are made of the quality of rajas and tamas, know them to have sprung from Me alone. However, I am not in them; they are within Me!
(और तो क्या कहूँ) जितने भी सात्त्विक, राजस और तामस भाव हैं, वे सब मुझ से ही होते हैं -- ऐसा समझो। पर मैं उनमें और वे मेरेमें नहीं हैं।Commentary
This is a world of the three Gunas, viz.? Sattva (purity)? Rajas (passion) and Tamas (inertia). All sentient and insentient objects are the aggregate of these three alities of Nature. One ality predominates in them and the predominant ality imparts to the object its distinctive character or definite properties. In the gods, sages milk and green gram? Sattva is predominant. In Gandharvas (a class of celestials), kings, warriors and chillies? Rajas is predominant. In demons? Sudras, garlic, onion and meat?
Tamas is predominant. Though these beings and objects proceed from Me? I am not in them they are in Me. I am independent. I am the support for them they depend on Me just as the superimposed snake depends on the rope. The snake is in the rope, but the rope is never in the snake. The waves belong to the ocean but the ocean does not belong to the waves. (Cf.IX.4and6)