Bhagavad-Gita As It Is

1. Bhagavad-Gita As It Is Chapter 14 Text 11-20 Symptoms of Material Modes Destination According to the Material Mode Results of Action Performed in Various Modes Attaining Transcendental Position Even in this Body

2. Text 11-13 sarva-dvāreṣu dehe 'smin prakāśa upajāyate jñānaḿ yadā tadā vidyād vivṛddhaḿ sattvam ity uta The manifestations of the mode of goodness can be experienced when all the gates of the body are illuminated by knowledge. O chief of the Bhāratas, when there is an increase in the mode of passion the symptoms of great attachment, fruitive activity, intense endeavor, and uncontrollable desire and hankering develop. lobhaḥ pravṛttir ārambhaḥ karmaṇām aśamaḥ spṛhā rajasy etāni jāyante vivṛddhe bharatarṣabha aprakāśo 'pravṛttiś ca pramādo moha eva ca tamasy etāni jāyante vivṛddhe kuru-nandana When there is an increase in the mode of ignorance, O son of Kuru, darkness, inertia, madness and illusion are manifested

3. Symptoms of Material Modes • nine gates: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, the mouth, the genitals and the anus – every gate illuminated by symptoms of goodness • In the mode of goodness, one can see things in the right position, one can hear things in the right position, and one can taste things in the right position • One in the mode of passion is never satisfied with his current position – hankers to increase – great hankering for sense gratification • In mode of passion one always wants to live with his family in his palatial house and to continue the process of sense gratification • In the mode of ignorance there is no illumination so knowledge is absent • Does not work by regulative principle, acts whimsically for no purpose. Makes no endeavor in spite of capacity to work • Life is inactive although consciousness is going on

4. Text 14-15 yadā sattve pravṛddhe tu pralayaḿ yāti deha-bhṛt tadottama-vidāḿ lokān amalān pratipadyate When one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains to the pure higher planets of the great sages. When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities; and when one dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom. rajasi pralayaḿ gatvā karma-sańgiṣu jāyate tathā pralīnas tamasi mūḍha-yoniṣu jāyate

5. Destination According to the Material Mode • One in goodness attains higher planetary systems, like Brahmaloka or Janoloka, and there enjoys godly happiness • Amalān – “free from mode of passion and ignorance” – mode of goodness is the purest form of existence in the material world • Those who die in the mode of goodness are elevated to the planets where great sages and great devotees live. • Some have wrong impression that when the soul reaches the platform of human life it never goes down again • If one develops the mode of ignorance, he is degraded to animal form of life in his next birth – from there one has to elevate himself by evolutionary process to come back to human life

6. Text 16 karmaṇaḥ sukṛtasyāhuḥ sāttvikaḿ nirmalaḿ phalam rajasas tu phalaḿ duḥkham ajñānaḿ tamasaḥ phalam The result of pious action is pure and is said to be in the mode of goodness. But action done in the mode of passion results in misery, and action performed in the mode of ignorance results in foolishness. • Activities in the mode of passion are simply miserable as it is bound to be defeated – eg. misery undergone in building skyscraper for a little mental happiness ”I have this house or this money“ but not actual happiness • In Ignorance – activities result in present misery and afterward go towards always miserable animal life • Slaughtering poor animals – they do not know that in future the animal will have a suitable body to kill them • Indulgence in animal killing for the taste of the tongue is the grossest kind of ignorance – especially cows - go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca

7. Text 17 sattvāt sañjāyate jñānaḿ rajaso lobha eva ca pramāda-mohau tamaso bhavato 'jñānam eva ca From the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops; from the mode of passion, greed develops; and from the mode of ignorance develop foolishness, madness and illusion. • Education for developing the mode of goodness of the people in general must be there – people will become sober, in full knowledge of things as they are, happy and prosperous • In mode of passion people become greedy – no limit to hankering for sense enjoyment – mentally unhappy – profession and occupation are also very troublesome • Ignorance – People become mad, distressed by circumstances they take shelter of intoxication, and thus sink further into ignorance • In modern human society, spiritual knowledge is neglected, and cow killing is encouraged, A civilization which guides the citizens to become animals in their next lives is certainly not a human civilization

8. Text 18 ūrdhvaḿ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the abominable mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds. • According to the degree of development of the mode of goodness, the living entity can be transferred to various planets in this system. • The highest planet is Satyaloka, or Brahmaloka, where the prime person of this universe, Lord Brahmā, resides • Mode of passion is mixed in between modes of goodness and ignorance, even if a person is purely in mode of passion he will stay as a king or rich man on this earth – but also a chance of becoming mad in next life • Ignorance is described as abominable –brought down to abominable conditions of life - Eight million species – birds,beasts,reptiles,trees etc.

9. Text 19-20 nānyaḿ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraḿ yadā draṣṭānupaśyati guṇebhyaś ca paraḿ vetti mad-bhāvaḿ so 'dhigacchati When one properly sees that in all activities no other performer is at work than these modes of nature and he knows the Supreme Lord, who is transcendental to all these modes, he attains My spiritual nature. guṇān etān atītya trīn dehī deha-samudbhavān janma-mṛtyu-jarā-duḥkhair vimukto 'mṛtam aśnute When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes associated with the material body, he can become free from birth, death, old age and their distresses and can enjoy nectar even in this life.

10. Attaining Transcendental Position Even in this Body • One can transcend all the activities of the modes of material nature simply by understanding them properly by the instruction of bona fide spiritual master – thus can know his spiritual position, his material body, his senses, how he is entrapped and how he is under the spell of material modes of nature • Living entity is not the performer of different activities but forced to act being situated in a type body conducted by some particular mode of material nature • Only by the help of spiritual authority one can understand his real position and by such understanding he can become fixed in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness • One freed from modes of material nature enters into devotional service - Devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the sign of liberation from material entanglement – one can enjoy the happiness of spiritual life even in this body