Title: Effects of the Three Gunas

14th Chapter: Verses 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15; 6th chapter verses 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42

Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manifests itself as laziness and delusion.

Gunas are not visible and cannot be physically verified. We can infer which guna is predominant in a person by observing his external temperament.

Of these three gunas, Sattva guna is the most refined, healthy and good. However, even Sattva guna binds, as the person endowed with sattva guna feels attached to sukha – he has a natural tendency to seek inner serenity and poise.

10th verse: “In a person who is serene, detached and contented, sattva guna dominates. Rajo guna and tamo guna are almost non-functional. In such a person, laziness and confusion, which are manifestations of tamo guna, disappear. Similarly, hyperactive nature, manifestation of rajo guna, disappears.”

The 11th verse refers to the five senses of perception, five senses of action, mind and intellect as the doors of the body, or the instruments through which one acts. A person endowed with sattva guna is able to restrain all these instruments of action – in him, these doors are illumined by light which represents serenity, wisdom and insight. He has a sense of inner fulfillment and contentment.

12th and 13th verses: “Greed, craving, hyper activism, and restlessness prevail in a person predominated by rajo guna. Ignorance, laziness, negligence and delusion prevail in a person predominated by tamo guna.”

Vyasa in Patanjali Yoga Sutras classifies the human mind into five categories: (1) Kshipta (scattered) (2) Mudha (dull) (3) Vikshipta (partially focused) (4) Ekagra (one-pointed) (5) Niruddha (fully focused). The first two are manifestations of tamo guna, viskhipta is manifestation of rajo guna, and ekagra is manifestation of sattva guna. In niruddha state, one transcends all the three gunas.

The characteristics describes in the 12th and the 13th verses have parallels to the nine antarayas describes in Patanjali Yoga Sutras. Antaraya means obstacles to spiritual growth. Patanjali refers to the following obstacles, which cause the mind to wander - Disease, mental laziness, doubt, lack of interest, sloth, clinging to sense pleasures, false perception, lack of concentration, and unsteadiness in concentration.

14th verse: “If a person dies when sattva guna is predominant, he goes to higher regions and stays with higher beings. Later, he is born in a surrounding where he can continue his spiritual journey.”

15th verse: “If a person dies when rajo guna is predominant, he is born among people who are hyper-active. If a person does when tamo guna is predominant, he is born among the lower species.”

At death, even though our senses of perception and action are gone, the tendencies that they created are stored in the Antahkarana (mind, intellect, memory and ego). These stored tendencies in the Antahkarana are never lost and are born again.

In the 6th chapter, in the 37th, 38th and 39th verse, Arjuna asks: “Suppose a person is endowed with shraddha and is making an earnest effort to control his mind. Yet, he fails to attain perfection. What happens to such a person? “

In answer to Arjuna’s questions, Lord Krishna says that the one who is desirous of entering the path of Yoga, will be born in a pure and prosperous family, where his parents are spiritually oriented, and where his unfulfilled desires can be fulfilled. The one who is advanced and has entered the path of spiritual life, will be born in a family that has a tradition of producing great spiritual aspirants.

Bhagavata Purana is the story of King Parikshit who has seven days left to live because of a curse. The entire Purana is a response to his question to Sage Suka – “What should a dying man do? How should he live the rest of his life?” Suka says: “One should be able to live life in such a way that he can leave the body with a smile on his face and with holy thought in his mind.” One is able to depart in such a manner only if sattva guna predominates in him.