14th Chapter: Verses 20, 21, 22

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.

20th verse: “Highest spiritual evolution happens when we transcend the three gunas. Such a person is called Guṇātita. He reaches a state where there is no birth, no old age or sickness, and no death. He realizes his true identity as the Atman, which is never born, which never dies, which is not subjected to changes and which is all-pervading. He attains immortality (amṛitam).”

Those who are endowed with sattva guna, they will be able to realize that human beings are not just a body-mind complex. There is something beyond that. Our real identity is as Atman. When we realize this true identity, we can transcend the three gunas. Then the gunas will be tools in our hands, not vice versa.

Gita asks us to strive to transcend all the three gunas. Being established in sattva guna is not enough as there is a risk of descending down to rajo guna by the force of circumstances. To transcend the three gunas, we have to get established in sattva guna which promotes physical and emotional well-being and helps us make proper use of rajo guna.

The difference between a Guṇātita and the one established in sattva guna is this. The one with sattva guna has the risk of descending down to a level where rajo guna becomes predominant. The Guṇātita may come down to the level of sattva guna, but never to the level to rajo guna or tamo guna.

We attain immortality, not in the physical sense, but by realizing our true nature. One cannot transcend death at the physical level. When we realize our true nature and its immortal dimension, we transcend death. We realize that the body is just a cage or instrument for the Atman to manifest. We realize that everything at the empirical level is non-eternal, there is something beyond that is eternal. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad has a profound dialogue between Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi on the topic of immortality.

In the 21st verse, Arjuna asks: “What are the characteristics and signs of this Guṇātita, the one who has transcended the three gunas? How does such a person act and behave? How does one understand that he has gone beyond the three gunas?”

Gunas are not visible and cannot be physically verified. We can infer which guna is predominant in a person by observing his external temperament. For example, if a person is active but with a sense of serenity and wisdom, we can infer that he is endowed with sattva guna.

We can transform our own personality. We have to understand where we stand and start climbing the ladder from tamo guna to rajo guna to sattva guna. If we are lazy, we should first become active to develop rajo guna. If we are active, we should listen to higher ideas or do noble actions which generate sattva guna.

In Gita, there are various references to the characteristics of the person who has reached the highest state of spiritual evolution, such as Yogi, Guṇātita, Bhakta, Jnani. These characteristics are of the same personality, who has reached the highest level evolving through different channels. Guṇātita has a number of faculties, he is very efficient, but he is absolutely calm. A bhakta thinks that whatever he does is God’s will, so he remains calm. A Yogi does all his actions as duty without any selfish ambitions, so he remains calm.

In the 22nd verse, Lord Krishna says that the person who has transcended the three gunas (Guṇātita), he may be active but remains serene and detached. Even when active he thinks, “My body and senses are involved in the activity. As Atman, which is my true self, I am detached from the activity.”

Mahatma Gandhi led a life of action, but he was not attached to results. He considered Gita as his mother.

If our true nature is that of a mukta, why be in the pursuit of being a jivan-mukta? Yes, it is true that our true nature is that we are mukta. Due to Maya, we superimpose the body mind complex on our true nature. However, just by reading a statement such as Tat-tvam-asi we do not become Jivan mukta. We have to start the journey from where we stand and undertake spiritual practices to become liberated.

In Vedantic philosophy, there are two approaches that explain how this liberation actually takes place. According to one school, if one is spiritually fit, and his mind is fully ready to realize the identity with Brahman, a simple statement such as Tat-tvam-asi from the teacher is enough. Upon hearing this expression, immediately he will realize its true meaning and his identity with Brahman (Shabda-aparoksha-vada). Others will take more time for such realization and will have to pursue spiritual practices.

Vedanta prescribes four-fold spiritual disciplines called sadhana chatusthaya to become fit for spiritual enquiry. The four disciplines are: (1) a proper understanding of what is real and what isn't real (2) a sincere renunciation of worldly desires (3) self-restraint and control of the senses and mind (4) a strong urge for spiritual liberation. Nitya anitya vastu viveka Ihāmutra phala bhoga virāga Śamādi ṣatka sampatti Mumukṣutvam. And after one becomes desirous of spiritual pursuit, there are three additional disciplines he should pursue. He should listen to spiritual instructions, focus on their meaning and finally he should meditate and realize their meaning. It is called Sravana, Manana, Nididhyāsana.

Maya manifests in two ways. Vidya-Maya, which creates the desire to do good deeds and liberates us. Avidya-Maya, which creates the desire for selfish deeds and binds us.