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Chapter 14: The Three Modes of Material Nature

Bg 14.22, Bg 14.23, Bg 14.24, Bg 14.25, Bg 14.22-25
TEXTS 22-25
sri-bhagavan uvaca
prakasam ca pravrttim ca
moham eva ca pandava
na dvesti sampravrttani
na nivrttani kanksati
udasina-vad asino
gunair yo na vicalyate
guna vartanta ity evam
yo 'vatisthati nengate
sama-duhkha-sukhah sva-sthah
sama-lostasma-kancanah
tulya-priyapriyo dhiras
tulya-nindatma-samstutih
manapamanayos tulyas
tulyo mitrari-paksayoh
sarvarambha-parityagi
gunatitah sa ucyate
SYNONYMS
sri bhagavan uvaca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; prakasam ca—and illumination; pravrttim ca—and attachment; moham—illusion; eva ca—also; pandava—O son of Pandu; na dvesti—does not hate; sampravrttani—although developed; na nivrttani—nor stop development; kanksati—desires; udasinavat—as if neutral; asinah—situated; gunaih—by the qualities; yah—one who; na—never; vicalyate—is agitated; gunah—the qualities; vartante—is situated; iti evam—knowing thus; yah—one who; avatisthati—remains; na—never; ingate—flickering; sama—equally; duhkha—in distress; sukhah—in happiness; svasthah—being situated himself; sama—equally; losta—a lump of earth; asma—stone; kancanah—gold; tulya—equally disposed; priya—dear; apriyah—undesirable; dhirah—steadily; tulya—equally; ninda—in defamation; atma-samstutih—in praise of himself; mana—honor; apamanayoh—dishonor; tulyah—equally; tulyah—equally; mitra—friend; ari—enemy; paksayoh—in party; sarva—all; arambhah—endeavor; parityagi—renouncer; guna-atitah—transcendental to the material modes of nature; sah—he; ucyate—is said to be.
TRANSLATION
The Blessed Lord said: He who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present, nor longs for them when they disappear; who is seated like one unconcerned, being situated beyond these material reactions of the modes of nature, who remains firm, knowing that the modes alone are active; who regards alike pleasure and pain, and looks on a clod, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye; who is wise and holds praise and blame to be the same; who is unchanged in honor and dishonor, who treats friend and foe alike, who has abandoned all fruitive undertakings-such a man is said to have transcended the modes of nature.
PURPORT
Arjuna submitted the three different questions, and the Lord answers them one after another. In these verses, Krsna first indicates that a person transcendentally situated neither envies anyone nor hankers for anything. When a living entity stays in this material world embodied by the material body, it is to be understood that he is under the control of one of the three modes of material nature. When he is actually out of the body, then he is out of the clutches of the material modes of nature. But as long as he is not out of the material body, he should be neutral. He should engage himself in the devotional service of the Lord so that his identity with the material body will automatically be forgotten. When one is conscious of the material body, he acts only for sense gratification, but when one transfers the consciousness to Krsna, sense gratification automatically stops. One does not need this material body, and he does not need to accept the dictations of the material body. The qualities of the material modes in the body will act, but as spirit soul the self is aloof from such activities. How does he become aloof? He does not desire to enjoy the body, nor does he desire to get out of it. Thus transcendentally situated, the devotee becomes automatically free. He need not try to become free from the influence of the modes of material nature.
The next question concerns the dealings of a transcendentally situated person. The materially situated person is affected by so-called honor and dishonor offered to the body, but the transcendentally situated person is not affected by such false honor and dishonor. He performs his duty in Krsna consciousness and does not mind whether a man honors or dishonors him. He accepts things that are favorable for his duty in Krsna consciousness, otherwise he has no necessity of anything material, either a stone or gold. He takes everyone as his dear friend who helps him in his execution of Krsna consciousness, and he does not hate his so-called enemy. He is equally disposed and sees everything on an equal level because he knows perfectly well that he has nothing to do with material existence. Social and political issues do not affect him because he knows the situation of temporary upheavals and disturbances. He does not attempt anything for his own sake. He can attempt anything for Krsna, but for his personal self he does not attain anything. By such behavior one becomes actually transcendentally situated.

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Copyright (c) 1972 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada