Bhagavad-Gita As It Is The Three Material Modes Explained Chapter 14 Text 5-10

sattvaḿ rajas tama iti guṇāḥ prakṛti-sambhavāḥ nibadhnanti mahā-bāho dehe dehinam avyayam Material nature consists of three modes — goodness, passion and ignorance. When the eternal living entity comes in contact with nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, he becomes conditioned by these modes. Text 5

The Three Modes of Material Nature Living entity being transcendental has nothing to do with this material nature He has become conditioned by the material world and so he is acting under the spell of the three modes of material nature Different bodies in terms of different aspects of nature is the cause of the varieties of happiness and distress

tatra sattvaḿ nirmalatvāt prakāśakam anāmayam sukha-sańgena badhnāti jñāna-sańgena cānagha O sinless one, the mode of goodness, being purer than the others, is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode become conditioned by a sense of happiness and knowledge. Text 6

The Mode of Goodness Not so much affected by material miseries Greater knowledge and greater sense of happiness Sense of happiness is due to understanding that in this mode one is more or less free from sinful reactions Conditioned to the pride of being better than others Attracted to work in this mode – has to take some type of Body No likelihood of liberation or being transferred to spiritual world Repeatedly take birth as a philosopher, a scientist or a poet and become entangled in birth and death Due to illusion of Material energy thinks this life is pleasant

rajo rāgātmakaḿ viddhi tṛṣṇā-sańga-samudbhavam tan nibadhnāti kaunteya karma-sańgena dehinam The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kuntī, and because of this the embodied living entity is bound to material fruitive actions.Kuntī Text 7

The Mode of Passion Characterized by the attraction between man and woman Develops hankering for material enjoyment Products – wants honor in the society or nation, happy family with nice children, wife and house This hankering leads to very hard work Becomes associated with the fruits of his activities and becomes bound by such activities Whole material world is more or less in this mode Modern civilization considers advanced condition to be the mode of passion instead of goodness No liberation for those in the mode of goodness – what to speak of those in passion

tamas tv ajñāna-jaḿ viddhi mohanaḿ sarva-dehinām pramādālasya-nidrābhis tan nibadhnāti bhārata O son of Bharata, know that the mode of darkness, born of ignorance, is the delusion of all embodied living entities. The results of this mode are madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned soul. Text 8

The Mode of Ignorance Just opposite of the mode of goodness, cannot understand what is what Instead of making advancement one becomes degraded Vastu-yāthātmya-jñānāvarakaḿ viparyaya-jñāna-janakaḿ tamaḥ: under the spell of ignorance, one cannot understand a thing as it is. Reluctant to make advancement in spiritual understanding, very lazy, not interested in association for spiritual understanding Sleeps more than is required (10-12 hrs a day) Appears to be always dejected and addicted to intoxicants and sleeping

sattvaḿ sukhe sañjayati rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata jñānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ pramāde sañjayaty uta O son of Bharata, the mode of goodness conditions one to happiness; passion conditions one to fruitive action; and ignorance, covering one's knowledge, binds one to madness. Text 9

Material Conditioning A person in the mode of goodness is satisfied by his work or intellectual pursuit A man in the mode of passion may be engaged in fruitive activity; he owns as much as he can and spends for good causes In the mode of ignorance, whatever one does is good neither for him nor for anyone.

rajas tamaś cābhibhūya sattvaḿ bhavati bhārata rajaḥ sattvaḿ tamaś caiva tamaḥ sattvaḿ rajas tathā Sometimes the mode of goodness becomes prominent, defeating the modes of passion and ignorance, O son of Bharata. Sometimes the mode of passion defeats goodness and ignorance, and at other times ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way there is always competition for supremacy. Text 9

Competition The mode which is prominent defeats the other two modes are defeated By practice one can develop a mode and thus defeat the other two modes One who is actually intent on advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has to transcend these three modes If one is determined he can be blessed by the mode of goodness, and by transcending the mode of goodness he can be situated in pure goodness (vasudeva state), a state in which one can understand the science of God